(March 3, 2003)For decades, FOSS has harnessed the versatility and power of NIR technology to the benefit of our customers.

Two good examples of FOSS leadership in the field of NIR are Infratec, the undisputed global standard for grain payment systems, and the FOSS NIRSystems 5000/6500 series, a de facto world-standard in reflectance for more than a decade.

Four new product launches now extend the unrivalled FOSS portfolio of NIR-based dedicated analytical solutions by complementing existing well established NIR products and technology. Specifically, the new NIR solutions offer innovative features to address new customer demands, for example, with calibration transferability to make process monitoring more cost-effective or with new levels of usability to make routine NIR analysis simple to perform and manage.

The four new product launches are: InfraXact Lab, InfraXact Pro, XDS Process Analytics and XDS Bench solutions.

InfraXact Lab is a new generation near infrared (NIR) analyser for routine analysis of food and agricultural products. InfraXact combines proven high-performance technology with ease of use- making routine NIR analysis simple for virtually anoyone to perform. Because it is simple, routine analysis can also be more frequent, reducing the risk of rework in production, making products more consistent and improving throughput in the laboratory.

Features aimed at usability include automatic sample tracing via a programmable sample ID chip in the sample cup and automatic selection of the right calibration. Results can also be transferred to LIMS software in real time.

InfraXact Pro is the same instrument as the InfraXact Lab model, but with a built-in computer and touch screen for ease of operation in a production environment. InfraXact Pro has a fully sealed enclosure and rugged design for at-line use by operations personnel and is IP-65 certified for use in harsh production environments.

XDS Process Analytics is a new generation Near Infrared (NIR) on-line analyser for analysis of solid, viscous and liquid food and agricultural products. XDS Process Analytics analyses products and ingredients directly in the process stream. It delivers a continuous flow of results allowing timely adjustments to optimise production quality and output.

XDS Process Analytics provides new levels of NIR analysis for reliable process control. At the same time, it is a highly cost-effective solution.

The outstanding performance and factory instrument-standarization ensures that measurement results are consistently accurate without the need for frequent instrument adjustment. In addition, one calibration can be used across different XDS instruments or measurement interfaces. As a result, concerns about issues such as installation, calibration maintenance and instrument adjustment are minimized. For some applications, read-to-use calibrations are available- making it even simpler for users to get up and running.

XDS bench solutions employ exactly the same technology as used in the process solution, but are designed for use in laboratory or control room environments. The bench solutions include the XDS Rapid Liquid Analyser (400-2500 nm based on transmission for liquid samples) and the XDS Rapid Content Analyser (400-2500 nm based on reflection for solid samples).

The new product releases strengthen the FOSS range of NIR solutions for the food and agricultural industries. The FOSS NIR product porfolio is now as follows: Infratec 1241 Grain Analyser FoodScan OliveScan Infratex 1256 Beer Analyser NIRSystem II Analysers for food and agriculture InfraXact Lab InfraXact Pro XDS Process Analytics XDS Bench solutions