The new scanning grating technology is the key to low cost spectrometers that provide the expected resolution of better than 10nm, but cost only half the price of conventional diode array devices
HiperScan will launch the SGS1900 NIR-spectrometer at Pittcon 2008.
Over the last 20 years spectrometry has evolved to the fastest and most versatile methods for material analysis in numerous industries (chemicals, pharmaceuticals, petro, food, beverage, timber and many more).
Optical spectrometry in the near infrared range (NIR) is most broadly used, because all kinds of substances can be detected and equipment is at least affordable.
However, for many applications the investment into the equipment is still considered too expensive.
HiperScan says it has now started to lower this limitation by licensing the scanning grating technology of Fraunhofer IPMS and the system design of CTR, Austria, and bringing spectrometers into the market.
"Conventional grating-spectrometers for the NIR suffer form the prices of the detector arrays." said Werner Scherf, CEO of CTR.
"We scan the entire spectrum over a single detector by means of a rotating silicon plate with diffractive grating, the so-called scanning grating of Fraunhofer IPMS".
"The scanning grating is indeed an innovative variant of what has become an established technology to us" added Hubert Lakner, director of Fraunhofer IPMS.
"We design our microsystems for manufacture, test and for the environmental conditions of the application.
"Reliability and accuracy are number one priorities to our customers, at an attractive price of course".
"Stable devices are the key to the spectrometry market" said Alexander Wolter, CEO of HiperScan.
"Measurement results must be 100% reliable.
"Devices must be easy to use and robust.
"We deliver the full performance that our customers expect at half the price".
The SGS1900 for the range from 1200-1900nm with <10nm resolution is just the first product of the SGS-series.
The SGS2500 ranging to 2500nm will be announced in the second quarter of this year.
And then the range 2500-4000nm in the mid infrared will be addressed.
All devices have compact size, robust design and sufficient processor power to incorporate custom-specific analysis software.
At Pittcon, HiperScan will showcase the SGS1900 and prototypes of the future devices on the Fraunhofer IPMS booth.
