Sep 26 2005
Spectro has announced that it has started shipping their stationary metal analyzers (SpectroLAB and SpectroMAXx) with a new excitation system that brings performance to levels not seen before in this industry. The new Spectro Plasma Generator is the foundation for the optimization, improving the excitation technique required to analyze metal samples.
The Spectro Plasma Generator is the first sample excitation system based totally on digitalized circuit technology. This radical improvement results in better reproducibility and a higher degree of accuracy in measurements. “The new Spectro Plasma Generator is the most recent highlight of the continuing revolutionary advancements in our stationary metal analyzers, “ reports Franzotto Hornung, President of Spectro Analytical Instruments. “With numerous innovations, like the ICAL logic system, a lightning fast readout unit, and best-of-breed optical systems, Spectro has established itself as the market and technology leader. With our strong commitment to continual innovation, we intend to maintain this position, “ added Hornung.
The Spectro Plasma Generator is completely digital: A 32 MHz digital control processor drives the discharge and pulse generation as well as the offline control of the pulse generation. The new system enables a much more stable energy output along with greater reproducibility of the measurement compared to conventional source technology with analog pulse generation and analog pulse generation control. “We have greatly reduced the number of normally empirically determined interference factors and metallurgical side effects. This leads to an enhancement in the reliability of the individual measurements and an improvement in the overall reproducibility, “ reports Kay Toedter, Product Manager for the Stationary Metal Analyzers at Spectro.
With the conventional technology, the tolerances of the components in the analog circuitry resulted in a discharge variation of two to five percent from instrument to instrument. Utilizing the new Spectro Plasma Generator, this variation has been reduced to less than one percent. “Because of this advancement in sample excitation, we are now advancing into a domain with our stationary metal analyzers that has until now, been reserved for technologies that are much more expensive and difficult to handle,” explains Toedter. “The absolute standard deviation (ASD) has been cut in half for many of the main alloying elements, for example; chromium and nickel in iron base, silicon in aluminum base, and zinc in copper base.”
The Spectro Plasma Generator makes metal analysis more exact and offers much more flexibility to the operator. The system forms an average discharge of 200 us based on up to 400 segments, its 125 mW measuring resolution is approximately eight times higher than that of conventional technologies. The excellent sampling rate and resolution results in sharper discharge definition, and the pure digital circuitry results in higher discharge fidelity. Users of Spectro’s new stationary metal analyzers (SpectroLAB and SpectroMAXx) will experience markedly improved analytical performance.
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