What Process Analyses Technology Engineers have been waiting for

The numerous possibilities UV/Vis, NIR and Raman spectroscopy are offering for optimising process reliability and efficiency draws more and more attention on Process Analyses Technology – or PAT. At the same time, the demand for “easy to implement PAT solutions” is growing rapidly as in the way of transferring the process analyses from the convenient research laboratories into the rough production environment often is peppered with hurdles.

The new modular design principle by Hellma Analytics (Germany) will help all the PAT engineers to take these hurdles with ease. Each production environment may look completely different, so a PAT engineer typically needs to look for the best fitting UV/Vis or NIR probe to be installed in the production plant and to be connected to his spectrometer to finally and practicably use the online process analyses to control and thus improve his production process in terms of reliability and efficiency.

With the new modular design principle, the PAT engineer can simply configure the most suitable probe himself rather than searching for a probe with the correct specification.

Depending on the production process, the first question to answer is what measuring technique will be required. A transmission optic is for transparent liquids, where as a diffuse reflection optic would be used for solids, powders pastes and slurries. ATR (attenuated total reflection) is used for highly absorbing substances. For slightly turbid liquid, a transflection optic would be the best choice. 

Once you have chosen the right optics for your probe you can go ahead configurating that probe by various options. Pick the flange which fits to the production plant and simply define the total length of the probe required, so the measurement will be taken at the ideal position within the vessel or pipe. You should not forget to make sure that the probe withstands the potentially rough environment by selecting between different materials and several options regarding temperature and pressure conditions. You will end up with 1 individual probe fitting your production environment.

The modular design principle offers of over 500,000 possible configurations and is accompanied by a selection of accessories to go along with the probe. Most important are the fibre cables to connect the probe with your UV/Vis or NIR spectrometer. You also may want to pick special protective sleeves to protect the fibre cables from external influences.

The modular design principle by Hellma Analytics can be accessed online or via a brochure. With this simple to use configurator, PAT engineers will have an easy time during the processes of budgeting and planning the implementation of Process Analytical Technologies in the actual production facilities.

Find out more at www.myPATprobe.com