Analytik Jena celebrates 60 years of SPECORD technology

Further development of SPECORD technology at Analytik Jena

When Analytik Jena acquired the analytical instrumentation business unit from Carl Zeiss at the end of 1995, it also took over 30 years of SPECORD technology. Before its brand launch as SPECORD 200 in 1998, the SPECORD underwent a decisive further development. The basic optical concept was changed to a fixed beam splitter, the number of gratings was reduced to one in the form of an imaging diffraction grating, and two silicon diodes were used as receivers instead of a secondary electron multiplier (SEV). This enabled more variable integration times adapted to the measurement tasks, a more compact design in a plastic housing and an extension of the wavelength range from 900 to 1100 nm.

Since 2000, the development of instrument families has resulted in different product ranges with numerous instrument variants adapted to the respective customer requirements. Consequently, the same plastic housing is used for SPECORD 40 or 30 devices with only one measuring beam as well as devices such as SPECORD 50 with an additional reference channel before entering the sample chamber. All variants are available as solely PC-controlled devices, or with an additional built-in internal computer as stand-alone devices.

From 2000 to 2004, the classical two-beam units with a measuring and reference beam path in the sample chamber were taken out of their original product family and brought to the market with a modified technological and external design as a family of 13 variants. The instrument control computer became a modern single-board computer and the stand-alone instruments also received new internal computers with standardized operating systems and touch displays for more convenient PC-like operation.

Since 2004, this family has also included a SPECORD 250 with an additional grating to enable even lower stray light and therefore an extended linear measuring range of absorption or transmission. Due to a modified sample chamber rod concept, newly developed multi-cuvette accessories can also be used with Peltier temperature control. Starting in 2006, upgrades to the SPECORD 40 and 50 included adopting the control computer and the sample chamber rod concept, improving and expanding their functionality.

Extensive accessories for extended flexibility

Over the past 20 years, Analytik Jena has focused not only on further developing the technology, but also on developing a wide range of accessories. These equip the SPECORD devices perfectly for their respective field of use and enabling specific applications – from routine analysis to special solutions. Analysis is not only limited to liquids; powders, solids and even gases can be analyzed as well. The main focus is on multi-cuvette accessories, including Peltier-tempered, and the integration of autosamplers, which enable automated measurement sequences for a large number of samples. This modularity of the SPECORD accessories also ensures the future scalability of the application possibilities.

The 5000th SPECORD PLUS

Analytik Jena still feels closely connected to the historical achievements of Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe and continues to stand for the highest “Made in Germany” quality standards.

Since 1995, Analytik Jena has committed to continuing the success story of SPECORD technology and decisively shaping the development of spectrophotometry. In addition to the numerous models for specific application challenges, it is the accessories and the easy-to-use software that particularly enable flexible, simple and efficient analysis. These features ensure SPECORD instruments still rank among the most user-friendly, versatile and reliable analytical instruments worldwide.

In the 60th anniversary year of the SPECORD technology, Analytik Jena is pleased about the 5000th SPECORD PLUS, which will leave production in May 2023. The 2000th SPECORD 200 PLUS was also delivered to the customer in April 2023. Furthermore, Graz University of Technology will receive two SPECORD 50 PLUS, one of which is the 1000th SPECORD 50 PLUS. The photometers are used at the Graz University of Technology in the context of the education of chemists, environmental system scientists and process engineers in laboratory exercises in analytical chemistry. The numerous anniversaries show that the SPECORD Plus family is alive.