OES spectroscopy is the gold standard of qualitative compositional analysis. OES analyzers have the lowest detection levels compared with other analytical techniques, as well as largest element range. With OES, you can measure ppm levels of boron, phosphorous, sulfur, nitrogen in duplex steels, and carbon.
However, this ultra-sensitivity means that the equipment has to be of the highest possible standard to give accurate results. You can imagine that any error within the analyzer could give you a false reading.
At Hitachi High-Tech, we’re in the business of providing the highest quality analyzers that are available on the market today. Below, Steffen Zoller, our Global Operations Director, explains how we ensure every OES analyzer is manufactured to the highest standard.
Our analyzers are developed, designed and manufactured at our specialist production site in Uedem, Germany (70 Km north of Düsseldorf). We believe that keeping control of manufacturing at our own site, and using our own experts, is crucial for maintaining the high quality of our instruments.
This close relationship between the design department and production is extremely important for a specialized instrument such as an OES analyser. For example, every process and incoming part can be observed and checked by the lead design engineer, if necessary.
We also use six sigma and lean manufacturing methodologies and have recently reconstructed our production facility and process to the highest standard with controlled environments, including clean rooms for optics and calibration.
We understand that to be practical for our customers, our OES analyzers have to be accurate, yet be able to withstand the most demanding environments. Certified to ISO 9001:2015 to ensure highest quality, our design engineers also develop the equipment to cope with constant use under harsh conditions, so they are ready to work for you as a workhorse whether in a foundry, a manufacturing plant or in a scrapyard. Each part and instrument is put through rigorous testing as part of our quality processes.
We’ve been in this business for a long time and have built long lasting and close partnerships with suppliers we trust. Yet, we don’t take anything at face value.
Every single component is continuous meticulously checked within the production process. This means carrying out a visual inspection and our own quality assurance and control testing for crucial inherent properties, such as optical performance.
An OES analyzer is a complicated piece of equipment with many components, from the spectrometer at the heart of the machine to the software that helps the operator get the right result.
After each manufacturing stage, the assembled components are verified by a 170-point quality inspection. The parts are released to the next stage only if they pass this test. As well as ensuring quality of the finished analyzer, this checking provides instant feedback on the inherent quality of our production procedures and allows us to work in an environment of continual improvement.
The last stage of production is the calibration check. Every single instrument has its calibration checked with several certified reference materials as well as a functionality test during the calibration inspection.
This ensures that the analyzer is working perfectly and gives precise, accurate results against several known samples. The analyzer must pass this test before it’s allowed to leave our facility. Each instrument is also installed by one of our experts, so we can ensure that it works like it should once you receive it, even after transport.
We’re also an authorised economic operator (AEO), an additional recognised quality mark when it comes to customs controls and procedures.
Watch how our teams ensure ultimate quality control without compromises.
These are the quality steps we believe are necessary to produce OES analyzers that our customers rely on. We have mobile and stationary OES analyzers in our product range. Our customers use these for metal production, quality assurance and control, PMI safety inspection and recycling.
For more information on Hitachi OES Analyzers for your own application, get in touch. You can view our OES range here.
