With the historically significant SPECORD device from Analytik Jena, a representative of one of the most proven analytical technologies celebrates its 60th birthday.

The fact that the SPECORD spectrophotometer is still an important instrument for UV/Vis analysis worldwide is due both to the SPECORD technology, which has grown over decades, and to its continuous further development. This powerful combination is behind its ability to withstand the constantly increasing quality demands of the analysis market.  

"At the beginning of the 1960s, the responsible development department at VEB Carl Zeiss Jena, the measuring laboratory, was commissioned to develop a recording double-beam device for the UV/Vis range," remembers Dipl. Ing. Horst Pawlik, employed in the measuring laboratory as a laboratory engineer at that time. "In the spring of 1963, laboratory investigations of the essential components began to test their usability, in which I was also directly involved," Pawlik continues.  

The new instrument was named SPECORD UV VIS, a combination of "SPEC" for "spectral", "CORD" for "record" and "UV VIS" referring to the wavelength range. The product name illustrates the features that every SPECORD device still has today: The automatic scanning of the wavelength from the ultraviolet through the visible to the near infrared range with synchronous recording of the absorption of a sample, resulting in a spectrum. In 1968, the system was launched and registered as a trademark.

When Analytik Jena acquired the analytical instrumentation business unit from Carl Zeiss at the end of 1995, SPECORD was one of the first products to be added to the portfolio and has been continuously developed ever since. Once again, Horst Pawlik, as Head of Research, Development and Production, is involved in this development, helping to write the SPECORD success story through Analytik Jena's consistent focus on innovation, precision and quality. 

In addition to milestones such as the transition from recording measurement results on paper to digital recording, improvements that seem small at first glance ensure that the SPECORD family is still alive and operating at the cutting edge of analysis. A wider wavelength range from 185 to 1200 nm means an extension of over 100 nm. Improved wavelength accuracy and reproducibility as well as shorter measurement times with simultaneously improved photometric properties have made the SPECORD more efficient and reliable over the years. Continuously improved software leads the way towards automated process flows. Extensive validation modules combine and facilitate measurement tasks as well as reporting and filing. A much lighter construction and a clear, tidy design also mean progress in everyday laboratory work.

Since 2002, the development of device families has not only resulted in product ranges adapted to customer requirements, but also in a technologically stable finished product with the “Made in Germany” quality seal. Particularly in the past 20 years, Analytik Jena has also developed extensive accessories with which laboratories can equip the SPECORD according to their specific tasks, samples and measuring conditions, making laboratory life easier today and in the future.

Since 2010, the new generation SPECORD PLUS series, has offered even greater performance and precision in the field of UV/Vis spectroscopy with optimized diversity in equipment and service-friendliness as well as production technology. With the dual-beam spectrophotometers, it is even quicker to measure sample and reference materials simultaneously. The SPECORD PLUS instrument series are ideal for measuring liquid, solid and gaseous samples, opening up an incredible range of applications – from routine analysis to specific tasks in the fields of chemistry, pharmaceuticals, medicine, food safety, environmental analysis, life sciences and much more.

"For me, the SPECORD is a really special device," says Sandra Wunsch, application specialist in the field of chemical analysis and SPECORD device expert at Analytik Jena. "It is compact, solid, robust and absolutely reliable. Depending on requirements, SPECORD models in the extensive product family range from popular entry-level devices to trusted workhorses. Depending on the model of the extensive product family, the SPECORD is a popular entry-level device or a reliable workhorse. Together with the user-friendly design and the intuitive and comprehensive software, the SPECORD is an analytical device that is simply a pleasure to work with."

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About Analytik Jena GmbH+Co. KG

Analytik Jena is a provider of high-end analytical measuring technology, of instruments and products in the fields of biotechnology and molecular diagnostics, as well as liquid handling and automation technologies. Services, as well as device-specific consumables, tips, adapters and disposables, such as reagents or plastic articles, complete the Group’s extensive range of products. Analytik Jena has locations all over the world, with headquarters in Jena, Germany, and is part of the Swiss Endress+Hauser Group.

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