PANalytical
Encyclopedia
PANalytical is an international scientific instrumentation supplier which develops and manufactures X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence
(XRF) equipment for use in research and industry. PANalytical was formerly Philips Analytical, a division of Philips
, prior to its sale in 2002. PANalytical now operates as an autonomous business unit of UK
-based technology company Spectris plc
. PANalytical is headquartered in Almelo
(the Netherlands
), with additional research facilities and applications laboratories in Eindhoven (the Netherlands), the United Kingdom
, Japan
, China
, and the USA.
In 1931, Philips introduced the first commercially available X-ray machine, Metalix. In 1948, North American Philips corporation (Norelco) introduced the first commercial X-ray diffractometer product in cooperation with the US Naval Research Laboratories. In 1954, Philips Analytical introduced the PW1520 XRF spectrometer
, forming the basis for commercial X-ray fluorescence products for elemental analysis. That same year, Philips introduced the PW1050 goniometer
(θ-2θ geometry) for both diffraction and fluorescence products. The PW1050 goniometer
remains at the heart of many diffractometer
s still in use today. In 1972 the headquarters and system development were relocated from Eindhoven to Almelo
. Over the next several decades, Philips expanded their product line under the Philips Analytical brand before the division's sale to Spectris in 2002. Prior to the Spectris acquisition, PANalytical sold their photoluminescence
mapping product line based in Waterloo
, Canada
to Accent Optical Technologies.
The PANalytical organization is set up covering the following regions: Asia Pacific (HQ in Singapore
), AMEC (HQ in Westborough, MA
, USA) and EMEA (HQ in Almelo, The Netherlands). The company's current product line includes diffraction and fluorescence systems (energy- and wavelength dispersive) for materials science
applications and process control
.
X-ray fluorescence
X-ray fluorescence is the emission of characteristic "secondary" X-rays from a material that has been excited by bombarding with high-energy X-rays or gamma rays...
(XRF) equipment for use in research and industry. PANalytical was formerly Philips Analytical, a division of Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, prior to its sale in 2002. PANalytical now operates as an autonomous business unit of UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based technology company Spectris plc
Spectris
Spectris plc is a leading supplier of precision instrumentation and controls. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
. PANalytical is headquartered in Almelo
Almelo
Almelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The main population centres in the town are Aadorp, Almelo, Mariaparochie and Bornerbroek....
(the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
), with additional research facilities and applications laboratories in Eindhoven (the Netherlands), the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and the USA.
History
Spectrometer
A spectrometer is an instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically used in spectroscopic analysis to identify materials. The variable measured is most often the light's intensity but could also, for instance, be the polarization...
, forming the basis for commercial X-ray fluorescence products for elemental analysis. That same year, Philips introduced the PW1050 goniometer
Goniometer
A goniometer is an instrument that either measures an angle or allows an object to be rotated to a precise angular position. The term goniometry is derived from two Greek words, gōnia, meaning angle, and metron, meaning measure....
(θ-2θ geometry) for both diffraction and fluorescence products. The PW1050 goniometer
Goniometer
A goniometer is an instrument that either measures an angle or allows an object to be rotated to a precise angular position. The term goniometry is derived from two Greek words, gōnia, meaning angle, and metron, meaning measure....
remains at the heart of many diffractometer
Diffractometer
A diffractometer is a measuring instrument for analyzing the structure of a material from the scattering pattern produced when a beam of radiation or particles interacts with it....
s still in use today. In 1972 the headquarters and system development were relocated from Eindhoven to Almelo
Almelo
Almelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The main population centres in the town are Aadorp, Almelo, Mariaparochie and Bornerbroek....
. Over the next several decades, Philips expanded their product line under the Philips Analytical brand before the division's sale to Spectris in 2002. Prior to the Spectris acquisition, PANalytical sold their photoluminescence
Photoluminescence
Photoluminescence is a process in which a substance absorbs photons and then re-radiates photons. Quantum mechanically, this can be described as an excitation to a higher energy state and then a return to a lower energy state accompanied by the emission of a photon...
mapping product line based in Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to Accent Optical Technologies.
The PANalytical organization is set up covering the following regions: Asia Pacific (HQ in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
), AMEC (HQ in Westborough, MA
Westborough, Massachusetts
Westborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,272 at the 2010 census. The town is governed under the New England open town meeting system, headed by a five member elected Board of Selectmen whose duties include licensing, appointing various...
, USA) and EMEA (HQ in Almelo, The Netherlands). The company's current product line includes diffraction and fluorescence systems (energy- and wavelength dispersive) for materials science
Materials science
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...
applications and process control
Process control
Process control is a statistics and engineering discipline that deals with architectures, mechanisms and algorithms for maintaining the output of a specific process within a desired range...
.