Sartorius expands portfolio for process analytics

Sartorius will collaborate with the measurement technology firm Schmidt + Haensch, and add the latter's refractometers to its line of products. Schmidt + Haensch is a leading company in opto-electronic measurement technology with more than 140 years of experience in this field. Refractometers are opto-electronic instruments which enable the measurement of concentrations in liquids, such as the sugar content, or the dry substance content in foods. These instruments are used in laboratories and in manufacturing processes of the food and pharmaceutical industries for process control and quality assurance.

Sartorius already unveiled its first refractometers for lab applications at this year's Analytica in Munich, Germany. In a second phase, Sartorius will also offer sensors and equipment for in-line process analytics. In addition to high-quality laboratory refractometers, continuous in-line process monitoring equipment permits the direct control of the manufacturing process.

Refractometry is an ideal addition to the Sartorius product range for monitoring and control of critical parameters, especially in food production. "As manufacturers work in compliance with strict regulatory requirements and, on top of this, are under high cost pressure, it is becoming more and more important for them to be able to measure process-critical parameters, such as sugar or fat content and dry substance, quickly and precisely and to control these parameters directly in their processes. By knowing these values, manufacturers are able to control their processes much more cost-efficiently and reliably. Schmidt + Haensch equipment is a perfect fit for our marketing strategy of operating as a total solution provider for quality assurance in the food and pharmaceutical industries," commented Reinhard Vogt, Executive Vice President for Sales, Marketing and Service at Sartorius.

Schmidt + Haensch will benefit from the global sales, distribution and marketing structures provided by Sartorius and from the latter's long-standing contacts with customers in the food and pharmaceutical industries. "We believe that with Sartorius, we have found an ideal sales partner for the growing market of laboratory and process refractometry. Thanks to its global sales network, Sartorius is excellently positioned to present our high-quality, quantitative measurement equipment for quality and process analytics, refractometry, to a wide customer base," said Mathis Kuchejda, the chief executive of Schmidt + Haensch.

Source: Sartorius AG