The history of FOSS NIRSystems, Inc. is, in large part, the history of Near Infrared (NIR) technology. The company traces its roots back to the NEOTEC Corporation, which was founded in 1966. NEOTEC introduced the first commercial NIR instrument in 1972. Other firsts include:
- The first computerized NIR instrument in 1974
- The first on-line NIR process analyzers in 1975
- The first fiber optic NIR sampling system in 1978
- The patent for the first continuously-scanning NIR spectrophotometer suitable for quantitative analysis, in 1978
Grain Quality Measurement
NEOTEC's first commercial NIR analyzers were purchased by the Canadian Grain Commission to measure wheat quality at grain terminals in Thunder Bay, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. The instruments made use of technology developed by Karl Norris, a spectroscopist and research scientist at the USDA Agricultural Research Labs in Beltsville, Maryland. After NIR proved its value by rapidly measuring protein levels in wheat and barley, NIR analysis was quickly adopted for use in hundreds of grain elevators around the world.
Forage Testing
In 1981 the Pacific Scientific Corporation acquired NEOTEC, and expanded the company's focus into promising new areas for NIR - industrial and forage applications. Shortly thereafter, two new instruments were introduced:
- The Pacific Scientific Model 6250 high-performance scanning grating instrument for industrial applications
- A filter based analyser for agricultural feed and forage analysis
To enhance its capability in forage analysis, the company acquired exclusive rights to the ISI forage analysis software developed by Dr. John Shenk of Pennsylvania State University. This strategic move helped the company become the leading supplier of feed and forage analysis systems.
Industrial Uses
In the late 1980's, NIR analysis became recognized by the industry as a powerful quality control tool. This was due to three factors:
- Improved quantitative accuracy of the new scanning grating NIR technology
- Advances in the chemometrics software that analyzes NIR data
- The advent of the personal computer with high-speed math capabilities for NIR analysis proved to be a time and cost saver when utilized in place of the slower conventional testing methods employed at that time in the industry. It gradually found widespread laboratory applications across a number of industries, including pharmaceuticals, polymers, chemicals, food processing, pulp paper and more.
A New Door to Process Measurement
Pacific Scientific continued product development, and in 1989 introduced a new line of grating instruments under the trademark "NIRSystems". The modular design of the new instruments made interchangeable sampling accessories possible, as well as fiber optic interfaces that could adapt to laboratory and on-line applications. This opened new possibilities for real time monitoring of chemical processes.
In 1989 a Swedish instrument company, Perstorp Analytical bought the NIR operations of Pacific Scientific and gave it a new name NIRSystems, Inc. The new NIRSystems modular product line was introduced at the Pittsburgh Conference in March 1989 and the development of a range of pharmaceutical analysers and on-line analyser systems followed. All were based on the new modular spectrophotometer design.
A Dedication to Quality
In 1992, NIRSystems, Inc. became only the third U.S. analytical instrument manufacturer to receive ISO 9002 Certification. The company continued to operate under a quality system that complied with the internationally recognized quality standards of the International Organization of Standards.
In 1997, the company was sold once again to the Danish instrument maker FOSS. FOSS is the world's largest company in food and agriculture analysis, and FOSS NIRSystems instruments are marketed today for applications, including:
- Pharmaceutical processing
- Chemical and polymer processing
