Diaphragm pumps are quiet and smooth but powerful

Patented 5-chamber diaphragm and piston design of Aquatec 550 Series Pumps from Becktech allows them to operate at exceptionally quiet noise levels and minimal pulsations while delivering powerful flow rates up to 25 litres/min at up to 80 psi.

These self-priming pumps are designed for intermittent duty but may run continuously for hours and can run dry.  Suited to many uses from water vending and spraying to general industry, they can also pressurise water drawn from an atmospheric tank, deliver purified water to a specific point or just increase pressure where required.

Units may be controlled by a pressure switch ("demand" mode) or an external power control device ("delivery" mode).  They can incorporate an integrated bypass to limit pressure, and control options are an internal bypass for 20-100 psi or pressure switch for 40-70 psi.  Self priming abilities are from 7ft to 13ft.

A range of pump-head fitting options is offered.  Pump-head materials are available to pump most common industrial liquids, while motor power is by long-life permanent magnet motor (12, 24VDC or 230VAC totally enclosed and non-ventilated) or by 230VAC capacitor-start induction type. With a compact envelope of about 100x125x200mm and weighing 3.6kg, they may be mounted in any position.  Liquid temperature can be up to 77°C and the pumps are certified to NSF Standard 58.

For further information, e-mail: rob@becktech.co.uk or view website: www.becktech.co.uk

Thermo Fisher Scientific scientist Dr. Alexander Makarov
receives inaugural HUPO Science and Technology Award

Thermo Fisher Scientific scientist Dr. Alexander Makarov, its director of global research for life sciences mass spectrometry, has received the first HUPO Science and Technology Award from the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO). The award, which honors Dr. Makarov's principal role in developing the Orbitrap™ mass analyzer, was presented in September, at the HUPO 2011 10th World Congress in Geneva, Switzerland.

Dr. Makarov, who has authored more than 40 papers and holds more than 40 patents worldwide, first presented the Orbitrap mass analyzer in a paper published in 2000. The Thermo Scientific LTQ Orbitrap hybrid mass spectrometer, introduced in 2005, was the first commercial mass spectrometer to be based on this new type of mass analyzer. Orbitrap-based mass spectrometers offer performance that was previously only available from larger, more expensive, difficult-to-operate and less reliable Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometers, enabling more widespread use of ultra-high resolution and high mass accuracy instrumentation.

Orbitrap mass spectrometers have quickly become essential tools in many fields, and have enabled breakthroughs in proteomics, the large-scale study of proteins, their structures and their functions within biological systems. Only six years after commercial introduction, Orbitrap mass spectrometers are found in leading proteomics laboratories worldwide. They are used to identify both intact and enzymatically digested proteins, find proteins that have undergone chemical modification and identify the type and location of modification, all essential to the understanding of biological systems. Orbitrap mass spectrometers have been referenced in hundreds of articles in scientific journals.

"We are extremely pleased to see Alexander receive this award, and we are grateful to HUPO for recognizing him in this way." said Greg Herrema, senior vice president and president, analytical instruments group, Thermo Fisher Scientific. "We are proud of the contributions that Orbitrap mass spectrometers have made to scientific knowledge in proteomics, metabolomics, metabolism and many other fields, and Alexander continues to play an important role in the advancement of Orbitrap technology."

In June of this year, Thermo Fisher introduced several new Orbitrap-based mass spectrometers at the 59th ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics in Denver, Colorado. The Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Elite hybrid mass spectrometer features a next-generation, high-field Orbitrap mass analyzer that is smaller than its predecessor yet provides dramatically higher performance. The Thermo Scientific Q Exactive mass spectrometer is the first hybrid mass spectrometer to pair a transmission quadrupole mass analyzer with an Orbitrap mass analyzer. Both instruments are being shown this week at the HUPO World Congress as part of Thermo Fisher's Comprehensive Proteomics and Protein Quanfirmation^TM workflows, respectively.

Thermo Fisher Scientific in profile
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science. Their mission is to enable its customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With revenues of nearly $11 billion and approximately 37,000 employees, Thermo Fisher Scientific serve customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as in environmental and process control industries.  create value for their key stakeholders through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, which offer a unique combination of continuous technology development and the most convenient purchasing options. The company's products and services help accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, and solve analytical challenges ranging from complex research to routine testing to field applications.

For further information about Orbitrap-based mass spectrometers, e-mail: analyze@thermo.com or view website: www.planetorbitrap.com  Refer to page 341

Baker Solar Is set to revolutionize wet process development

Baker Solar, a division of M.E. Baker, introduces FlexTool, an inline wet bench conceived and designed specifically for the R&D and pilot-scale requirements of today's wafer and cell manufacturers. In the dynamic world of process development, we understand that PV companies need highly flexible tools to handle a variety of wet chemistries through a range of single- and double-sided applications. FlexTool does precisely that.

With a small system footprint and wide process window, FlexTool offers batch-size testing in an inline environment. This provides the PV company with a scalable, reproducible result that is production-ready yet with low chemical usage, intelligent process control and attractive CAPEX. Sumps are sized and configured for rapid chemistry changes, allowing one tool to be used as a platform for testing many different processes.

Currently installed FlexTools in the United States and Europe are operating both single- and double-sided processes with patent-pending Touchless transport technology. Rinsing and drying is achieved with Baker Solar's proprietary high-volume, low-pressure ViaHead module.

Baker Solar, a division of M.E. Baker Company, is dedicated to serving solar PV and clean technology equipment needs from lab to pilot to production scale. Baker has been manufacturing wet process equipment across a wide range of industries for more than 90 years. In 2006, Baker acquired MEI, a global leader in inline wet process tools with more than 350 tools installed worldwide.

To learn more about FlexTool or to arrange a consultation with us during EU PVSEC, 5th - 8th September, 2011 in Hamburg, Germany, To complete the form view website: www.bakersolarinc.com or contact Peter d'Entremont, Baker Solar's Director of Business Development, at: peterd@mebaker.com

For further information, view website: www.bakersolarinc.com or http://www.mebaker.com/

Thermo Fisher Scientific launches
iTEVA precision software for rapid analysis
of precious metals and high concentration elements

A new software module from Thermo Fisher Scientific enables high-precision and automated analysis of precious metals and high concentration elements. The Thermo Scientific iTEVA Precision software seamlessly integrates with the Thermo Scientific iCAP 6000 Series of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometers (ICP-OES) to deliver analytical results with high precision. Designed specifically for the metallurgy industry, the new module enhances the Thermo Scientific iTEVA software solution and delivers a simple and efficient workflow for high-precision analysis with real-time data processing using the bracketing standards approach.

The iTEVA Precision software seamlessly integrates with the Thermo Scientific Scientific iCAP 6000 Series.

ICP-OES is one of the most popular elemental analysis techniques due to its rapid, robust and multi-element capabilities. It can, however, be challenging to analyze elements in samples of high financial value, or with analytes at high percentage concentrations on a daily basis. The unique iTEVA Precision software module meets this challenge by using bracketing algorithms (as stipulated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for data processing) to generate high-quality ISO-compliant data in real-time.

The software features advanced data processing, which routinely enables relative standard deviation (RSD) values of <0.3 percent between sample aliquots, a notable enhancement in analytical precision for the ICP-OES technique. Furthermore, the powerful automated data processing capability makes labor-intensive external calculations unnecessary and eliminates the potential for human transcription errors associated with performing manual "off-line" calculations. An added benefit of the new software module is its ability to perform required post-run data reprocessing without re-analyzing samples; this accelerates workflows and conserves high-value samples. 

The iTEVA Precision software provides flexible options for unit sets that are user-definable on a per analyte basis. Customizable data filtering and reporting tools are also available, enabling users to maintain their preferred workflow while automating current sample analysis processes. In addition, the software offers multi-language support, including English, German, French, Chinese, Japanese and Russian.

For further information, e-mail: analyze@thermofisher.com or view website: www.thermoscientific.com/iteva