Spectrometer Wins Industrial Design Gold Award from

Agilent Technologies Inc have announced its Cary 630 FT-IR spectrometer has won the 2012 Instrument Business Outlook (IBO) Industrial Design Gold Award. Now in their 19th year, the awards highlight excellence in the industrial design of analytical instruments. This year’s winners demonstrate how industrial design can improve a product’s functionality and the user’s experience.

The Cary 630 took a year and a half to develop. Key to the system’s design was its modularity, which allows for different uses and applications via each of the five interchangeable sample modules. The colour contrast and rounded corners create a modern appearance and integrated look. Benchtop lab spectrometers have been shrinking in size for years, and this has one of the smallest lab footprints to date. The 3.8 kg (8 lb), 16 x 13 x 13 cm (6 x 12 x 5 in) system is designed for routine applications, with a spectral resolution of less than 2 cm-1.

“We are honoured to have our Cary 630 receive this recognition,” said Philip Binns, Agilent Vice President for Spectroscopy Products. “Building on our technology leadership, this award-winning system reflects our commitment to delivering products that improve the overall customer experience by paying close attention to all aspects of how our customers use products.”

To be eligible for one of this year’s awards, a product must have begun shipping between August 2011 and July 2012. Candidates were chosen from the new products that IBO monitors through trade shows, trade publications, press releases and the Internet. Winners were selected solely based on their industrial design, not on technical capabilities or performance. Judges considered innovation, aesthetics, functionality and features.