A selection process for comparing bench-top NIR instruments for industrial applications

Introduction: Near infrared (NIR) instruments are commonly used for analytical purposes. They have applications in many industrial environments. Typically, the purchase of an NIR instrument is a major capital investment decision for a company. Many factors must be considered when making that decision. This paper presents a discussion of and a rationale for those factors.

Discussion: We consider that there are eight different areas for consideration when the purchase of an NIR instrument is planned. The different instruments under consideration must be carefully evaluated and then the data collated so that an effective business decision can be made. A number of more detailed questions in each area must be considered.
• Performance: What is the predictive performance on a range of typical samples. What is the NIR reliability over time and what are the instrument specifications (speed, sample preparation, wavelength range, accuracy and precision)?
• Support: What are the service requirements? What is the capability and the time of response for support? How will our company ensure a smooth transition from old to new NIR instrument? Do we understand the value of the relationship with the vendor and the value that this may bring?
• Software: What database is used (type, accessibility and size limitations)? What is the networking capability of the NIR instrument and what cost and support are required for this. What types of calibration already exist? What new calibrations can be created and how? Are there limits on sample numbers and the number of calibrations, how easy are they to adjust and what training is required. Are there any compatibility issues of the instrument software with the in-house network? Can the NIR instrument run without a network?
• Ease of use: As judged by real-world users. How easy is it to use the NIR hardware and software? What are the training requirements?
• Price: What are the initial purchase price and the on-going running costs.
• Operational requirements: What type of computer is needed to run the NIR instrument? What traceability and validation protocols are available? What environmental conditions can the NIR instrument tolerate?
• Hardware: What type of optical system is used by the NIR instrument? What NIR configurations are available? How much does the system weigh and what is its footprint? Are there significant health and safety requirements?
• Prior experience: Are there other customers for this NIR instrument type? What have been their experiences and are there any known issues? What is the existing customer base?

Results and discussion: The eight areas are considered and then ranked by a group of subject matter experts. The ranking process provides a solid basis for a discussion of the relative merits of individual NIR instrument types.

Summary: Eight areas can be considered and evaluated when comparing the relative merits of NIR instruments for use in an industrial application.