Two Shimadzu analytical instruments have been awarded the Red Dot Design Award for Product Design 2018, a prestigious and internationally recognized German design award.
The award-winning products are the AIM-9000 infrared microscope and the IRSpirit series of Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometers. Shimadzu Industrial Systems Co., Ltd. received this award for the VESTA vacuum and pressurized sintering furnace in 2013, but this is the first time for a Shimadzu Corporation product to win the Red Dot Design award.
The Red Dot Design award is an international design award sponsored by Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Germany. Outstanding designs are selected using criteria such as innovation, functionality, quality, ergonomics, durability, etc., from amongst designs commercialized within the past two years. In 2018, there were applications for more than 6,300 products from 59 countries.
AIM-9000 Infrared Microscope
The AIM-9000 infrared microscope is a system for quickly and automatically measuring microscopic contaminants. The system is used mainly for failure analysis in areas such as identifying foreign substances adhering to pharmaceutical tablets or contamination of electronic substrates which causes contact failure. In addition to achieving a 30,000:1 S/N ratio, the best in its class, the AIM-9000 is automated to quickly and easily perform steps such as determining measurement points, setting the measurement area, and identifying unknown samples.
IRSpirit Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer Series
The IRSpirit series of Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometers utilizes infrared light to identify and quantify substances and predict their chemical structure. The main units are only 390 mm wide × 250 mm deep and weigh 8.5 kg, making them the world’s smallest (installation footprint) and lightest Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometers that can be used with optional products from other manufacturers. A program that can run 23 kinds of confirmation test and perform contaminant analysis without requiring complicated parameter setting is also standard.