PANalytical celebrates 50 years of X-ray innovation
2004 is a special year for PANalytical - it marks 50 years since the company
started to manufacture two of the most significant analytical X-ray tools
of the twentieth century: the PW1050 goniometer and the PW1520 spectrometry
module. These developments formed the core of today's X-ray systems. Over
the past 50 years technological progress has led to growth in the development
and use of new materials, which has required a detailed understanding
of their composition and structure. X-ray analysis has increasingly been
used for characterising materials in a wide range of products such as
cement, metals and steel, plastics, polymers and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals,
glass, semiconductors, thin films and advanced materials.
The history of PANalytical and its involvement in X-ray analysis goes back considerably further than 50 years, however. The company, formerly known as Philips Analytical, emerged from Philips' activities in the development, manufacturing and marketing of X-ray tubes and analytical equipment. However, the quantum leap in performance came in 1954 by combining the newly developed tube technology with the goniometer's vastly extended scan range in an integrated system.
Guido Eggermont, PANalytical's Commerical Director, commented "The goniometer became the centrepiece for a wealth of innovations and rapid developments, establishing PANalytical's leadership in the field of X-ray materials research".