HORIBA: Global Leaders in Measurement & Analysis in High Value Processes
In the industrialised world of product engineering and manufacturing, the unsung heroes who take concepts and turn them into reality, utilise the unsung capabilities of technology companies who provide them with data essential to meet the increasing demands of regulation, safety and productivity. Among these unsung companies is a global leader by the name of HORIBA who through their philosophy of Joy and Fun and technical capability enable many household names to produce high quality products from high value processes. Phil Burnside, HORIBA UK’s New Business Development Manager introduces HORIBA’s many capabilities….
HORIBA was first set up in 1945 by Masao Horiba, a student at Kyoto University. Japan was in a state of disarray at the time, and nuclear physics research had been disrupted due to the war. As a result, Masao set up the HORIBA Radio Laboratory in Kyoto in order to continue research. The Laboratory successfully built a capacitor for use in high-speed calculators, or what we would call a computer today, enabling nuclear physics experiments. The capacitor was a success and HORIBA began manufacturing it commercially, but further difficulties emerged when an international conflict caused materials prices to surge. HORIBA was forced to abandon their capacitors in favour of their pH meters which were used to control the pH value of the capacitor’s electrolyte. The measurement instrumentation proved a tremendous success and in 1953, HORIBA Ltd. was established.
Today, HORIBA has a turnover of approx. £1.625bn and can be found in 27 countries with locations around the globe. This includes the UK, where they employ approximately 750 staff and have offices in Northampton, Nuneaton, where HORIBA-MIRA is located and Glasgow, where HORIBA IBH can be found. It is no exaggeration when we say HORIBA’s products can be found in almost every industry around the world; academia, research food and beverage, medical, pharmaceutical, life science, energy generation and storage, semiconductor manufacturing, materials science, manufacturing, mobility, automotive and transport, waste management, and water.
HORIBA have many sensing technologies that enable a wide spectrum of measurements and analysis techniques critical to ensuring companies comply with environmental regulations, automotive standards and medical diagnosis. We spoke to Phil Burnside from the HORIBA UK to find out more. He explained, “The HORIBA Group, made up of worldwide companies, provides an extensive array of instruments and systems for a variety of applications, producing a broad range of scientific R&D & QC measurements. On top of this, we can help assure critical processes by monitoring and controlling process gas delivery systems, and more.”
There are 5 main specialisms of HORIBA; including Automotive Testing, Process and Environment, Medical Diagnostics, Fluid Controls for Semiconductor manufacturing equipment and Scientific research. Phil added, “Due to the diverse nature of our businesses, HORIBA UK have identified unique value propositions aligned to each of our markets. We live in a world full of challenges and opportunities in varying degrees of complexity and significance. These must be identified, measured, analysed and prioritized. That is our business”.
“The HORIBA company is a global leader in measurement and analysis. Industries, governments, hospital, universities and laboratories from around the world have turned to HORIBA for scientific solutions, and no other single manufacturer of Measurement and Analysis equipment can offer the wide range of products to the markets and customers.”
When it comes to Automotive Testing, HORIBA ATS specialises in providing world leading engine test, driveline test and brake test systems, wind tunnel facilities and emission test systems, both on site or in their own testing facilities. Their total solutions capability for internal combustion and electric engines can be utilised across multiple transportation sectors, not just automotive, but commercial and off-road vehicles. Due to their wide range of capabilities within automotive development, HORIBA have maintained a highly applaudable approximate 80% market share.
Their Process and Environmental division focuses on the air, water and soil quality measuring side of things, boasting a vast array of ‘state of the art’ products and solutions. This includes radiation monitors, gloss checkers, thermometers, water and gas process analysers, w and air pollution monitors, and emissions analysers. Phil explained, “Our products set the standard in measurement and analysis, providing accurate, low maintenance emission analysis for the measurement of all aspects of environmental pollution.” Offering an extensive solution service, HORIBA can work with clients from the initial design stage straight through to manufacturing and installation.
The HORIBA Medical Segment is proud to have worked with the NHS in the UK and other worldrenowned health institutions. “HORIBA Medical manufactures automated in-vitro diagnostic systems for haematology and has been for over 25 years. In the last decade, we have also turned our attention to chemistry focused analytical solutions,” said Phil, “In addition to large NHS laboratories and Point of Care settings, we are also found wherever specialist analysis is required, such as sports science, food and beverage, pharma and nutraceuticals, and clinical research.”
HORIBA’s huge selection of solutions for the semiconductor manufacturing tools market are among the most sought after in the world, offering fluid control, vaporization, analytical equipment and measuring systems that are specially geared to aid the safe production of high performance devices. In fact, HORIBA STEC’s production capacity for Mass Flow Controllers is unrivalled, boasting a manufacturing rate of 350,000 pieces a year – the highest in the world by a long shot.
Their mass flow controllers, whether for gas or liquid, is comprised of both controllers, meters and sensors. The gas flow controllers are a marvel of engineering, with two types of sensors available, pressure-based and thermal-based. There is also a choice of piezo-electric or solenoid valves to choose from depending on purpose. Not only that, but they use a range of different communication systems, such as analogue, digital, DeviceNet™, PROFIBUS™, and EtherCAT®.
As part of their solutions for the semiconductor equipment industry, HORIBA also offer residual gas analysers. Their gas and vacuum monitors are well known for their precision, durability and highquality manufacture. For example, the best-selling ultra-compact Gas Monitor is built with nine quadrupoles in arrays, designed for optimal process control and analysis in a vacuum chamber.
One of HORIBA’s speciality product lines is their Liquid Source Vaporisation System which was specifically designed to vaporise precursors stably, safely and efficiently. The vaporisation system can be used in a range of different applications, with four different methods of vaporisation: direct injection, mixed injection, bubbling and baking. The system can also be combined with HORIBA’s automatic refill systems for a simple and easy way to provide continuous delivery of vapour.
As a result of their outstanding production capabilities, mass flow controllers, and liquid source vaporization systems, HORIBA have a market share of >57%. With everything from fluid control to metrology, analysis, vacuum coating and much more, they have a solution for most critical and high value processes. HORIBA Advanced Techno is another HORIBA branch that manufactures solutions used in waste and supply water, environmental emissions and semiconductor equipment cleaning sectors.
Dedicated to innovation and scientific advancement, HORIBA acquired Jobin Yvon and set up a business known as HORIBA Scientific. “This is where the fun begins,” Phil said, “HORIBA Scientific is a global team that combines scientific market expertise with the many resources of HORIBA. Their research and production covers everything from spectroscopic gratings to elemental analysis, fluorescence, forensics, GDS, ICP, particle characterization, XRF, Raman, spectral ellipsometry resulting in products that can measure sulphur-in-oil, water quality, material composition and thickness”
In addition to advancement, HORIBA are also committed to morally ethical business practices, and as such, are registered as part of the United Nations Global Compact. Phil explained, “Our President and CEO Mr. Atsushi Horiba, signed the Letter of Commitment of the UNGC and submitted it to the United Nations. Businesses in the UNGC stick to ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. We are determined to take a proactive approach to these issues in order to continue a sustainable growth as a global corporation.”
If you would like to find out how HORIBA can help you with your analytical needs, then be sure to get in contact with the team using the number below. Alternatively, if you would like more information on their many diverse services, please feel free to check out the website.
T: 01604 542 500
www.horiba.com/en_en/
