Software Meets Hardware: The Partnership Between [FP]-LIMS and SPECTRO in OES Analysis
One of the oldest and most stable partnerships in the laboratory industry: Fink & Partner and SPECTRO Analytical Instruments. For more than three decades, both companies have ensured that spectrometer hardware and LIMS software work together in harmony – from spark excitation all the way to the finished test certificate.
Two companies, one goal: OES analysis with LIMS
Fink & Partner GmbH is a software development company that first became known on the international market with DIA Analysis Management. “DIA” stands for Database for Integrated Analysis Management – a software solution for the laboratory. Today, Fink & Partner is known above all for [FP]-LIMS, part of the LIMS software (Laboratory Information Management System) family.
SPECTRO Analytical Instruments is a world-leading manufacturer of analytical instruments – particularly for optical emission spectrometry (OES) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Since the early 2000s, the software from Fink & Partner has been delivered, on request, directly together with SPECTRO spectrometers such as the SPECTROLAB or the SPECTROMAXx.
“We complement each other’s work: SPECTRO Analytical Instruments creates the device hardware and operating software, and we create the software for data acquisition, processing, consolidation, management and evaluation.”
Philip Mörke, Managing Director, Fink & PartnerBusiness partnerships like this are essential for strengthening one’s market position and exploiting synergy effects. Fink & Partner and SPECTRO combine many years of experience in elemental analysis with forward-looking innovation – which matters all the more where processes such as additive manufacturing are becoming increasingly relevant.
The origin: it all began in 1992 – with roots at SPECTRO
The story of Fink & Partner has been linked to SPECTRO from the very beginning. Peter Niemann, co-founder and today’s CTO, worked as a software developer at SPECTRO until 1991. He knew the spectrometer hardware first-hand – and wanted to expand his knowledge in order to find the perfect combination of hardware and software.
Together with Hans-Jochen Fink, he founded Fink & Partner GmbH in Goch on the Lower Rhine in 1992. This single idea – to perfectly interlink hardware and software – was the cornerstone of the company and of the partnership with SPECTRO that continues to this day.
- Until 1991: Peter Niemann develops software at SPECTRO Analytical Instruments.
- 1992: Fink & Partner is founded with the goal of uniting measurement hardware and data software.
- 2000s: DIA Analysis Management is delivered as standard with SPECTRO instruments.
- Since 2019: DIA becomes [FP]-LIMS – and the partnership keeps evolving.
Before [FP]-LIMS came onto the international market, the software was known under the editions DIA2000, DIA2000SE and [DIA] Light. Even then, software and hardware were delivered together with the OES laboratory instruments from SPECTRO – simply because they work in harmony and effectively as a unit.
What is OES analysis – and why does it need a LIMS?
Optical emission spectrometry (OES) is one of the most important methods for determining the chemical composition of metallic materials. Within seconds, it provides precise information about which elements – and in what concentrations – are present in a sample.
How OES works in principle
During spark or arc excitation, the sample surface is made to glow by an electrical discharge. Each chemical element emits light at characteristic wavelengths. The spectrometer separates this light and measures the intensity of the individual lines – from which the instrument software calculates the concentration of each element. Typical fields of application include:
- Steel and metal industry: melt analysis, batch release, incoming and outgoing goods inspection.
- Foundries: rapid control of alloy composition directly at the furnace.
- Automotive suppliers: material verification and seamless documentation.
- Recycling & secondary metallurgy: sorting and quality assurance of alloys.
So OES supplies the raw data. But a single measurement result is of little use if it is not reliably captured, compared against limit values, archived and embedded in a larger process. This is exactly where the LIMS comes in.
How hardware and software interact in practice
[FP]-LIMS was developed with detailed knowledge of how the hardware functions – an advantage that stems directly from the shared history with SPECTRO. The data flow from sample to certificate can be broken down into a few clear steps:
-
1
Measurement at the spectrometer The SPECTRO instrument analyzes the sample via OES and determines the element concentrations.
-
2
Real-time import via the interface The measured values are transferred directly and automatically into [FP]-LIMS – no manual typing, no transmission errors.
-
3
Check against specifications The LIMS automatically compares the values with stored limit values and standards and flags deviations immediately.
-
4
Archiving & audit trail Every value is stored in an audit-proof manner, and every change is logged without gaps.
-
5
Evaluation & reporting The data turns into statistics, trend analyses and ready-made test certificates – at the push of a button.
The strength of [FP]-LIMS lies in its highly developed modular structure. It is compatible with a wide range of measuring instruments and provides the matching open interfaces. Over time – alongside SPECTRO – further partnerships have emerged with many well-known instrument manufacturers.
The value for your lab
What does this close interlinking of hardware and software mean in practical terms for a quality laboratory? Four effects stand out:
No media breaks
Measured values flow directly from the spectrometer into the LIMS. This saves time and eliminates transmission errors caused by manual typing.
End-to-end traceability
From sample to measurement to certificate, every step is documented – ideal for audits and standards compliance.
Faster releases
Automatic limit checking speeds up batch releases while ensuring a consistently high quality standard.
Investment security
An interface that has grown and been maintained over decades means proven stability instead of an experimental makeshift solution.
What matters during setup
For hardware and software to work together smoothly, a few fundamentals are decisive. Experience shows that these are the points that determine trouble-free operation:
- Stable data exchange: a reliable interface between spectrometer and LIMS is the basis for everything else.
- Clear workflows in the LIMS: defined inspection processes, responsibilities and release steps prevent ambiguity in daily operation.
- Reliable device communication: measurement and data systems must speak the same language – this is where the shared know-how of Fink & Partner and SPECTRO pays off.
- Experienced points of contact: for any questions, you benefit from a partner who has known both worlds – hardware and software – for decades.
Thanks to extensive and continuously developed interface know-how, Fink & Partner combines tradition with innovation and works together with SPECTRO to achieve high-quality standards in the combination of software and hardware.
Fink & Partner GmbHFrequently asked questions about OES analysis with [FP]-LIMS
What does the combination of software and hardware mean in OES analysis?
[FP]-LIMS manages samples and measurement data, imports values in real time, archives them in an audit-proof way, logs changes in the audit trail and creates reports. Through interfaces, the OES spectrometers are connected directly, so no measured values need to be transferred manually.
How does [FP]-LIMS connect OES spectrometers technically?
Through powerful, open device interfaces. In long-standing partnerships such as the one with SPECTRO, it becomes clear how smoothly hardware and LIMS work together – from measurement to the finished evaluation.
What quality benefit does OES with LIMS provide?
OES quickly provides the chemical composition of a sample. [FP]-LIMS makes these results centrally available, automatically checks them against specifications and thus supports quality assurance directly within the process.
How does [FP]-LIMS support evaluation and reporting?
Measured values are displayed clearly and can be used for evaluations, statistics, trend analyses and test certificates – largely automated and at the push of a button.
Does [FP]-LIMS only work with SPECTRO instruments?
No. The partnership with SPECTRO is historically particularly close, but [FP]-LIMS is manufacturer-independent and compatible with a wide range of measuring instruments via open interfaces. Over the years, numerous additional partnerships with well-known instrument manufacturers have emerged.