BUCHI ProxiMate – NIR Spectrometer for Food-Quality Assurance

BUCHI ProxiMate is a state-of-the-art, compact near-infrared (NIR) analyzer engineered for the food and feed industries. Designed to operate under the harshest production-floor conditions, the instrument features an IP69-rated, fully sealed stainless-steel housing that withstands high-pressure wash-downs and aggressive cleaning agents. An intuitive touchscreen interface and modern software architecture make routine operation fast and straightforward—even for non-specialist personnel. With the built-in AutoCal functionality and an extensive library of ready-to-use calibrations, ProxiMate delivers instant analytical capability right out of the box, dramatically accelerating raw-material and finished-product quality checks, reducing downtime, and ensuring rapid batch release.

Technical Specifications

• Spectral range: 900 – 1700 nm (NIR) or 400 – 1700 nm (VIS + NIR)
• Measurement modes: diffuse reflectance for solids; transflectance for liquids
• Optical configurations: Down-View (top-illumination) and Up-View (bottom-illumination through a glass dish)
• User interface: capacitive touchscreen running NIRWise™ software for intuitive workflow navigation
• Ingress protection: IP69—dust-tight and fully waterproof, suitable for high-pressure cleaning
• Construction: rugged stainless-steel chassis, corrosion- and detergent-resistant
• Calibration support: AutoCal automated calibration plus comprehensive pre-calibration packages for rapid deployment
• Colour analysis: optional VIS sensors enable colour metrics (e.g., L*, a*, b*, browning index) alongside compositional data

Key Advantages of BUCHI ProxiMate

• Ultra-fast analysis – results in seconds enable immediate corrective action, shortening production holds and speeding batch approval.
• No sample preparation – non-destructive NIR testing requires neither reagents nor elaborate sample prep; a small aliquot in a dish often suffices.
• Pre-loaded calibrations & AutoCal – extensive industry-specific calibration sets plus automated model maintenance preserve accuracy without chemometric expertise or prolonged downtime.
• Robustness & reliability – the IP69 stainless-steel design resists moisture, dust and wide temperature swings typical of process environments such as flour dust, oil mists or steam.
• Low maintenance – long-life halogen lamps (~9 000 h) and automated QA tests minimise manual intervention and total cost of ownership.
• Integrated colour measurement – VIS extension allows simultaneous assessment of product colour or browning without a separate colourimeter—critical for bakery goods, coffee, cocoa, etc.
• True at-line placement – compact footprint and stable mounting enable installation directly beside mixers, conveyors or packaging lines for real-time, at-line quality control.

Representative Applications & Parameters

• Dairy
  • Typical products: yogurt, cheese, butter, milk powder
  • Key parameters: moisture, fat, protein, lactose
  • Benefits: accelerates quality control of both intermediates and finished products
• Meat & Poultry
  • Typical products: beef, pork, poultry, fish, sausages
  • Key parameters: moisture, protein, fat, connective tissue
  • Benefits: enables rapid raw-material specification verification and recipe optimisation
• Grains, Flours & Feed
  • Typical products: cereal grains, wheat flour, semolina, compound feed
  • Key parameters: moisture, protein, fat, ash, starch, gluten
  • Benefits: allows instant grain classification, blend optimisation and on-mill quality monitoring
• Vegetable Oils & Fats
  • Typical products: palm, sunflower, soy and olive oils (crude and refined)
  • Key parameters: moisture, peroxide value, free fatty acids, residual fat
  • Benefits: facilitates real-time tracking of refining processes and storage stability
• Processed Foods & Pet Food
  • Typical products: bakery goods, desserts, extruded feeds
  • Key parameters: moisture, protein, fat, ash, pH, colour
  • Benefits: secures on-line control of critical quality attributes directly on the production line

Near-infrared technology is redefining rapid, precise food-quality control. Contact your local BUCHI representative to discuss how ProxiMate can be tailored to your specific process and compliance requirements.