The process Raman analyzer that reads the resin endpoint in the reactor.
Spectrally X1 INLINE is a process Raman analyzer built for the resin reactor. Inline means the spectrum is taken in the process itself - an immersion probe in the reactor, no sampling and no reactor stop - so acid value, viscosity and monomer conversion read continuously and reach your control system in about 5 seconds, in place of a 30-60 min ISO 3682 titration that needs the reactor stopped and a sample pulled from a medium above 220 °C. Below is the hardware, the probe, the software and the installation, at catalog specification.
A process Raman analyzer built for the resin reactor.
Spectrally X1 INLINE measures chemical composition directly in the installation - 24/7, without sampling and without consumables. Inline means the spectrum is acquired in the process itself: the reading arrives in seconds and streams to your control system continuously, in place of a 30-60 min wait on the lab and a stopped reactor.
Two excitation wavelengths are available - 785 nm and 1064 nm, the latter for strongly fluorescing media such as drying-oil alkyds - at 600 mW and 800 mW respectively, limited to 30 mW for ATEX applications. Detection is a back-thinned, TEC-cooled CCD.
| Measurement principle | Raman spectroscopy |
| Laser wavelength | 785 nm / 1064 nm |
| Laser power | 600 mW @ 785 nm; 800 mW @ 1064 nm; 30 mW for ATEX applications |
| Spectral range | 300-1650 cm⁻¹ or 300-3500 cm⁻¹ |
| Spectral resolution | 8 cm⁻¹ |
| Acquisition time | 5-300 s |
| Detector | Back-thinned CCD, TEC-cooled |
| Measurement channels | Up to 2 (expandable on request) |
| Fiber optic reach | Up to 100 m |
| Communication | PROFIBUS, PROFINET, GSM |
| Calibration | Automatic - reference integrated in the probe |
| Laser lifetime | Min. 2 years |
| Warm-up | 30 min from power-on |
| HMI | Touchscreen (SpectrallyUI) |
| Software | Spectrally OS on Debian GNU/Linux 13.2 |
| Probe | Spectrally X1 PROBE - IP67, ATEX / IECEx Zone 0, self-cleaning module |
Values per the Spectrally Raman Analyzers product catalog.
The part of the system that lives in your reactor.
An immersion Raman probe for direct in-situ analysis in the reactor - no sampling, no conditioning loop. Rated to 16 bar and +125 °C, pH 2-10 in continuous service and 1-14 short-term, with IP67 ingress protection and an ATEX / IECEx Zone 0 rating.
The probe measures in reactors, pipelines and process tanks, in batch and continuous operation. It handles liquids, suspensions and slurries - the viscous, high-solids media of coating and composite-resin production included.
| Probe type | Immersion, fiber-optic connection to analyzer |
| Process pressure | Up to 16 bar |
| Process temperature | -40 to +125 °C |
| Process pH | 2-10 continuous; 1-14 short-term |
| Ingress protection | IP67 |
| Hazardous areas | ATEX / IECEx Zone 0 |
| Housing | 316L stainless steel; POM-C / POM-C ESD (ATEX version) |
| Optical window | Fused silica |
| Mounting | Flange, Tri-Clamp, retractable process holder |
| Cleaning | Self-cleaning retractable module - automatic retract-rinse-return cycle |
Fiber-optic connection
The probe connects to the analyzer over a fiber-optic cable - up to 100 m of reach - so the cabinet can sit well away from the reactor while the optics stay at the process.
Immersion install, no bypass
Mounts directly in the reactor, pipeline or tank via flange, Tri-Clamp or retractable process holder. No sample extraction, no conditioning system between the process and the measurement.
Zone 0 by design
ATEX / IECEx Zone 0 rating, 316L housing with POM-C ESD in the ATEX version, and laser power limited to 30 mW for ATEX applications - built for solvent-bearing alkyd reactors carrying white spirit D40 and xylene.
Probe at the reactor, analyzer cabinet up to 100 m away.
Process rating of the immersion X1 PROBE, up to +125 °C.
Across a 300-1650 or 300-3500 cm⁻¹ spectral range.
Two measurement points per analyzer, expandable on request.
From raw spectrum to an operational answer.
Spectrally OS is the analytical layer of the platform. It turns spectra into acid value, viscosity and monomer conversion, flags deviations against spec, raises alarms and writes the quality record - locally, on the analyzer.
Spectrally OS runs on AI and advanced chemometrics with a CNN core - benchmarked against, and beating on accuracy and speed, the traditional PLS and PCA it replaces. For coatings the workhorse is Raman with a CNN reading the full spectrum: acid value has no single dedicated band, so the model links the whole Raman fingerprint to the parameter, built on the acid/ester carbonyl band ratio near 1710 / 1730 cm⁻¹. Classic Raman covers roughly 70% of the model stack; SERS is held in reserve for any trace-level analyte at ppb-ppm (roughly 20%), with NIR and other techniques covering the remainder.
| Supported instruments | Spectrally X1 LAB / X1 PORTABLE / X1 INLINE |
| Predictive models | AI / advanced chemometrics, CNN core |
| Spectral database | Proprietary + public, ~28,000 spectra |
| Operator interface | SpectrallyUI, touchscreen |
| Operating system | Debian GNU/Linux 13.2 |
| Calibration | Automatic, based on the reference signal readout |
| Data export | CSV / PDF / RAW |
| User management | Role-based access control (RBAC) |
| Data storage | Local database |
| Industrial protocols | PROFIBUS / PROFINET / GSM |
Deviation flags, not just numbers
PASS/FAIL classification, anomaly detection and conformity checks on acid value, viscosity and monomer conversion against specification. Off-trend is caught in-process, before an overshoot becomes a solvent correction or an off-spec batch.
A model lifecycle, not a black box
Calibration, validation, maintenance. Models start in feasibility on your alkyd, acrylic or composite-resin matrix, are refined on production data, and re-calibrated when recipes change. Every model change is logged and auditable.
No line stop for updates
Model updates deploy without stopping the analyzer or the line. Measurement and local logging keep running if the network drops - data lives in the local database.
One software layer across the Spectrally family. Models built during feasibility on Spectrally X1 LAB migrate to Spectrally X1 INLINE in production - the same analytics, moved from the lab bench to the reactor.
What changes against FT-IR, NIR and offline methods.
The differences are physical, not promotional. These are the factual points that matter for coating and composite-resin reactors - and the two cases where Raman is not the right tool.
Where Raman is not the answer
The point is not to abolish the reference. ISO 3682 titration, GC and GPC/SEC remain the analytical reference methods - inline Raman moves the measurement into the reactor, where decision time and continuity matter, and leaves the offline methods as periodic verification.
The installation, in practical terms.
What the analyzer needs from your plant, and what it does not.
The probe sits at the reactor. The analyzer cabinet can sit up to 100 m away, connected by fiber.
One analyzer serves two measurement points. More channels available on request.
Runs against a reference integrated in the probe - no manual recalibration routine.
From power-on to measurement. Continuous 24/7 operation after that.
Utilities
230 V AC, 50/60 Hz, 300 W power draw. Operating environment 0-45 °C.
Process connections
Flange, Tri-Clamp or retractable process holder into the reactor, pipeline or tank. Custom designs on request.
No consumables
No reagents and no consumables in routine operation. Rated laser lifetime is a minimum of 2 years.
Service and model upkeep
Installation and service are performed by authorized Gekko Photonics technicians. Model maintenance runs through Spectrally OS - validation, re-calibration when recipes change, deployed without stopping the line.
Put the analyzer through your resin chemistry first.
Send representative samples or R&D data from your alkyd, acrylic or composite-resin process. We build and validate a chemometric model on your matrix in the Gekko lab and hand you the numbers Spectrally X1 INLINE will read on your line - spectra, band assignments, model metrics against your ISO 3682 titration or GC reference, and a clear result - before any hardware decision. Feasibility runs 3-5.5 months; CAPEX lands in the 75-250k EUR range.