Lab Bulletin your partner in science

UK-based materials characterization company Malvern Instruments is celebrating winning the Queen's Award for Enterprise in two successive years. Details of the 2011 awards were announced on 21^st April, with Malvern receiving the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade. While this is a considerable achievement in its own right, it is all the more noteworthy for being the seventh time that Malvern Instruments has been recognised in the Queen's Awards.  

"I don't normally boast about our successes, but this really is an achievement that should make everyone working for, or associated with, Malvern Instruments proud," said Managing Director Paul Walker. "Two Queen's Awards in two successive years, at a time of considerable economic uncertainty, should see every member of our teams giving themselves a pat on the back."   

Paul Walker attributes much of Malvern's continuing international trading success to the company's focus on building and broadening the range of materials characterization products  it offers, delivering the same high quality service and applications support to every customer in every area, and being innovative in promoting the Malvern brand and its values around the world. 

"For many years we have exported more than 90 percent of our production, so developing effective routes to market has been critically important in extending our ability to serve and support our customers," continued Paul Walker. "We now have direct operations in all key markets and strong partnerships with exclusive distributors elsewhere. Our close working relationships in all areas ensure that the customer experience is consistent the world over. Added to this, our investment in web-based delivery of information and support provides universal access to the wealth of experience and expertise that resides within Malvern's global organisation." 

Malvern Instruments designs and manufactures scientific instruments that are used to measure the physical and chemical properties of materials. Scientists, technologists and engineers use instruments from  Malvern to gain a detailed understanding of their materials and processes, to guide product development, manage and control manufacturing quality, and optimise output.

Malvern Instruments is headquartered in Malvern, Worcestershire, UK, and is part of Spectris plc www.spectris.com . It employs around 200 people in the UK and 600 worldwide. www.malvern.com   

How Malvern's products are used

Malvern systems provide essential information that supports the understanding, improvement and optimization of many industrial processes. They are used, for example, to characterize:  

• Particle size, a critical parameter in a multitude of manufacturing processes. It helps determine, for instance, the quality of an automobile's paintwork, how fast a headache remedy is absorbed, and a cement's setting capabilities and strength. 
• Particle shape which heavily influences the quality of printing inks and toners, is important in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, and plays a key role in the abrasives industry. 
• Chemical composition. Understanding the chemical composition of particles provides additional insight into products and processes, especially in the pharmaceutical industry.  
• Nanoparticles. Exciting work in the expanding field of nanotechnology means that nanoparticle characterization is essential to many of today's academic and industrial research projects. Producing, measuring, stabilising, storing and using nanoparticles requires a detailed understanding of their properties and behaviour.  
• Proteins and other biological molecules. Our understanding of proteins and other biological molecules and their uses advances daily, driving new applications in areas such as therapeutics and drug delivery. 
• Macromolecules - proteins, natural polymers and the synthetic polymers used in industries such as plastics manufacture. Malvern systems are used to determine molecular weight and molecular structure.  
• Rheology, which underpins the form and function of many everyday products. Measuring rheological parameters indicates the ability of a material to flow and deform. Rheometers are used in research, product development and quality control, in industries from pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to asphalt and polymer production. 

Full details of the product range and its wide ranging applications are available at www.malvern.com  

Malvern and Malvern Instruments are registered trademarks of Malvern Instruments Ltd