Until now, surface analysis has typically involved large, complex and expensive systems based in specialised laboratories. The resources required for operation and maintenance of such equipment restricts its use to a few situations where the expense can be justified.

A conventional SIMS system in a dedicated laboratory, manned by expert technical personnel and requiring specialist services for operation.

Time is also a problem. Samples must be sent to the centralised facility, which usually means waiting hours or even days for the results - an irritating and expensive delay when a production line is on hold awaiting the results.

The Millbrook MiniSIMS requires only a normal mains electrical socket for operation.

But not any more...

In contrast, the Millbrook MiniSIMS is a mobile instrument, small enough to sit on a desktop wherever it is needed. The capital cost is a small fraction of the price of a conventional laboratory SIMS system with correspondingly low maintenance, consumables, services and other running costs. Many different operators are able to obtain accurate and reproducible results without extensive training. There is even provision for a modem link to allow remote operation of the instrument. And there are massive advantages in speed - a sample can be loaded and results obtained in just a few minutes. The dramatically reduced cost per analysis means that surface investigation can now be a routine procedure.