Scientific instruments, as the core perceptual tools of modern technological systems, play a crucial role in exploring the unknown and driving social development. Since the 1950s, China's scientific instruments have gone through three stages of development, growth, and independent innovationDuan's technological strength has evolved from relying on imports, to importing and digesting, and now to achieving breakthroughs in domestic substitution through independent innovation. Gas analysis instruments, as an important branch,It plays a crucial role in many fields such as industrial process monitoring, environmental monitoring, automobile/engine emission detection, and scientific research gas analysis. From production process monitoring in industries such as chemical, metallurgy, and power, to monitoring atmospheric environmental quality, and to being the main force in multi field scientific research analysis, it can be said to be ubiquitous.

In the past, China's gas analysis instrument market was dominated by imported products for a long time, and foreign brands held an important position in the market with advanced technology and mature products. In recent years, with the increase of R&D investment by domestic enterprises, the improvement of technological level, and the strong support of national policies, the process of localization substitution has significantly accelerated.

In this arduous process, domestic scientific instrument enterprises have also gone from a lack of technological accumulation to a awakening of consciousness, from striving to deeply learn and digest, to gradually mastering key technical principles, carrying out independent innovation, constantly overcoming technical difficulties, and gradually completing the research and development and production of core components and complete systems. They have acquired many scientific instrument products with independent intellectual property rights, gradually achieving domestic substitution in many fields, and breaking the long-standing monopoly of foreign technology.

In the wave of domestic scientific instrument development, as a gas analysis instrument and solution supplier based on core sensing technology platform, Sifang Optoelectronics (Wuhan) Instrument Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Sifang Instrument) has been dedicated to the technical research and development and production of gas analysis instrument products since its establishment in 2010, constantly exploring and seeking breakthroughs in technology. After more than ten years of development, we have established multiple series of gas analyzer production lines supported by more than ten core technologies, including non dispersive infrared spectroscopy (NDIR), ultraviolet differential absorption spectroscopy (UV-DOAS), laser Raman spectroscopy (LRD), tunable semiconductor laser (TDLAS), ultrasound, etc. We have become a supplier of gas analysis solutions. Its products are widely used in fields such as chemical engineering, metallurgy, automotive testing, environment, energy, and scientific research.

Consolidate the technological foundation and make efforts to tackle industry challenges

Since the 11th Five Year Plan, the country has explicitly listed the research and development of scientific instruments and equipment as a major project supported by the National Science and Technology Support Program. During the subsequent 12th Five Year Plan, 13th Five Year Plan, and 14th Five Year Plan periods, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and other departments have respectively deployed key projects for the development of major scientific instruments and equipment and major scientific research instrument development projects, further encouraging and supporting the research and development of scientific instruments and equipment in China. With the intensification of international competition and the increasing prominence of key technologies as trade barriers, during the 14th Five Year Plan period, the Ministry of Science and Technology will focus on supporting the engineering research and application development of scientific instruments through the key special project of "Basic Research Conditions and Major Scientific Instrument and Equipment Research and Development", focusing on the major strategic needs of national basic research and technological innovation, with the localization of key components as a breakthrough point. At the same time, the "14th Five Year Plan Proposal for the Instrumentation Industry" proposed to accelerate the development of instrumentation, concentrate efforts on solving the "bottleneck" and self controllable problems of instrumentation that some countries urgently need to solve.

It takes a good blacksmith to make steel. To solve the bottleneck problem, break through technological barriers, and achieve domestic substitution, the improvement of domestic enterprises' own technological strength is undoubtedly a necessary path. As a leading manufacturer of gas analysis instruments, Sifang Instrument has over 20 years of experience in the development and accumulation of technology for the core component of gas analysis instruments - sensors. With nearly 20 years of deep cultivation in optical gas monitoring technology, Raman technology, light scattering technology, and ultrasonic detection technology, Sifang Instrument also has profound strength in product development experience. Up to now, Sifang Instrument has accumulated 185 patents, including 58 domestic invention patents and 10 international invention patents. As a technology driven enterprise, with the advantage of being the first to develop technology, Sifang Instrument has been recognized as a national enterprise technology center and a Hubei engineering technology research center. In 2024, it was awarded a postdoctoral research workstation to further cultivate technical talents and form a closed-loop training model of 'research and development patent talent', consolidating its technological strength.

Sifang Instrument R&D Strength

In addition to soft power such as patents, technology centers, research centers, and postdoctoral research workstations, in order to deeply integrate into the national innovation system, break through technological barriers as soon as possible, solve the industry's "bottleneck" technical problems, and develop alternative domestically produced products, Sifang Instrument has also increased investment in hardware strength, including establishing standardized laboratories, equipping a wide variety of testing equipment, and developing a complete testing process. To ensure product quality, it implements strict control throughout the entire process before the product is launched. High standard reliability verification is carried out at every stage from research and development design, performance testing to production manufacturing, and quality inspection. By establishing a comprehensive quality management system and adopting the strictest testing standards, we ensure that every instrument is fully validated. Committed to providing users with the most reliable products, ensuring that every user can obtain accurate and reliable testing results. It is reported that in terms of production, Sifang Instrument has implemented a lean production system and has a million level sensor production line and a complete instrument production line that have been put into mass production, which can provide engineering basic conditions for gas monitoring tasks in various fields. Overall, Sifang Instrument has achieved independent and controllable development and production of core components, as well as assembly and production of the entire machine.

Sifang Instrument Innovation R&D Laboratory

Opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared. With strong soft and hard capabilities, in 2012, Sifang Instrument was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology for the research and application of laser Raman spectroscopy gas analyzer, a national major scientific instrument and equipment development project. This special project mainly focuses on the industry's technical difficulties such as weak characteristic signals in laser Raman spectroscopy. After years of team efforts, it has developed technologies including optical path and spectral analysis, Raman signal enhancement, etc., to solve the problem of external factors such as laser power and temperature fluctuations affecting measurement accuracy. It has obtained more than ten invention patents and finally successfully developed a commercial product with independent intellectual property rights - the Laser Raman Spectroscopy Gas Analyzer LRGA-6000.

National Major Science and Technology Project - Research and Application of Laser Raman Spectroscopy Gas Analyzer

The LRGA-6000 laser Raman spectroscopy gas analyzer can accurately quantify nearly 20 gas components, including H2, N2, O2, CO, CO2, CH4, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, C3H8, etc., solving the problems of complex analysis processes, high consumable requirements, slow response time, limited analysis range, and high maintenance costs faced by traditional technologies in the field of industrial process gas analysis. Subsequently, the product won multiple honors such as the "First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress in China's Petroleum and Chemical Automation Industry in 2021" and the "Second Prize for Science and Technology of China Association for Analysis and Testing (CAIA Award) in 2021". At present, it has been widely used in the detection of gas composition, calorific value and other indicators in industrial fields such as natural gas, coal chemical, petrochemical, steel, metallurgy, and power.

Major technological achievement - Laser Raman Spectroscopy Gas Analyzer LRGA-6000

It is reported that the LRGA-6000 laser Raman spectroscopy gas analyzer developed by Sifang Instrument is one of the earliest commercialized products in China to achieve independent intellectual property rights, which plays a positive role in promoting the technological development of related fields. After the series of products were launched on the market, they gained recognition from industry customers. At the same time, Sifang Instruments actively participates in the preparation and revision of industry standards, committed to promoting technological progress and industrial upgrading in the industry.

Technology is blooming comprehensively,Building core advantages

In today's era of rapid technological development, all industries are undergoing profound changes and rapid growth. Faced with increasingly fierce global technological competition, China's economic restructuring, urgent demand for industrial transformation and upgrading, and increasing environmental protection requirements, the demand side's requirements for performance indicators such as precision and reliability of scientific instruments are also constantly increasing. The demand for scientific instruments in various industries in China is becoming increasingly diversified, and higher requirements are being put forward for scientific instrument enterprises to improve product quality and optimize performance.

Faced with the constantly changing industry situation, Sifang Instrument has always regarded "mastering core sensing technology and serving as a gas analysis instrument and solution supplier for smart industry, energy conservation and emission reduction industry" as its brand mission. Through solid soft power and reliable hard power, we are able to cope with various challenges and opportunities in the wave of domestic scientific instrument development with ease. Especially in the fields of industrial processes, automotive/engine emission testing, environmental monitoring, etc., the deep cultivation of technology has more effectively demonstrated the "specialization" and "precision" of Sifang Instruments.

Industrial process monitoring field

With the vigorous development of the economy, the relevant requirements in the industrial production field are also constantly changing. The introduction of the "Work Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" has put real-time monitoring of combustible gases, toxic gases, and other gases in industrial processes on the agenda, making gas analysis instruments equipment for enterprise safety production and prevention. The requirements for performance indicators such as accuracy, reliability, and response speed of gas analyzers are also constantly increasing. At the same time, policies for industrial upgrading and high-quality development are also encouraging industrial enterprises such as steel, metallurgy, chemical, and power to gradually achieve quality and efficiency improvement. During this process, gas analyzers can be used to detect the composition and content of gases such as hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen in such industrial processes, providing accurate data to assist enterprises in optimizing production processes and achieving quality and efficiency improvement. In addition, policies such as the "Energy Conservation Management Measures for Key Energy Using Units" have pointed out new directions for energy conservation and emission reduction in industrial enterprises, requiring relevant enterprises to strengthen energy management and improve energy utilization efficiency. The gas analyzer is used to detect the gas composition during the combustion process, helping enterprises optimize combustion control and achieve energy-saving and consumption reducing advantages.

At present, Sifang Instrument's products applied in industrial production processes such as steel, metallurgy, chemical, and power include LRD laser Raman series, TDLAS laser series, and NDIR infrared series, achieving full coverage in measurement accuracy, measurement speed, and measurement components.

• Laser Raman Spectroscopy Gas Analysis Product Series - High Precision, Full Component Monitoring

On the basis of the national major scientific instrument special achievement of laser Raman spectroscopy gas analyzer LRGA-6000, Sifang Instrument has successively launched the same series of LRGA-3100, LRGA-3200, LRGA-3200EX products, which together form a complete set of application products for gas concentration and calorific value monitoring in many industries such as steel, metallurgy, coal chemical, petrochemical, natural gas extraction and transportation, and new energy batteries.

Laser Raman spectroscopy gas analyzer has shown high scalability due to its wide measurement range and ability to adapt to production environments in different industries. In addition to gas composition and content analysis, it can also monitor the calorific value in industrial processes, providing strong support for the high-quality development of China's industrial production field.

Four party instrument laser Raman spectroscopy gas analysis series products

• Laser Gas Analysis Product Series - Rapid Response

Tunable semiconductor laser (TDLAS) technology is a technique for measuring gas concentration by utilizing the wavelength tuning characteristics of semiconductor lasers and the selective absorption characteristics of the measured gas towards the laser. This technology has technical advantages such as high selectivity, fast response speed, no influence of moisture, and no drift. Using TDLAS technology, Sifang Instrument has developed multiple products including the in-situ laser process gas analyzer (opposed/single ended) GasTDL-3100 and the extraction laser gas analysis system GasTDL-3110. These products can continuously reflect the concentration of the measured gas in real time and have Ex db IIC T6 Gb/Ex tb IIIC T80 ℃ Db level explosion-proof and dust dual explosion-proof functions. They improve gas utilization efficiency, save energy and reduce consumption, and provide safety guarantees.

During the monitoring process of this series of products, the measured gas is not affected by background gas interference. Both the injection type and single end type are installed in situ, without the need for a sampling preprocessing system. It has a response speed of seconds, can real-time reflect gas concentration through online measurement, and has good adaptability in harsh measurement environments such as high temperature, high humidity, high dust, high corrosiveness, and high flow rate. It has been widely used in various industries such as metallurgy, petrochemicals, and natural gas.

Sifang Instrument Laser Gas Analysis Series Products

• Infrared gas analysis product series - multi-component monitoring, diverse categories

As a traditional and highly mature gas analysis technology, NDIR gas analyzer can accurately identify and measure the concentration of target gases in complex production environments, effectively eliminating interference from other gases and greatly improving monitoring accuracy. The system can simultaneously measure eight parameters online, including CO, CO2, CH4, H2, O2, C2H2, C2H4, and CnHm, displaying ten parameters (including calorific value and N2). It can also ensure accurate control of the calorific value of gases such as coke oven gas, mixed gas, generator gas, straw gas, etc. It exhibits strong adaptability in harsh working conditions such as water content, dust content, and corrosion.

As a supplier of full solution gas analyzers, Sifang Instrument has a wide range of infrared gas analysis instruments, such as the infrared gas analyzer (explosion-proof type) Gasboard-3500, online gas analysis system Gasboard-9021EX/9031EX, gas analyzer (portable type) Gasboard-3100P, etc. From online instruments and monitoring systems to portable detection devices, there are various forms that can simultaneously meet the needs of industrial field measurement and laboratory airbag sampling analysis, and are widely used in industrial production processes.

Sifang Instrument Infrared Gas Analysis Series Products

Compared to gas analysis techniques such as chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS), the various technology series products of Sifang Instrument do not require disassembly, installation, or consumables during the measurement process. They have a simple structure, are easy to operate, and have more user-friendly performance.

In addition to the above-mentioned products, Sifang Instrument also has a variety of high-performance products in the industrial field, widely used in metallurgy, petrochemicals, coal chemical industry, natural gas extraction, coking, power, automotive lithium batteries and many other industries. After years of industry accumulation, Sifang Instrument also has the ability to customize and develop. Good product performance and excellent service capabilities have won the favor of many users, and its products have been applied to multiple large-scale projects at home and abroad, such as CNOOC, Wuhan Iron and Steel Rolling Mill, and KivuWatt in Rwanda.

Automotive/engine emission testing field

With the refinement of global environmental governance, the emission of ultrafine particles (below PM2.5) from motor vehicle exhaust has become a focus of international attention in recent years. As an advanced region in emission control technology, the European Union included particle counting (PN) in the Euro 5b light vehicle standard in 2011, establishing an emission monitoring system based on quantity rather than quality. In March 2023, the European Union further released the "Recommendations for Periodic Inspection of Particulate Quantity Measurement for Compression Ignition Engine Vehicles", extending PN testing from new car certification to annual inspection of in use diesel vehicles, forming a "production in use" full cycle control loop. At present, EU regulations have covered light/heavy vehicles, and the detection scenarios have extended from typical test bench conditions to actual road driving (RDE). The technical requirements cover the entire chain of engine combustion optimization, after treatment device efficiency, etc.

In the context of international standard convergence, China's implementation of the National VI B standard in July 2023 is accelerating its integration with the world, including RDE actual road testing and PN particle quantity detection as mandatory requirements. This transformation directly promotes the technological upgrading of the domestic automotive industry chain: engine manufacturers need to optimize combustion control strategies to reduce raw emissions, exhaust treatment device enterprises need to develop more efficient particulate filters (DPF) and regeneration systems, and component testing institutions need to add capacity building such as PN particle size distribution and real-time road emission data collection. Data shows that within six months of the implementation of National VI, the average PN emissions of mainstream diesel engine companies decreased by 67% compared to National V, and the R&D investment of post-treatment system suppliers increased by 42%, forming a positive cycle from regulatory pressure to technological innovation.

As one of the earliest companies in China to deploy motor vehicle emission testing equipment, Sifang Instrument continues to benefit from the market opportunities brought by the upgrading of global emission regulations. During the policy window period of introducing particle counting method in the European Union in 2011 and implementing National VI B in China in 2023, enterprises have achieved a leap from following to innovation through technological breakthroughs in two generations of core products.

In 2021, in response to the long-term dependence on imported PEMS (Vehicle Emission Testing System) in China, Sifang Instrument launched the Gasboard-9805 portable emission testing system based on more than ten years of accumulated gas analysis technology. This device not only meets the actual road driving emission testing requirements of China VI RDE, but also achieves real-time emission data analysis with ± 2% accuracy through core modules such as fully independently developed non dispersive infrared (NDIR) and chemiluminescence (CLD), breaking the monopoly of European and American enterprises in this field. It has been widely used in actual working condition emission testing for motor vehicle and non road mobile machinery manufacturing enterprises.

Sifang Instrument Portable Emission Testing System

It is worth noting that the enterprise technology path of Sifang Instrument has always closely followed the evolution of regulations. With the independently developed core sensor modules such as NDIR, NDUV, CLD, FID, CPC, and TDLAS reaching international leading levels, Sifang Instrument's product line in the field of automotive exhaust detection is gradually expanding from in use exhaust analysis instruments to large-scale emission testing systems that meet new vehicle emission standards. The Gasboard-9801 engine emission testing system and Gasboard-9802 engine emission full flow dilution constant volume sampling system (CVS) independently developed by Sifang Instrument have the characteristics of complete functionality, high accuracy, and high degree of automation. They have been widely used in the research and certification testing of engines, motorcycles, and light vehicle manufacturing enterprises.

It is reported that in 2024, a motorcycle emission quality inspection center, in conjunction with five large motorcycle companies, conducted comparative tests between six motorcycle emission laboratories. The results show that the Sifang Instrument Engine Emission Full Flow Dilution Emission Testing System (CVS) not only meets the technical requirements of Euro V and National V standards for motorcycles, but its actual performance level is also comparable to international mainstream brands. It breaks the technological monopoly of the motor vehicle exhaust PN analysis market, solves the "bottleneck" problem, reduces user usage costs, and realizes domestic substitution is just around the corner. And in 2024, Gasboard-9802 has been exported to overseas markets, creating a good situation for Sifang Instrument to further expand internationally.

Sifang Instrument's new generation full flow dilution emission testing system

The above-mentioned specialized system solutions are used to cope with various working conditions of actual road driving, as well as industry regulatory testing requirements for newly produced engine/motor vehicle emission standard bench conditions. They continue to play an active role in power research laboratories, new vehicle performance laboratories, and actual driving emission testing, with users covering universities, research institutions, and various manufacturing enterprises mentioned above.

In the trend of motor vehicle emission control shifting from 'quality control' to 'quantity+particle size' precise governance, the technological breakthrough of Sifang Instrument not only promotes the replacement of domestic equipment, but also accelerates the implementation of regulations with standardized products. Its fifteen year development trajectory is a typical epitome of China's environmental protection equipment manufacturing industry's transition from 'policy following' to 'technological innovation'.

Four party instrument engine emission gas full life cycle detection solution

At present, with profound technological accumulation, Sifang Instrument has continuously overcome technical difficulties from core component research and development to whole machine system optimization, and developed a series of scientific instrument products with independent intellectual property rights. It has gradually achieved domestic substitution in many fields, breaking the long-standing monopoly of foreign technology and effectively promoting the independent and controllable development of science and technology and industry in China.

Driven by both mass production and service, Sifang Instrument creates an international image

To ensure the reliability of product quality, Sifang Instrument will embody the spirit of continuous improvement throughout the entire product industry chain, closely controlling product quality from multiple key links such as core components, assembly, calibration, and inspection, and accurately tracking the information of each finished product and component through a traceability system. By strictly controlling personnel, equipment, environment, testing, packaging and other aspects, product traceability is achieved, and a full lifecycle management system from production, warehousing, sales to circulation and service is built for each instrument and component. The comprehensive standardized enterprise management system established by Sifang Instrument has won multiple qualifications and certifications in related technical fields at home and abroad, and has laid a solid foundation for the company to expand its market and enhance its competitiveness.

Lean production capability of Sifang Instrument

Under the policy of domestic substitution, domestic instruments have achieved good results in certain fields. However, in the field of analytical instruments, there is still a certain gap in market share compared to foreign brands, and the level of user recognition needs time to advance. How to gain user recognition has been a question that Sifang Instrument has been thinking about for many years. After years of exploration and practice, Sifang Instrument has established a strong and comprehensive service team, equipped with professional teams from pre-sales to sales and after-sales, based on local conditions, responding to user needs in real time, and providing professional services to users. In addition, with the trend of intelligent development, Sifang Instrument not only provides on-site installation and debugging training for products, but also establishes remote video services to provide users with equipment maintenance and upkeep training, fault handling training, and remote video training for customers. With nearly 20 years of industry experience, fast service response, and high-quality technical support, the brand image of Sifang Instrument has achieved a leapfrog development in recent years.

In the journey of breaking through the bottleneck of domestic scientific instruments, the development trajectory of Sifang Instruments can be regarded as a vivid history of technological breakthroughs. From entering the field of gas analysis with core sensing technology in 2010 to participating in numerous major projects both domestically and internationally by 2024, this enterprise has undergone a transformation from a follower to a rule maker after fifteen years of deep cultivation. It covers a full range of product matrices in industries, engines/automobiles, environmental protection, and other scenarios, not only supplementing gas laser Raman spectroscopy PEMS、 The domestic gap in the field of engine emission full flow dilution constant volume sampling system, and the breakthrough in exporting CVS overseas, mark the leap of Chinese scientific instruments from 'local substitution' to 'global competition'.

The story of Sifang Instruments is not only a sample of technological breakthroughs, but also a microcosm of China's manufacturing industry's transition from 'manufacturing' to 'intelligent manufacturing'. As more and more 'four corners' rise, we will eventually witness the growth of towering trees that support China's technological independence in fields that were once' choked '.