How 50 years of innovation changed Michell Instruments

An impressive history in precision instrumentation and customer service

We’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of Michell Instruments in 2024 – and what an incredible 50 years it’s been! 

From our foundation in 1974, as a small start-up in Cambridge, UK, with just two employees, we’ve grown to become the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced trace moisture instruments, reference hygrometers, moisture and oxygen process analyzers and hydrocarbon dew-point analyzers.  Today, as part of Process Sensing Technologies (PST), we employ a dedicated team of scientists, engineers and manufacturing, sales and support staff.  With Michell’s headquarters still based in Cambridgeshire, we operate through a range of sales and customer service centers around the world, and supply precision instruments to almost every sector of industry in some of the most demanding gas and liquid applications. 

Our founders set out to build a business with a reputation for outstanding innovation and customer service.  50 years on, it’s a reputation that’s stronger than ever and remains at the heart of our business. 

Thin-film dew-point technology

Our reputation for product innovation can be traced all the way back to 1976, with the launch of our first aluminium oxide dew-point sensor.  This was based on thin-film capacitance technology and was developed in conjunction with researchers at Cambridge and Loughborough Universities. 

In the years that followed, thin-film technologies continued to play a crucial role as we introduced new products.  These included the S1000 and S2000 online moisture measurement meters, which soon became popular in many process applications due to their wide measuring ranges, fast linear response and ease of use, including a world first of inter-changeable sensors for easy routine calibration maintenance with minimal downtime through sensor replacement.  

Michell Instruments old Dew Point thin-film meter

Series 2000 hygrometer with aluminium-oxide dew-point sensor – Michell’s first digital-display hygrometer

Multi-Channel Process Monitor (MCPM), launched in 2023

Working with leading NMIs on humidity standards

During those early years, Michell Instruments recognized increasing needs – across technology-based industries and scientific research – for improved confidence in the accuracy of hygrometers, particularly in the measurement of trace moisture concentrations. This led to a collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the UK, and later with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the USA, to develop a dew-point hygrometer that could be used as an International Transfer Standard reference instrument.  This facilitated the first ever trans-Atlantic inter-comparison between the primary humidity standards of those national metrology institutes.

Michell Instruments was commissioned by the European Commission to design, build and operate a pan-European transfer standard for humidity calibrations traceable to the primary standard at NIST and NPL.

To this day, the certified calibration of all Michell hygrometers carries the assurance of a defined line of traceability to both standards. 

The result of these developments was the S4000, a revolutionary chilled mirror instrument, which has since evolved into the latest S8000 product line, with variants being adopted over the years by calibration laboratories worldwide. 

S8000 -100 – one of the latest in our range of chilled mirror hygrometers

The world’s first accredited humidity calibration laboratory

By 1986, our pioneering work in the development of precision reference hygrometers and calibration practices had achieved accreditation status, a world first for humidity parameters. The maintenance of accreditation through assessment and auditing of UKAS, under the auspices of EA European Accreditation, continues to be the bedrock of all our calibration services.  This was a major step forward and positioned us firmly as the acknowledged experts in precision moisture measurement.  We subsequently collaborated with Shell Research to create an innovative new analyzer to measure hydrocarbon dew point.  The new automatic instrument, the Condumax, utilized the ‘dark spot’ technique; today, this remains one of the most precise, repeatable and reliable methods of on-line measurement of hydrocarbon dew point during natural gas processing and throughout pipeline transmission networks spanning five continents. 

As the availability of microprocessor and digital technologies improved, we launched another first: the Easidew two-wire dew-point transmitter.  This trace moisture sensor provided the accuracy and simplicity to enable moisture measurements to become integrated into many different on-line process systems, increasing customers’ operational efficiencies and reducing their costs. 

Expanding the range into oxygen and hydrogen instrumentation

In 2008, having listened to feedback from our customers, Michell continued to innovate with the launch of the XTP600 Thermo-Paramagentic Oxygen Analyzer, to complement the moisture product range. The primary purpose of a percentage level O2 analyzer is to improve safety or quality, and the second-generation product, the XTP601-EX1, is perfectly suited to these applications in nitrogen, biogas, natural gas and hydrogen. With its stable measurement principle, offering calibration intervals up to 6 months, it is ideal for monitoring N2 generators in remote hazardous areas, such as offshore platforms or blanketed storage in desert locations.

The XTP600 Thermo-Paramagnetic Oxygen Analyzer, launched in 2008

The XTP601 Thermo-Paramagnetic Oxygen Analyzer, launched in 2012

2009 saw the release of the XZR400 Trace Oxygen Analyzer, which could be sold alongside the trace moisture measurement range in clean (inert) gases; this was closely followed by the XZR500 Combustion Control O2 Analyzer – these models both featured ziconium-oxide technology. In 2013, the XTC601 Binary Gas Analyzer was launched, primarily to measure H2 content in hydrogen-cooled generators in power stations. The real success came in 2020, when we were third-party assessed and became the first analyzer manufacturer to offer SIL2 capable H2 analyzers.

In 2023, the global sales of O2 and H2 analyzers and systems made on site in Ely were more than 50 times that of 2013.

Sustaining momentum enhances productivity, quality and efficiency

There isn’t enough space here to list all our achievements from the last 50 years; however, it is important to mention our innovations in on-line process moisture measurement technologies through the application of quartz crystal microbalance and tuneable diode laser adsorption spectroscopy (TDLAS). These led to the launch of the QMA401 and QMA601 and the OptiPEAK TDL600 respectively. 

Needless to say, new product innovations have come thick and fast, while our commercial and technical offering has expanded proportionately.  This has included new manufacturing and sales offices, accreditation to all the latest quality standards and the development of value-added services, such as our sensor exchange program for cost-effective calibration maintenance. 

After 50 years, the pace of innovation continues unabated.  In the immediate future, we’re planning to launch ever more advanced trace moisture and hydrocarbon dew-point systems that will help customers improve the precision, efficiency, quality, safety and compliance of their manufacturing, processing or laboratory operations. 

In 2024 so far we’ve launched more-advanced versions of the S8000 RS and S8000 Precision Chilled Mirror Hygrometers, the XPM601 Paramagnetic Oxygen Analyzer and the Easidew PDP (Pressure Dew Point) Dryer Portable.  Together with our established and industry-standard products, these new instruments are giving production and research engineers and scientists the tools they need to enhance the productivity, efficiency and safety of their manufacturing and laboratory processes. 

The future of dew-point measurement 

The future is impossible to predict; however, one thing is certain: we’ll continue striving to be at the forefront of innovation and the provision of unrivalled customer and value-added technical services. 

We’re working on future generations of intelligent trace moisture and hydrocarbon dew-point sensors and analyzers.  We’re also exploring the power of the latest digital, IoT and AI technologies to create instruments that will continue to revolutionize the way in which our customers control and manage their production and process operations. 

If you would like to discuss your requirements, please contact our team today.  