Both benchtop and portable spectrophotometers have vital biopharmaceutical applications. These devices facilitate manufacturing color quality testing and many other industrial processes. Depending on your industry and operational needs, you may need to use each device for different field sites. You’ll need to consider whether convenience or repeatability is your top priority for specific applications.
If you’re weighing the benefits of benchtop versus portable spectrophotometers, let us walk you through a comparative guide. We’ll cover the advantages and disadvantages of these types of spectrophotometers, so you can choose the best option for your applications.
Benchtop Spectrophotometers
Benchtop spectrophotometers offer extremely high precision and consistency for stringent quality control measurements. Professionals across industries rely on these devices to address critical quality color measurements.
With benchtop spectrophotometers, you can gain these key advantages:
- Small defect identification: A benchtop spectrophotometer is ideal for detecting tiny product defects, such as small tears or stains, because it can capture even these flaws accurately.
- Built-in backing: The benchtop device provides backing for objects that aren’t fully opaque. This backing can ensure more accurate and consistent results.
- High repeatability: Because benchtop spectrophotometers remain in a fixed location with in-depth measurement capabilities, they offer optimized repeatability.
When you’re creating quality standards or trying to ensure consistency across multiple locations, a benchtop device may be best for the job. However, outside of these applications, benchtop spectrophotometers come with disadvantages such as lack of portability and lost productivity, as you must transport items to the benchtop spectrophotometer’s location.
