Honeywell Analytics is a producer of gas detector based in Poole in the United Kingdom.
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Originally incorporated as EIC-Sieger in 1959[1] and later re-branded as J&S Sieger Ltd in 1961,[2] the company revolutionised the fledgling gas detection industry, when its founder, Joshua Sieger invented the first low-power catalytic bead in 1958, designed for the detection of flammable gases onboard boats. Sieger, a boating enthusiast, invented the new catalytic bead driven device, called the Mark 9,[3] to fill a gap in the boating market. The device used a new technology that provided lower power consumption and minimal cross interference; aspects previously unavailable.
At the time of its invention, there were only a few companies offering gas detection solutions, including Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) and International Gas Detectors. The revolutionary new product facilitated the company’s entry into this emerging market and became the first in a long line of innovations that would define the company as not only a premier provider of quality detection solutions, but also as a technology leader and pioneer.[4]
The company once more pushed the boundaries by developing a method of detection capable of providing physical evidence, in 1971. Chemcassette technology was developed providing unique, tangible evidence of a gas release. This was achieved using colourimetric paper tape, which changes colour when it is exposed to a reactive agent - in this case a specific target gas.[5]
Following the success of various product innovations, J&S Sieger Ltd was bought by the Swiss owned Zellweger Luwa Group in 1979[6] and re-branded as Zellweger Analytics. Two years later, MDA Scientific, a company specialising in hi-tech products designed for semiconductor fabrications and laboratories, was also acquired, bringing with it a range of specialised and highly sensitive gas detection technologies.
Zellweger Analytics once more pushed the boundaries of technology, bringing to market the first poison resistant catalytic bead in 1982, the SG7 (Siegestor 7). This was soon followed in 1983 by the launch of the company’s first range of field transmitters (the 1050 range of transmitters), using a technology that permitted simple, one man calibration and set up. This was followed by the launch of the 1053 Transmitter Range in 1984, which featured remote sensor mounting capabilities.
The success of the new products helped catalyse more innovation and product development, allowing the company to develop the unique Sieger Digital Gas Data Acquisition and Control System (GDACS) in 1985. This industrial control system provided users with a level of interaction and flexibility that is still unsurpassed by many contemporary systems, including Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA).
1985 saw the invention of one of the first point infrared-based flammable gas detectors, the 5050, marking a migration into infrared based detection. This expertise was recognised in 1987 when Shell chose the company to licence a novel type of open path detector, which Shell Research had developed just as far as a research prototype. The resulting commercially available model, called Searchline, was the first hazardous area certified open path detector without moving parts. Today, Honeywell Analytics is still the global leader in optical gas detection solutions, and a manufacturer of market leading IR solutions, including Searchpoint Optima Plus (Point IR flammable detection) and Searchline Excel (Open Path IR flammable detection).
When the company launched Series 2000 in 1992 (a range of certified gas transmitters), it brought to market the first complex product certification combining increased safety and Intrinsic Safety concepts in one design. This revolutionary device provided simplified sensor replacement in hazardous areas without the need for a hot work permit.
Neotronics, a brand providing portable gas detection solutions, was acquired in 1996, and 2001 saw the launch of the Impact Range[7] of portable gas detectors; the revolutionary series of products used ‘Plug and Play’ replacement cartridges – the first time a multi-gas device was capable of featuring easy swap functionality. Even more cutting-edge was one of its accompanying accessories; the Enforcer was the first device on the market capable of offering automatic calibration of a portable for the cost of a bump test; A single gas cylinder could now offer 200 calibrations where only 15 were previously possible.
Building on the existing electrochemical cell technology for detecting toxic gases, many manufacturers tried to develop the basic cell construction in an attempt to improve performance in harsh environments. However, it was Honeywell Analytic’s radical re-design of the electrochemical technology that lead to the launch of the Surecell in 2000,[8] now the World’s leading and most reliable electrochemical cell, particularly in high temperature and high humidity environments. The company was also the first to fully automate sensor production of the Surecell, eradicating the traditional errors and faults associated with manual production.
Zellweger Analytics also made a dramatic impact upon the consumer market when it established its SF Detection brand in 1991 to supply domestic Carbon Monoxide (CO) units to consumers. Again, a pioneering spirit prevailed in its endeavours, and the company was the first to bring a kitemarked product to market in 1996, while a subsequent model, the SF350BS released in 1998, was the first device to be approved to the new British Standard. When the European Standard governing the use of domestic CO alarms (EN50291:2001) was released in 2001, the company responded by launching the SF350EN in 2002; the first CO alarm in the UK to be certified to the European Standard.
In 2005 industrial leader Honeywell acquired the company and re-branded the organisation as Honeywell Analytics, within its Honeywell Life Safety Group. In 2007 MST Technology, a market leading German supplier of semiconductor fabrication and laboratory based gas detection, was acquired and integrated, bringing a variety of products into the range of solutions offered.