Page 30 - Shimadzu Journal vol.2 Issue1

Latest News

Shimadzu’s HMV-G Series Micro Vickers Hardness Testers Receive the 2013
Silver Award for Industrial Design for Analytical Instruments by Instrument

Business Outlook.

Instrument Business Outlook (IBO) chose Shimadzu’s HMV-G
Series of Micro Vickers Hardness Testers as the recipient of its
2013 Silver Award for Industrial Design for Analytical
Instruments(*) for their outstanding modern and bold design.
With a curved frame softened by a bright color scheme, the
HMV-G Series’ appearance expresses both technical
sophistication and robustness and accessibility.
The concept of the HMV-G Series’ initial design was based on
feedback from customers who wanted to measure different impression, thus communicating the product’s functionality and
sizes and types of samples. As a result, the HMV-G Series’ frame value. The design elements of each system are integral to the
is not only a striking design feature but also offers a key user product’s purpose and its relationship with the user, particularly
function. It has an expanded workspace depth and the opening in creating an inviting and intuitive user experience.
at the center of the arc-type frame improves operability and To be eligible for a Design Award, a product must have begun
visibility. This allows users to easily measure longer and shipping between August 2012 and July 2013. Award candidates
larger-area samples. are chosen from the new products that IBO monitors through
Designing a compact instrument with this unique frame, while trade shows, trade publications, press releases and the Internet.
retaining the main performance features such as stability, was a Award winners are selected solely based on their industrial
significant challenge. The biggest difficulty was designing the design, not on technical capabilities or performance. Criteria
frame for all kinds of samples to be tested easily and effectively. include innovation, aesthetics, functionality and features.
In order to make the HMV-G Series easy to use, these testers IBO is a 12-page, subscription-based newsletter published twice
include such functions as automatic indentation-detection and monthly by Strategic Directions International, Inc. (SDi), a
automatic lens switching to avoid human measurement errors. management and marketing research firm. SDi is the world’s
They may also be used with a computer or LCD touch panel. leading source of information on the market for analytical and
* IBO’s Industrial Design Awards are presented yearly and life science instrumentation and equipment for laboratory and
recognize recently introduced products whose physical on-site applications. For more information, visit
appearance and features make a distinct and valuable www.strategic-directions.com.

Collaboration with Analysis Center of Tsinghua University in China

Shimadzu has been collaborating with Analysis Center of Shimadzu and ATCU co-issued some publications, one of
Tsinghua University (hereinafter referred to as “ACTU”) since which achieved the China Association for Instrumental
2004 to cultivate young talent via an internship program, Analysis (CAIA) Award. Secondly, the maintenance and daily
provide high-end mass spectrometry such as IT-TOF and use of the instruments provide good examples for the
MALDI-TOF, and offer technical advice and maintenance teaching staffs of other schools or faculties in Tsinghua
support in developing new applications. In addition, University who are planning to purchase instruments. Thirdly,
Shimadzu set up “the Scholarships for ACTU Shimadzu organizing lectures and training by Shimadzu engineers help
Excellent Graduate” in 2010 and expanded the scope of its students better understand the instruments. Finally, the
scholarship in May 2013 by supporting “The Cross-Straits collaborative research provides information for instrument
Tsinghua Chemistry Department PhD Students’ application and improvement.
Forum/Shimadzu Scholarships Dissertation Assessment and The recent achievement of this collaboration is as follows:
Evaluation Meeting.”Nearly130 Ph.D. students from both the 1) Liu W, Mao S, Wu J, Lin JM. “Development and
mainland and Taiwan Tsinghua University participated. Applications of Paper-Based Electrospray Ionization-Mass
According to Professor Jin-Ming Lin, Director of ACTU, there Spectrometry for Monitoring of Sequentially Generated
are many benefits of the collaboration. For example, Droplets”Analyst. 2013 Apr 7;138(7):2163-70

56