Grabner Instruments Marks 25 Years of Leadership in Petroleum Testing

Nov 21 2012

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the first Grabner Instruments vapor pressure tester - the world’s first automatic vapor pressure tester to eliminate operator bias and tiresome sample handling.

Over the years, AMETEK Grabner Instruments has become universally recognized as the worldwide expert in petroleum testing. And, since 1993, the MINIVAP tester has served as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s reference instrument for highest-precision vapor pressure measurement.

2012 also looks back at the beginning of impressive achievements in petroleum testing, aimed at making fuel analysis portable, faster, safer and more economic for customers. Grabner Instruments developed the MINIFLASH, a revolutionary flashpoint tester. It uses only a minimum sample per test and allows safe and economic flashpoint testing. The company designed the MINISCAN, the first portable FTIR fuel tester to allow affordable fuel analysis directly at the point of sale. It launched the MINIDIS, a versatile atmospheric mini-distillation unit and with the MINIVIS, a small and portable rolling ball viscometer.

After the founder Dr. Grabner passed away, the company became part of AMETEK in 2003. On September 13th 2012, the company celebrated its 25 years anniversary, linking up the past with the future: Mr. Otto Pferschy, Grabner Instruments co-founder and former CEO, and Mr. Daniel Skinner, current Grabner Instruments Managing Director and Vice President of AMETEK Oil & Gas, together cut the birthday cake for Grabner Instruments.

Grabner Instruments Timeline:

1987:	The first MINIVAP vapor pressure tester is launched. The MINIVAP VPS is now widely accepted worldwide as the standard instrument for testing vapor pressure according to ASTM D5191 and AST D6378: Standard Test Method for Determination of Vapor Pressure of Petroleum Products, Hydrocarbons and Hydrocarbon-Oxygenate Mixtures.
1992:	MINIFLASH closed cup flashpoint tester introduced.
1993:	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declares the MINIVAP VPS the official reference instrument for monitoring vapor pressure of gasoline.
1998:	The IROX 2000 portable gasoline analyzer is developed to determine octane, vapor pressure and distillation properties as well as oxygenates and aromatics according to ASTM D5845 (Standard Test Method for the Determination of MTBE, ETBE, TAME, DIPE, Methanol, Ethanol, tert-Butanol in Gasoline by Infrared Spectroscopy) and ASTM D6277 (Standard Test Method for Determination of Benzene in Spark-Ignition Engine Fuels Using Mid Infrared Spectroscopy)
1999:	MINIVIS falling ball micro-viscometer and MINITEST FFK for the determining the flow properties of lubrication grease are introduced.
2000:	IROX Diesel, a portable Fourier Transfer Infrared Spectrometer is launched.
2003:	Grabner Instruments are acquired by AMETEK, Inc.
2008:	Introduction of the Grabner Instruments MINIVIS 445 viscometer for the testing of kinematic and dynamic viscosity.
2009:	MINIVAP VPXpert third-generation vapor pressure tester introduced.
2010:	MINIDIS ADXpert, a portable mini-distillation analyzer is introduced
2011:	MINIFLASH Touch portable flash point tester with convenient touch-screen design is launched.
2012:	MINISCAN IRXpert, the first FTIR multi-fuel analyzer using mid-IR and near-IR for comprehensive fuel analysis is launched.

GRABNER INSTRUMENTS, a subsidiary of AMETEK Inc., is considered one of world´s leading developers and manufacturers of automatic petroleum testing equipment. Grabner Instruments’ success is based on the development of portable, rugged and easy-to-operate fuel and oil analyzers for accurate quality control in the laboratory as well as for fast on-site tests in mobile laboratories.

AMETEK, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices with annual sales of 3.0 billion US$. AMETEK’s corporate growth plan is based on four key strategies: Operational Excellence, Strategic Acquisitions and Alliances, Global and Market Expansion, and New Products. AMETEK is an NYSE-listed stock as well as a component of the S&P MidCap 400 Index and the Russell 1000 Index.