Spectrolytic was founded by spectroscopists and engineers who chose Mid-Infrared over Near-Infrared for a reason: MIR operates in the molecular fingerprint region, where every compound has a unique absorption signature. That specificity lets us identify and quantify molecules in real samples with far fewer reference measurements than any competing approach — and deliver lab-quality oil condition data, inline, 24/7.
Mid-Infrared spectroscopy has been the gold standard for molecular identification in analytical laboratories for decades — pharmaceutical QC, petrochemical analysis, food safety. The reason is simple: MIR operates in the fingerprint region (roughly 2.5–25 µm), where molecular bonds vibrate at their fundamental frequencies. Each compound absorbs light at a unique combination of wavelengths, producing a spectrum that is effectively a molecular fingerprint.
The founding team at Spectrolytic came from analytical chemistry and industrial instrumentation backgrounds and saw one clear gap: all that MIR capability was locked in laboratory instruments that cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, required trained chemists to operate, and couldn't survive an industrial environment for more than a few hours. Meanwhile, maintenance teams were sending oil samples to labs and waiting days for results — and unplanned failures were happening between sample points.
The answer was FluidInspectIR®: a miniaturised MIR spectrometer with a rugged optical engine, factory-validated calibration models for lubricant parameters, and industrial-grade connectivity built in from day one. Because MIR gives fundamentally stronger and more specific absorption signals than alternatives, calibration models require far fewer reference samples and remain robust across a much wider range of operating conditions.
Today, Spectrolytic systems are deployed across biogas and natural gas power, wind energy, aluminium and steel manufacturing, mining, and marine applications — wherever oil condition determines machine uptime.
R&D, product engineering, and commercial headquarters. Home to our MIR spectroscopy and calibration teams.
Manufacturing, field engineering, and European customer support. Close to our largest industrial application markets.
FluidInspectIR® calibration models are built on MIR spectroscopy using a proprietary process, validated against ASTM and ISO reference methods. The fingerprint region enables molecular identification with a fraction of the reference samples required by NIR.
The rugged optical engine is designed for direct immersion or flow-cell installation in an oil circuit. No sample preparation is required — measurements are taken continuously without interrupting the process.
Each measured parameter is predicted using a proprietary process built on MIR spectra and validated against ASTM/ISO reference methods. Because MIR signals are specific, models require fewer reference samples and remain accurate across wider operating ranges.
IP67-rated housing, thermal compensation, and automatic referencing maintain measurement accuracy across −20°C to +70°C operating temperature. ATEX Zone 1/21 certified for hazardous area deployment.
MODBUS RTU/TCP, PROFIBUS, OPC-UA, 4–20 mA, and LTE outputs are built into every inline unit. Direct connection to SCADA, DCS, and CMMS systems without gateway hardware.
Cloud dashboard receiving data from all connected sensors. Trend analysis, configurable alerts, and REST API / webhook integration with SAP PM, IBM Maximo, and other CMMS platforms.
FluidInspectIR® Inline carries ATEX Zone 1/21 and IECEx certification — enabling deployment in gas turbine enclosures, compressor halls, and offshore environments where other solutions cannot go.
MIR spectroscopy is Spectrolytic's core competence — but oil condition is more than chemistry. We combine our MIR measurement core with complementary sensing technologies to provide customers with the most complete picture of lubricant and fluid health available from a single inline instrument.
Inline kinematic or dynamic viscosity measurement detects thinning from contamination, thermal breakdown, or shear degradation — the single most important physical property of a lubricant.
Ferrous and non-ferrous particle detection identifies early-stage wear debris before it reaches levels detectable by traditional oil sampling — enabling planned intervention before damage escalates.
Laser-based particle counting and sizing per ISO 4406 / NAS 1638. Detects contamination events, filter bypass, and ingress of solid particles independent of the MIR chemistry reading.
Real-time pH monitoring for water-based and emulsion fluids. Detects acid build-up, alkalinity depletion, and microbial growth in metalworking, rolling, and hydraulic fluids before they cause corrosion or system damage.
Every application is configured with the sensor combination that makes sense for the fluid type and failure modes that matter. We don't sell a fixed bundle — we engineer the right solution.
Carsten serves as Chief Executive Officer and leads business development. Previously he spun out Pyreos Ltd from Siemens AG, serving as CTO from 2009–2015. Prior roles include R&D at HP Palo Alto and Philips NatLabs, Eindhoven. He holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Sheffield and an MBA from the University of Edinburgh.
Benjamin co-founded Spectrolytic, building on his PhD thesis work to bridge the gap for cost-effective inline and portable MIR spectrometers. He oversees operations and manufacturing. He holds a degree and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Munich.
Patrick leads commercial strategy, global distribution, and business development. Previously CEO at worx4you Group, EMEA commercial lead at Luminultra, and Sales & Marketing Director at Conidia Bioscience. He brings 35 years of leadership experience across SMEs and global corporations. He holds a BSc in Systems Engineering from Newcastle Polytechnic.
Neil develops all measurement solutions and applications, and manages system installation and process control data. Previously at Motorola, Atmel, and Pyreos, where he developed a novel silicon-based IR sensor manufacturing line. Chartered Engineer (CEng), Chartered Scientist (CSci), MIChemE. BEng Chemical & Process Engineering, Strathclyde.
Spyros manages product engineering and supports product development and system installation. Previously an applications engineer at Pyreos developing sensor-based gesture algorithms, an ASIC Software Engineer at Schrader Electronics, and a researcher at Heriot-Watt University. BSc Computer Science, MSc Embedded Systems Engineering.
Costas leads development of Spectrolytic's software platforms and cloud-based dashboards. Previously a senior scientist and project/product manager at Toshiba Medical Imaging (10 years), and computer vision development manager in robotics at Heriot-Watt University. PRINCE II, AgilePM. PhD Computer Science, MSc Knowledge Based Systems, BSc Physics.
A good measurement every 5 minutes tells you far more than a perfect measurement once a month. Continuous inline data catches degradation trends that periodic sampling always misses.
Oil condition data is only valuable if it ends up in the CMMS, SCADA, or alert system where your maintenance team already works. We design every integration first, not last.
MIR spectroscopy is our core strength — but not every measurement challenge needs spectroscopy. We combine MIR with OPC, Viscosity, Wear, and pH sensing where the application demands it, and we tell you honestly when a different approach is the better fit.