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Micral™

Micral™ delivers valid results for calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and more in minutes per dried, ground sample. No chemicals, less reliance on trained operators, and far more throughput, delivered faster, more sustainably, and more profitably.

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Micral all products

Why change your workflow

Every minute and every resource in the lab matters

As demand for element analysis grows, Micral™ replaces the slow, costly, chemical- and skill-dependent traditional methods that hold labs back - streamlining the workflow and delivering results you can stand behind.

Value

Accurate, real-time data on mineral composition at a lower cost per sample - with faster time to result from the autosampler and ready-to-use analytics packages.

Sample types

Forage - grass, corn, alfalfa/legume hay, hay, fresh grass, haylage, mixed hay, sorghum, straw, grass-and-clover and barley silage. Plant leaves - soy, maize, wheat.

Parameters

6 macro elements - calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), sulfur (S). 6 micro elements - aluminum (Al), boron (B), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn).

Fast, and trustworthy

Speed only matters if the numbers hold up

Micral™ is built to give you results you can defend - quantitative readings across all 12 macro and micro elements, including the macrominerals that other rapid methods struggle with.

Explore Micral™ features
High uptimeintelligent diagnostics Low costper analysis Easy to useno specialist training No chemicalsoperator safety Improved workflowno digestion steps Minimum prepfast turnaround Short turnaround~60 samples / hour Traceabilityunique sample ID Micral instrument
Watch the story

Customer story

"Anyone in the lab can run the instrument, so you don't need a certain person who runs it."

Lab Manager, Optilab, Sweden

See Micral™ in action

From sample to result

ICP vs Micral™ - the same result, far fewer steps

ICP with traditional wet chemistry

Time to batch result: 6-24 hours (Depending on method)

Drying
(if wet)
Grinding
Start up
(1h)
Weighing
(60/60 samples)
6-24
hours

Add nitric and hydrochloric acid › predigest (1.16h) › digestion block (1h) › add HClO4 › Digestion block (2h)

Cool
(20min)
Dilute
Filter/Centri-
fuge
ICP analysis

ICP with microwave digestion

Time to batch result: 5-7 hours (Depending on method)

Drying
(if wet)
Grinding
Start up
(1h)
Weighing
(60/60 samples)
5-7
hours
Dilute
Filter/Centri-
fuge
ICP analysis

Micral™ LIBS analysis

Analysis in ~1 minute
Drying
(if wet)
Grinding
Pelletizing
Searing
Pelletizing
LIBS analysis


Use our ROI calculator to see how fast Micral pays for itself

Annual Sample Volume
(This refers to the number of silage or plant-leaf samples run by your lab annually)
The price your customers pay for mineral analysis per sample
Hourly Staff Wage
Please note that return on investment calculations are indicative and concrete numbers may vary from site to site.

The business case

What Micral™ is worth to your lab

A realistic throughput example, not a peak headline figure: give the instrument one hour to set up and prepare the first cassette, then run seven hours of measurement.

~357 samples measured in one 8-hour workday

How the workday is used

Hour 1PrepInstrument setup & first cassette
Hour 251Measured samples
Hour 351Measured samples
Hour 451Measured samples
Hour 551Measured samples
Hour 651Measured samples
Hour 751Measured samples
Hour 851Measured samples
8hoursWorking day
1hourPrep & first cassette
7hoursMeasurement time
51/hourActual measured samples

Example disclaimer. Scenario: a working day of 8 hours. Throughput assumes 7 hours of measurement time (the first hour is spent getting the instrument ready and preparing the first cassette), giving around 357 measured samples. Up to 60 samples/hour, of which up to six in a cassette are standardization plus any instrument-check samples, leaves 51 actual samples/hour.

Digital

Automate for better flow

Micral™ pairs instrument hardware with software and networking connectivity to lift productivity.

Ready-to-use analytics

Pre-built analytics packages ready to run from day one.

Traceable sample-ID

Barcode-based sample IDs keep every result traceable.

Full lab data overview

Link up your lab for a single, connected view of your data.

Micral System connects to LIMS, the FOSS IQX cloud and FossCalibrator

FOSS IQX™ is a suite of software solutions for data-driven decisions across food and agri production, including managing fleets of instruments and supplier collaboration and quality. Read more at IQX.net.

Tailored algorithms

"Tailored algorithms make sure that wavelengths are fully standardized."

From standardized solutions to an extensive sample-analysis database - what it takes to ensure good application models for the 12 elements Micral™ can analyze.

Traditional testing samples silage once; testing with Micral samples repeatedly

Precision animal nutrition

With traditional testing, silage is typically tested only once per year, so results aren't representative - quality changes over time. Faster time to result and a lower cost per sample with Micral™ mean you can test regularly throughout the year.

Micral™ adds accurate, timely data about mineral levels, reducing the cost and the environmental impact of unnecessary overuse of feed additives.

Autosampler for unattended analysis

Increase sample throughput while reducing your training and staffing burden. The autosampler cassette lets you run 60 samples in one go. Batch handling significantly improves time to result and contributes to a markedly lower cost per test.

At the same time, freeing staff to do other jobs lets you upscale laboratory capacity for greater efficiency.

Gloved hand loading a sample cup into the Micral autosampler cassette
LIBS - Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

LIBS - laser technology in a box

LIBS is an abbreviation of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. It sounds great - but how does it actually work? Learn more about the technology behind the Micral™ LIBS analyzer.

Read article

Are you ready to dramatically speed up test capacity?

Get in touch with our specialists to discuss your potential business value.

Let's talk

Reference

Technical specification

Micral™ LIBS

Analysis time~1 minute
Autosampler capacity60 samples
N2 consumption (during measurement only)3 l/min
Wavelength range178-427 nm
Optical resolution0.1 nm
Voltage100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Power consumption100 W
Dimensions (W x D x H)500 x 471 x 426 mm
Weight40 kg

Micral™ Press

Voltage110 VAC, 60 Hz or 230 VAC, 50 Hz
Power consumption500 W
Dimensions (W x D x H)305 x 496 x 434 mm
Weight100 kg

Micral™ Searing

Voltage100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Power consumption90 W
Dimensions (W x D x H)265 x 496 x 428 mm
Weight25 kg

Installation requirements

Bench space300 x 80 cm
Bench strengthSupports 175 kg
Gas requirementNitrogen, propane
VentilationMinimum ventilation rate 150 m³/h
PC and network connections2 PCs with LAN connection
Temperature15-30 °C
Relative humidity≤80%

Consumables

  • Micral standardization 250 g
  • Batching tray assy / sample container (1,000 pc)
  • Press shaft Ø14 mm
  • Dry tissues
  • Measuring spoon 1.5 ml T-shape
  • Measuring spoon 0.75 ml T-shape
  • Wet tissues
  • Cassette assy

Brochures and Papers

FAQS

Micral™ is a fully automated LIBS-based solution designed to dramatically speed up element/mineral analysis in agricultural samples, delivering valid results much faster than traditional wet chemistry workflows.

Micral™ measures 12 elements simultaneously: 6 macro (Ca, Mg, P, K, Na, S) and 6 micro (Al, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn). It’s positioned for feed/forage matrices such as silage and hay types, as well as plant tissue. And it doesn’t stop there; more applications will be added in the future.

Valid results for dried & ground samples (time-to-answer), with an instrument analysis time of minutes. An autosampler cassette for up to 60 samples enables unattended batch runs, supporting high throughput and freeing staff for other tasks.

Micral™ is designed to reduce workflow friction by eliminating hazardous chemical digestion steps (chemical-free quantitative testing), improving operator safety and reducing environmental risks linked to chemical disposal.

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