New Series of Laser Diffraction Masterclasses

Starting in January 2009, Malvern Instruments began a new series of its popular web-based laser diffraction masterclasses. With participation free of charge, these live events are delivered as a service to all users of laser diffraction particle sizing systems and aim to provide support from basic principles to advanced applications. The web seminars are also recorded and subsequently made available as free downloads from the Malvern website. Each class is given by one of Malvern’s laser diffraction specialists and currently seven topics are planned for
2009 covering: demystifying particle size measurements; achieving reproducible particle size measurements; optical property selection made easy; validation of laser diffraction methods; setting realistic and meaningful product specifications; what to do when things have gone wrong; and comparison of light scattering and image analysis techniques.

Paul Kippax, Product Manager for Laser Diffraction Systems at Malvern, is pleased with the positive feedback from around the world that has influenced the further development of the masterclass series. “More than 500 people benefited from the live masterclasses in 2008, with
many more taking advantage of being able to download the recorded events,” he said. “We anticipate even more takeup for 2009, with laser diffraction users in all industries telling us that the web-based technical and applications support pioneered by Malvern is an increasingly important and convenient part of the mix, complementing the activities of our specialists on the ground and the global support available via our helpdesks.”