AA3 HR AutoAnalyzer (Legacy System)
Succeeded by the AA500, the AA3 AutoAnalyzer brought segmented flow analysis into the Digital Age. Following the success of the AutoAnalyzer II from Technicon and Bran+Luebbe, the AA3 and AA3 HR became the standard automated analyzer for nutrient analysis in seawater and tobacco analysis, and a key system for water, wastewater, drinking water, fertilizer, soil, and plant analysis.
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A Pioneering Legacy in Continuous Flow Analysis
The AA3 AutoAnalyzer stands as the third generation of the original Technicon AutoAnalyzer, the world’s first automated continuous flow analyzer. Introduced in 1995, it replaced the renowned Technicon AutoAnalyzer II (later known as the Bran+Luebbe AutoAnalyzer II) and brought the concept of continuous flow analysis into the digital age and an era of efficiency and versatility. Originally manufactured by Bran+Luebbe, the AA3 product line and team was acquired by SEAL Analytical in 2006, ensuring a continued legacy of innovation in nutrient analysis for environmental, agricultural, and industrial applications.
The AA3 not only upheld the reliability and precision of its predecessors, it also introduced groundbreaking capabilities that further streamlined lab workflows. Most notably, it was the first SEAL Analytical instrument to utilize Multi-Test Manifolds—allowing a single channel to measure multiple analytes without manually swapping the entire manifold. This advancement greatly reduced downtime, minimized hardware costs, and made it easier for labs to handle a variety of tests on the same system. Today, many AA3 units remain fully operational worldwide, a testament to both the durability of the instrument and SEAL’s commitment to engineering analyzers built to last.
Continued Support & Transition to Modern Systems
Whether you’re currently operating an AA3 or interested in upgrading to the AA500, SEAL Analytical’s team is ready to help you navigate the next steps. With modular components, the AA3 can be upgraded piece by piece overtime to an AA500, or upgraded all at once with a full AA500 analyzer. Alternatively, a discrete analyzer may be a better fit for your evolving laboratory needs. Contact us for personalized advice on upgrades or connect with our service and support team to ensure your continuous flow analysis needs are met well into the future.
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Ongoing Assistance for a Legacy Analyzer
Though no longer manufactured, SEAL Analytical continues to fully support the AA3. This includes maintaining software compatibility with modern Windows® operating systems, providing spare parts (as available), consumables, and technical guidance. Our support chemists and technicians are a phone call or email away for remote troubleshooting, method optimization, and on-site service, helping ensure that your AA3 continues to deliver reliable, high-quality data long after its initial release.
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The AA500: Advancing the Tradition
Building on the solid foundation established by the AA3, the AA500 represents the next generation of continuous flow analysis technology. It inherits the AA3’s robust performance, inline sample pretreatment abilities, and ultra-low detection limits, while offering full start-up to shut-down automation, a smaller footprint, and a simplified workflow. With Multi-Test manifolds and a host of advanced features, the AA500 sets a new standard for efficiency, accuracy, and versatility in nutrient analysis—making it a natural upgrade for laboratories ready to embrace modern capabilities.
Other models
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Frequently Asked Questions
Below, we’ve listed a few frequently asked questions that will help you better understand our Continuous Flow Analyzers. If you don’t find the answer you're looking for, please don't hesitate to contact our support team for further assistance.
Our continuous flow analyzers can analyze samples at up to 120 samples/hour per channel, for a total of up to 600 tests per hour.
Our continuous flow analyzers utilize segmented flow analysis, injecting controlled bubbles at a regular interval which provides several benefits. The bubbles reduce carryover by adding physical separation between sample and wash solution, they improve the mixing of sample and reagent in-between air bubbles, they scrub the inner surface of the glass coils as the move along, and they provide a visual of the flow through the system for easy fluidic checks.
Segmented flow analysis and flow injection analysis are both types of continuous flow analysis. In segmented flow analysis, a gas bubble is injected into the sample stream at regular intervals (see question above). In flow injection analysis, samples an reagents are pumped into a manifold under pressure without any air bubble injection. Each type of continuous flow analysis uses different methods for analyzing the peaks charted as samples pass through the detector. We discuss these differences in detail here.
With minimal moving parts, segmented flow analysis has an advantage in requiring little routine maintenance. The maintenance involved includes rinsing out the channels after each run using the defined cleaning protocols for the chemistry ran on the instrument, releasing the platen so the pump tubes are not compressed when not in use, changing the flow-rated pump tubes at 200 hours of use, and keeping the pump clean and lubricated. Each SEAL analyzer comes with checklists and visual guides for these easy procedures, and our technical support team is always happy to assist with any questions.
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