Prepare a UV-Vis purchase brief

A useful UV-Vis quotation starts from the method, not from a model number. Use this checklist to prepare the brief.

1. The method

• What are you measuring, and at which wavelength or wavelength range?
• Which reference method applies, and what is its current version?
• What reporting limit and repeatability does the method require?

2. The sample

• Sample volume available per measurement.
• Matrix and any dilution or extraction step.
• Cuvette material and path length (for example quartz, 10 mm).

3. The optical requirement

• Wavelength range and spectral bandwidth.
• Whether a reference measurement must be taken at the same time (double beam) or can be separate (single beam).
• Expected absorbance range and the need for stray-light performance at the extremes.

4. Accessories and data

• Sample holders, sippers, temperature control and solid-sample accessories.
• Export format and the software functions your quality system requires.
• Documentation: manual, datasheet, declaration and any qualification documents.

5. Installation

• Bench space, power supply and operating environment.
• Operator training and who will maintain the instrument.

Send the completed list with your inquiry. If a value is unknown, write “to be confirmed” rather than guessing: it keeps the comparison honest.