Bruker winds down underperforming instrument lines

Instrument heavyweight Bruker is winding down its range of stand-alone gas chromatography (GC), inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and single quadrupole GC-MS instruments. In a statement, the company said that its Chemical and Applied Markets division, which houses these products, has generated significant losses for the last four years, with little prospect of near-term profitability.

Bruker will honour outstanding orders for the affected GC and GC-MS instruments, but is not taking any new orders. The company is looking to sell off its ICP-MS business, and for someone to take over the service contracts for the GC instruments. The firm will retain support for GC-MS systems, as it continues to sell instruments with triple-quadrupole mass detectors.

At the same time, the company is expanding its microscopy offering in the life sciences, by acquiring US start-up Vutara for its high speed, 3D, super resolution fluorescence microscopy technology. The companies did not disclose financial details of the transaction.