History

Building on Anritsu's expertise in measurement technology, the PQA (Products Quality Assurance) business has continuously advanced quality assurance technologies since the development of its first checkweigher in 1964. Discover the history of the PQA business, which has evolved alongside its customers by supporting quality assurance through a broad portfolio of checkweighers, metal detectors, X-ray inspection systems, and NIR inspection solutions.

1895

Anritsu Founded
Established a technological foundation centered on measurement and testing technologies.
This established the technological foundation that would later support the Products Quality Assurance (PQA) business.

1961

Development of Electronic Micrometer
Developed the "Electronic Micrometer", a minute displacement measuring instrument utilizing the principle of a differential transformer.

1964

Development of Checkweigher
Leveraged electronic micrometer technology to develop and manufacture checkweighers.
Subsequently, achieved high-speed, high-precision 100 % weight inspection in food and pharmaceutical production lines.
This became the starting point for the PQA business.

1969

Development of Automatic Combination Weigher
Developed automatic combination weigher by applying electronic weighing technology from checkweighers.

1970

Capsule Checkweigher Released
Developed inspection equipment tailored to pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.
The pharmaceutical field has developed as an important target area since the early stages of the PQA business.

1975

Expansion into the Food Inspection Equipment Business
Established a business structure specializing in inspection equipment for the food manufacturing industry.
We have established a solid foundation for our quality assurance business, supporting both the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

1981

Development of Metal Detectors
Developed a metal detector utilizing magnetic sensing technology.
Addressed growing quality assurance requirements for the detection of metallic foreign contaminants, expanding inspection capabilities beyond weight verification.

1994

Development of the Automatic Combination Weigher, "Clean Cup Scale"
Developed high-speed, high-precision weighing equipment designed for processes that involve filling and packaging fixedquantities at high speeds.
Suitable for weighing highly adhesive foods, with a significant increase in the number of weighing combinations possible, contributing to labor savings.

1990s~

Deployment of checkweighers for specialized applications

• For grading (seafood, vegetables, industrial products, etc.)
• For standing products (paper cartons, bottles, desserts, etc.)
• For instant noodles
• For multi-lane configurations
• For sampling (tablets)

2000

Development of X-ray Inspection Systems
Introduced X-ray inspection technology capable of detecting not only metal contaminants but also glass, stone, bone, and other foreign materials.
Significantly expanding inspection areas in both food and pharmaceuticals.

2003

Established a Local Subsidiary in China
Full-scale deployment of quality inspection solutions for food and pharmaceutical products in China, a growing market.

2005

Established Local Subsidiaries in the United States and the United Kingdom
Strengthening expansion into North American and European markets to establish a foundation for global PQA business.

2007

Developed the Overall Quality Management and Control System, "QUICCA"
Introduced QUICCA, a software platform for centralized management of inspection data, enhancing quality control and traceability.

2008, 2013

Expansion of Global Manufacturing Capacity
Strengthened the global production and supply network through the launch of manufacturing operations in Thailand and China.

2011

Developed the Overall Quality Management and Control System, "QUICCA2"
Individual unit management via barcode enabled. Inspection data identification made easier and more accurate.

2013

Developed the Built-In Multi-Lane Weighing System
Developed checkweighers that can be seamlessly integrated into a wide range of production equipment, including packaging machines, filling machines, and robotic transfer systems.

2015

Expansion into Package Integrity Inspection
Expanded X-ray inspection capabilities to detect defects in packaging processes, enhancing package quality assurance.

2017

Expansion of Metal Detectors for Pharmaceuticals
Developed metal detectors specifically designed for tablets and capsules, delivering highly sensitive and stable detection performance.

2018

Multi-Purpose and High-Precision X-ray Inspection Technology

• X-ray Inspection Systems for Pharmaceuticals
• Side View Inspection
• Dual Energy Sensor
• Inspection for Large Bags and Case-Packed Products

Significantly expanded inspection applications and detectable product types.

2018

Launched ”QUICCA3”, Overall Quality Management and Control System
Enabled centralized management through automatic recording of production data, monitoring of production status, and report output of production data.

2019

Integrated European Business Functions into Dutch Subsidiary
Strengthening the PQA business structure in the European market.

2021

Reorganization of PQA Business Structure
The PQA business operations were transferred to Anritsu Corporation.

2021

Launch of Capsule Checkweighers
Launched equipment for pharmaceutical production lines that performs high-speed, high-precision 100 % weight inspection of capsule pharmaceuticals.
Equipped with a newly developed handling mechanism and a compact force balance scale.

2023

IP69K-Compliant X-ray Inspection Systems
With high washability and environmental resistance performance, expanded application to food and pharmaceutical manufacturing sites with stringent hygiene management requirements.

2023

Launch of AW9 Series Ultra-Fast Type Checkweigher
Achieves processing capacity of up to 1,000 products/min for lightweight products.
Contributes to improved productivity and reduced loss.

2025

Launch of Next-Generation X-ray Inspection System XR76 Series
AI technology learns and identifies subtle characteristics of defective products, enabling more advanced inspection performance.

2025

Launch of Odor Inspection System
Utilizes AI and odor-sensing technology to automate inspections traditionally based on human sensory evaluation.
By visualizing odors, enable stable evaluation of sensory quality.

2026

Launch of Ariphas™ NIR Tablet Inspection System
Enables 100 % non-destructive inspection using transmission near-infrared (NIR) technology, expanding quality assurance into the analysis of tablet composition and internal quality.

Present

Toward a Global PQA Business Supporting the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries
Today, with checkweighers, metal detectors, X-ray inspection systems, and NIR inspection solutions at its core, the PQA Business supports quality assurance and productivity improvement for food and pharmaceutical manufacturers worldwide, continuing to evolve as a trusted global partner.