Expoquimia 2026: Micromotion in water analysers
Regner® Editorial Team
Aiguaviva -
13/07/2026
Micromotion Is Driving the Next Generation of Water Analysers
Held in Barcelona from 2 to 5 June 2026, Expoquimia once again brought together leading companies, technology centres and professionals from the chemical and process instrumentation industries.
The event confirmed a transformation that has been taking shape for several years: water analysers are evolving from simple measurement devices into intelligent, connected and increasingly autonomous platforms.
The exhibition showcased solutions for drinking water and wastewater analysis, industrial processes and environmental monitoring. Despite their different applications, they all shared the same objectives: improving measurement accuracy, reducing maintenance requirements and facilitating the integration of instruments into increasingly digitalised industrial environments.
However, behind the sensors, electronics and software lies another element that plays a decisive role in the performance of these systems: micromotion within water analysers.
Water Analysers Are Evolving into Intelligent Platforms
Leading manufacturers such asABB, Hach, ProMinent, Endress+Hauser, Metrohm, Xylem o Bürkert continue to develop smarter instruments capable of communicating with the wider plant and providing useful information for process optimisation.
The industry is moving towards analysers that combine measurement, automation, connectivity and diagnostic capabilities.
Much More Than Measuring Parameters
Water analysers are no longer designed solely to measure parameters such as pH, free chlorine, conductivity, turbidity or dissolved oxygen.
Today’s instruments must also be able to:
- Perform self-diagnostics.
- Record their operating history.
- Report faults and deviations.
- Monitor reagent consumption.
- Support predictive maintenance.
- Reduce the need for technical intervention.
This evolution is transforming both the electronic architecture and the mechanical design of analytical equipment.
For an analyser to operate autonomously over extended periods, every internal operation must be carried out with accuracy, stability and repeatability.
Micromotion in Water Analysers
One aspect receives far less attention, despite being essential to the quality of every measurement: the precise mechanical movement taking place inside the instrument.
In an automatic analyser, small movements are constantly required to dose reagents, actuate valves, drive precision syringes, position optical components, clean measurement cells, introduce fresh samples and perform calibration cycles.
In other words, an analyser does not simply measure. It also moves.
The accuracy, repeatability and stability of these movements directly affect the quality of the analytical result.
Internal Operations That Depend on Micromotion
An analyser may need to perform numerous coordinated mechanical operations during each measurement cycle.
A mechanism may have to dispense a defined quantity of reagent, actuate a valve for a specified length of time or position an optical component in exactly the same place before each measurement.
These operations may appear secondary compared with the sensor or software, but any deviation can affect the stability of the process.
When working with very small volumes, even a slight variation in dosing, travel or positioning can alter the final result.
Repeatability Over Hundreds of Thousands of Cycles
In certain analytical applications, every microlitre can affect measurement quality.
For this reason, it is not enough for a mechanism to reach the correct position once. It must be capable of repeating the same micromotion hundreds of thousands of times while maintaining stable performance throughout the instrument’s service life.
This level of repeatability is particularly important in operations such as:
- Sample and reagent dosing.
- Syringe movement.
- Valve actuation.
- Optical positioning.
- Measurement cell cleaning.
- Automatic calibration.
- Sample replacement.
Analytical performance therefore depends not only on sensor accuracy, but also on the reliability of the mechanisms that prepare and manage each measurement.
Microactuation Is Gaining Importance in Analytical Instrumentation
For decades, many of these functions have been performed using peristaltic pumps, stepper motors and solenoids. These technologies remain valid and necessary in many applications.
However, growing demand for smaller, quieter, more efficient and more accurate instruments is driving the development of new motion architectures.
Within this context, microactuation in analytical instrumentation is attracting increasing interest among equipment manufacturers.
Controlled Linear Motion in Compact Spaces
Thanks to their compact dimensions and ability to deliver controlled linear movements, microactuators can be integrated into mechanisms where the available space is limited.
These solutions can support dosing, positioning and actuation functions without unnecessarily increasing the overall size of the instrument.
Compactness is particularly important in the latest generation of analysers, where sensors, electronic circuits, communication systems, reservoirs, valves and mechanical components must all be accommodated within increasingly space-constrained architectures.
Accuracy, Stability and Reduced Maintenance
Using motion systems specifically adapted to each application can help reduce the number of components subject to wear and lower maintenance requirements.
It can also support the development of simpler, quieter mechanisms that are easier to integrate.
For analytical instrumentation manufacturers, the objective is not simply to achieve accurate movement. That movement must remain stable over thousands of cycles, withstand real operating conditions and retain its performance throughout the equipment’s intended service life.
Electronics, Connectivity and Data in Water Analysers
Another major trend observed at Expoquimia 2026 was the growing importance of electronics and industrial communications.
Modern analysers incorporate self-diagnostic functions, historical event records, remote monitoring and predictive maintenance capabilities.
Protocols such as EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP and HART, together with IIoT platforms, allow instruments to be integrated directly into SCADA systems and asset management platforms.
From a Standalone Instrument to an Intelligent Node
Connectivity is transforming the very concept of the analyser.
Rather than operating as a standalone instrument, the analyser becomes an intelligent node within the plant, capable of reporting its status, anticipating potential issues and providing useful data for process optimisation.
The information recorded by the equipment can also be used to monitor reagent and consumable usage, identify deviations and plan maintenance interventions more effectively.
Mechanical Performance Must Match Software Intelligence
Software intelligence can only reach its full potential when it is supported by equally reliable mechanics.
An algorithm can detect a flow deviation, loss of accuracy or abnormal behaviour. However, the analyser’s overall performance will still depend on the stability of the mechanism carrying out each operation.
Manufacturers are therefore paying increasing attention to internal mechanical design and seeking solutions that offer:
- Consistent long-term repeatability.
- Quiet operation.
- Compact dimensions.
- Low power consumption.
- Long-term reliability.
- Straightforward mechanical and electronic integration.
Digitalisation does not replace mechanical accuracy. It makes it even more important.
Are You Developing a Water Analyser or an Analytical Instrumentation System?
At REGNER, we work with OEMs to develop motion solutions tailored to the mechanical, functional and integration requirements of each application.
Our experience covers the entire process, from initial system definition and prototype development to validation, industrialisation and series production.
REGNER’s Experience in Motion Solutions
From this perspective, REGNER does not simply develop electric actuators. The company designs motion solutions intended for integration into instruments where mechanical accuracy is just as important as sensor accuracy.
These solutions can be used for dosing, positioning, adjustment and actuation, providing analytical instrumentation manufacturers with a compact and flexible alternative.
The objective is to ensure that every movement is carried out in a controlled, repeatable and stable manner, even when the instrument is required to operate for extended periods without maintenance.
Applications in Water Analysers
Microactuation solutions are particularly relevant in analysers whose stability depends on the accuracy with which the following operations are performed:
- Dosing reagents.
- Moving internal components.
- Driving precision syringes.
- Actuating valves.
- Positioning optical elements.
- Automatically cleaning measurement cells.
- Performing calibration cycles.
In these applications, motion reliability directly affects equipment performance and the consistency of its results.
Integration for OEMs
Microactuation broadens the range of design possibilities available to original equipment manufacturers.
Every application has different requirements in terms of stroke, speed, force, size, power consumption, repeatability and service life. The motion architecture must therefore be defined according to the instrument’s actual operating requirements.
Addressing integration from the earliest stages of the project makes it possible to adapt the solution to the available space, simplify the mechanism and reduce technical risks during industrialisation.
The motion system is therefore no longer treated as a component added at the end of the development process. Instead, it becomes part of the functional architecture of the equipment.
The Future of Water Analysis Also Depends on Motion
For many years, innovation in water analysis has primarily been associated with the development of more accurate sensors and increasingly sophisticated algorithms.
The next generation of instruments will incorporate a third decisive element: motion systems capable of delivering the same level of accuracy, stability and reliability required by the measurement process itself.
Water analysers will continue to evolve towards more compact, connected and autonomous systems. Nevertheless, the quality of their results will continue to depend on every sample, every reagent and every movement being managed correctly.
Because the accuracy of an analyser depends not only on what it can detect, but also on how it moves to achieve it.
