New Option Integrates the Modbus Protocol, Offering Complete Remote Monitoring and Control

MINNEAPOLIS (March 30, 2009) – Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced new communication options for the entire family of Thermo Scientific APEX metal detectors. The options give users in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries access via factory networks to all front-panel functions. This enables seamless integration of metal detectors into a factory and allows customers to change programs, monitor alarms and read statistics from a central site or other intelligent device.

“Our customers are concerned about saving money right now, and the new APEX network option accomplishes this by enabling automation and dramatically reducing the need for human interaction with the metal detector,” said Bob Ries, product manager for Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We also chose to support one of the most widely used network protocols making it simple for our customers to integrate a metal detector into the factory network.”

The APEX communications option includes new modules and software that are installed inside the metal detector’s control panel. The option is available on new metal detectors and also as a field upgrade for detectors already deployed in a factory. Both Modbus Ethernet/TCP and Modbus RTU/serial are supported and available immediately for all APEX 100, 300 and 500 models.

Backed by the extensive worldwide Thermo Fisher Scientific service network, the APEX metal detector family allows customers to fulfill their regulatory obligations for food safety and protect their brand value by preventing metal-contaminated products from reaching the customer. For more information about the communications option or Thermo Scientific APEX metal detectors, please visit: www.thermo.com/apex.

Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.