A single Chilean cherry travels from orchard to the world.
Along the way, it passes through orchards, sorting lines, cold chains, and transport.
It also passes through countless invisible data points generated in the laboratory.
How is quality judged?
How is composition analyzed?
Do pesticide residues meet the required standards?
These questions are invisible to the naked eye, yet they determine the safety, quality, and trust behind every agricultural and food product as it moves from the farm to the market.
Now, halfway around the world, the Gas Chromatograph (GC) independently developed by EXPEC Technology, a subsidiary of FPI, has been installed at two institutions in Chile: the University of Talca and the Viña del Mar campus of Santo Tomás University.
From agricultural and food testing to building teaching and research platforms at universities, China’s high-end scientific instruments are being applied, validated, and chosen again in laboratories across South America.
Technical Highlights of EXPEC Technology’s Gas Chromatograph
Deep into Research: Giving Agricultural Products and Food a “Health Check”
At the University of Talca’s laboratory, EXPEC Technology’s Gas Chromatograph made its debut in Chile, used for analyzing fatty acid methyl esters and detecting pesticide residues in agricultural products and food.
An agricultural or food sample is never simple.
It may contain complex matrices, multiple components, and various interfering substances.
When faced with complex samples, EXPEC Technology’s Gas Chromatograph acts like a meticulous “component sorter” — separating mixed substances so they can be clearly distinguished, clearly seen, and accurately measured.
At the University of Talca’s laboratory, EXPEC Technology’s Gas Chromatograph made its debut in Chile.
For a gas chromatograph, the gas path is like its “breath.” A steady breath gives the analysis a stable rhythm.
The instrument uses high-precision electronic pneumatic control (EPC) technology to keep the gas flow path more stable.
A stable gas path produces stable peaks; stable peaks produce trustworthy data.
To address issues such as adsorption and tailing common with complex compounds, the instrument also uses an inert flow-path design that reduces sample “retention” and “loss” within the flow path, making the analysis of complex samples more stable and reliable.
The laboratory team noted that the introduction of this instrument will further support the University of Talca’s development in agricultural and food science and technology research across Chile and South America.
Serving Universities: Supporting Platform Development
Whether a high-end scientific instrument can truly open an overseas market doesn’t depend solely on the first delivery.
What matters more is whether, after delivery, it can run reliably and continue to be used over time.
Thanks to the stable performance of EXPEC Technology’s Gas Chromatograph at the University of Talca, Santo Tomás University’s Viña del Mar campus also chose the same instrument for its subsequent laboratory construction, configuring it with a flame ionization detector (FID).
EXPEC Technology’s Gas Chromatograph runs stably at Santo Tomás University’s Viña del Mar campus
VOCs are complex in composition and change quickly, much like a sample’s constantly shifting “compositional fingerprint.”
Identifying these “fingerprints” places high demands on an instrument’s separation capability, detection response, and repeatability.
EXPEC Technology’s Gas Chromatograph provides a stable, reliable technical platform for VOCs analysis, further supporting the university’s teaching and research capabilities in this area.
Not Just Delivery, But Putting Down Roots
Throughout both projects in Chile, EXPEC Technology adopted a model of “in-depth remote guidance plus local partner execution.”
Its technical team used real-time communication tools and a shared operating platform to guide local engineers through unboxing, installation, commissioning, method development, and user training.
Local partners are now capable of providing end customers with standardized installation and training services.
From China to Chile, half the globe lies between them.
What remains is instrumentation that runs reliably.
What remains is the capacity for ongoing service.
What remains is also overseas users’ trust in high-end, domestically made Chinese scientific instruments.
Looking toward the global market, FPI will continue to build on independent innovation and real-world application, helping high-end Chinese scientific instruments run reliably, serve continuously, and create value in more overseas settings.
