Varian, Inc. was one of the largest manufacturers of
scientific instrument
A scientific instrument is a device or tool used for scientific purposes, including the study of both natural phenomena and theoretical research.
History
Historically, the definition of a scientific instrument has varied, based on usage, laws, an ...
s for the scientific industry. They had offerings over a broad range of chemical analysis equipment, with a particular focus on Information Rich Detection and Vacuum technology. Varian was spun off from
Varian Associates
Varian Associates was one of the first high-tech companies in Silicon Valley. It was founded in 1948 by Russell H. and Sigurd F. Varian, William Webster Hansen, and Edward Ginzton to sell the klystron, the first vacuum tube which could amp ...
in 1999 and was purchased by
Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies, Inc. is an American global company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, that provides instruments, software, services, and consumables for laboratories. Agilent was established in 1999 as a spin-off from Hewlett-Packar ...
in May 2010 for $1.5 billion, or $52 per share.
Varian Inc. had its corporate headquarters in
Palo Alto
Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto.
Th ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, and offices in Australia, the
Benelux
The Benelux Union (; ; ; ) or Benelux is a politico-economic union, alliance and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighbouring states in Western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The name is a portma ...
countries, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Manufacturing plants
Varian Inc. contained the following manufacturing plants:
* Lake Forest, California USA
* Palo Alto, California USA
* Walnut Creek, California USA
*
Lexington, Massachusetts, USA
* Cary, North Carolina, USA
* Mulgrave, Victoria Australia (the largest Varian Inc manufacturing and R&D plant)
* Middelburg, The Netherlands
* Grenoble, France
* Yarnton, United Kingdom
*
Church Stretton
Church Stretton is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, south of Shrewsbury and north of Ludlow. The population in 2011 was 4,671. , Shropshire, United Kingdom (polymer laboratories)
* Turin, Italy
Products and services

*
Chromatography
In chemical analysis, chromatography is a laboratory technique for the Separation process, separation of a mixture into its components. The mixture is dissolved in a fluid solvent (gas or liquid) called the ''mobile phase'', which carries it ...
, including
gas chromatography
Gas chromatography (GC) is a common type of chromatography used in analytical chemistry for Separation process, separating and analyzing compounds that can be vaporized without Chemical decomposition, decomposition. Typical uses of GC include t ...
,
GC/MS,
high performance liquid chromatography
High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), formerly referred to as high-pressure liquid chromatography, is a technique in analytical chemistry used to separate, identify, and quantify specific components in mixtures. The mixtures can origina ...
, and
LC/MS.
*
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets electromagnetic spectra. In narrower contexts, spectroscopy is the precise study of color as generalized from visible light to all bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Spectro ...
, including
UV-Vis,
CD,
near infrared
Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those o ...
, and
FT-IR
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a technique used to obtain an infrared spectrum of absorption or emission of a solid, liquid, or gas. An FTIR spectrometer simultaneously collects high-resolution spectral data over a wide spectral ...
*
Inductively coupled plasma, including
mass spectroscopic and
atomic emission spectroscopic detection.
*
mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that is used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. The results are presented as a ''mass spectrum'', a plot of intensity as a function of the mass-to-charge ratio. Mass spectrometry is used ...
, including
FTMS
Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry is a type of mass analyzer (or mass spectrometer) for determining the mass-to-charge ratio (''m''/''z'') of ions based on the cyclotron frequency of the ions in a fixed magnetic field. T ...
*
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a physical phenomenon in which nuclei in a strong constant magnetic field are disturbed by a weak oscillating magnetic field (in the near field) and respond by producing an electromagnetic signal with a ...
*
Linear accelerator
A linear particle accelerator (often shortened to linac) is a type of particle accelerator that accelerates charged subatomic particles or ions to a high speed by subjecting them to a series of oscillating electric potentials along a linear ...
*
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and ...
*
X-ray Crystallography
X-ray crystallography is the experimental science of determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to Diffraction, diffract in specific directions. By measuring th ...
* Information rich detection
* Drugs of Abuse Testing
* Dissolution Testing
* Vacuum Pumps
* Leak Detection
* Turbo Pumping Systems
* Vacuum Measurement
* Valves and components
History
In October 1967, Techtron Pty Ltd merged with
Varian Associates
Varian Associates was one of the first high-tech companies in Silicon Valley. It was founded in 1948 by Russell H. and Sigurd F. Varian, William Webster Hansen, and Edward Ginzton to sell the klystron, the first vacuum tube which could amp ...
. Techtron is a manufacturer of Atomic Absorption Spectrometers and Spectral lamps.
In 1982, Varian transferred the Cary UV-Visible product line to Australia.
In 1997, Varian bought Chemagnetics, a Colorado-based manufacturer of solid-state NMR spectrometers.
In 2002, Varian bought Ansys Technologies, Inc., a California-based manufacturer of In-Vitro Medical Devices.
In 2004, Varian Inc bought
Magnex Scientific, an
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
-based manufacturer of high-field magnets.
In 2005, Varian bought Polymer Laboratories, a speciality
polymer
A polymer () is a chemical substance, substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeat unit, repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their br ...
analysis and manufacturing company.
In 2006, Varian bought Ion Spec, an FTMS (
Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry) manufacturing company.
In 2007, Varian, Inc. bought Analogix, Inc., a company specializing in
flash chromatography.
In 2008, Varian bought
Oxford Diffraction, a British company specializing in X-ray diffraction equipment.
On 27 July 2009,
Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies, Inc. is an American global company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, that provides instruments, software, services, and consumables for laboratories. Agilent was established in 1999 as a spin-off from Hewlett-Packar ...
announced it would buy Varian Inc, for $1.5 Billion.
On 14 October 2014, Agilent made the strategic decision to close its NMR business. Agilent entered the NMR business in 2010, with the acquisition of Varian.
Several former Varian engineers have continued the business through private ventures, including the probe department spawning the company PhoenixNMR and the software being made open source. Many of the former Varian employees now honor Russell Varian's legacy of innovation by funding the Varian Young Investigator Award that recognizes early career investigators in NMR that make significant advancements in instrument development.
See also
*
Laboratory equipment
A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratories are found in a variety of settings such as schools, u ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Varian, Inc.Magnex Scientific
Companies based in Palo Alto, California
Instrument-making corporations
2009 mergers and acquisitions
Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq