NIR instrumentation developer Unity Scientific LLC has been announced as a Manufacturing Leadership Award winner by market research firm Frost & Sullivan for its engineering and production technology leadership in 3D printing and electronic alignment technologies in the manufacturing process. Unity Scientific’s SpectraStar project uses advanced techniques to manufacture a line of complex, high-precision NIR spectrophotometers for laboratory and at-line use. The use of 3D printing to make a complete spectrograph chassis dramatically minimizes assembly labor. Final optical alignment is made by electronically matching the system to a set of IR wavelength standards, virtually eliminating instrument-to-instrument variation and further reducing labor. In the past, manual orientation and alignment of each individual optical element would be required. The application of the 3D-printed optical bench and automated electronic alignment provides the most advanced system for the manufacturing of high-performance spectrophotometers. The Frost & Sullivan Manufacturing Leadership Awards, now in their 14th year, honor manufacturing companies and individual manufacturing leaders who are shaping the future of global manufacturing. Winning projects and individual manufacturing leaders are chosen by a panel of expert judges for results that have delivered clear and compelling value, return on investment, and other tangible outcomes. Unity Scientific develops analytical instrumentation for a wide range of markets, including food and dairy, agriculture, and environmental.