Shield Supports Radiation And Quality Measurements

Willtek Communications has announced the 4933 RF Shield, supporting radiation and quality measurements at large radio transceivers, notebook PCs and other electronic equipment. It combines a high shielding factor with easy access to the unit under test. The 4933 RF Shield attenuates signals from outside or inside by a high degree.

The attenuation, in conjunction with the RF connector, enables radio-frequency and quality engineers to measure the radiation of the device under test in an EMC prequalification test, without the need to rent a large anechoic shielded chamber. Other applications include transceiver tests in a controlled environment.

Willtek's 4933 RF Shield comes with a solenoid lock and a control panel displaying the status of the lock. Due to a USB interface, an external PC can read the status and release the lock remotely.

High-Accuracy Gauge Checks Component Quality

Bowers Metrology has supplied the Gagemaker instrument to X:Cel Superturn to help maintain quality standards of X:Cel's rings, gaskets and seals. X:Cel Superturn specialises in the production of precision machined components and specialised joints and gaskets. Although serving customers in the power generation, aerospace and construction sectors, the company's output is predominantly destined for the petrochemical industry.

X:Cel Superturn produces components for down-hole drilling as well as surface and subsea applications. After purchasing X:Cel in 2007, Sheffield Superturn continued to establish the global supply chain. Wayne Adcock, X:Cel Superturn's quality manager, said: 'As failure in the field of any of our joint and gaskets could have catastrophic financial and environmental implications, we undertake the most rigorous quality control checks, both throughout the manufacturing cycle of our components and at the final inspection stage.

'To help enable X:Cel Superturn to uphold our reputation, we frequently invest in quality control equipment. 'Having recently identified a need for a flexible, yet accurate, diameter measuring gauge that could be used on components located on our machine tools, we requested a demonstration of the Gagemaker Groove Diameter and Groove Width gauges from Bowers Metrology,' he added. Bowers Metrology stocks a wide range of Gagemaker equipment. Gagemaker's Groove Diameter/Width gauges are able to accommodate diameters from 2.6in to 13in and groove widths from 0.34in to 1.5in.

Optional rails extend the range of diameter measurements from 13in to 36in. The face groove gauges accurately measure the ring groove diameter and width at the critical sealing point of the face groove, while the gauge indicators display actual deviation from a preset master dimension. The Gagemaker BX-1000 can be used for a range of applications, including the measurement of straight or tapered groove diameters, shallow bores and hole locations.

Now in regular use, X:Cel Superturn's large diameter gauges are helping to maintain the standards of its rings, gaskets and seals. 'The Gagemaker instrument has taken away a potential bottleneck from our large capacity CMM and is being used both in process, with the measured component still located in the machine tool, and for final component inspection,' said Adcock.

Aquatrode Plus Controls Quality Of Bioethanol

Metrohm's Aquatrode Plus A combined pH glass electrode with ground-joint diaphragm is recommended for measuring the pH in organic solvents. As a result of the expected low conductivity of the sample, the electrode should be particularly well shielded in order to suppress electrostatic influences. The Aquatrode Plus is an electrode that can be used for ethanol measurements. With separable ground-joint diaphragm, the Aquatrode Plus is suitable for measuring the pH of bioethanol.

The pH meter used for the measurement should possess the following GLP functions, among others: three-point calibration with automatic buffer recognition; temperature compensation; calibration data monitoring; automatic measured-value recording; and result memory with identification. The pH meter 827 pH lab for laboratory use and the battery-operated 826 pH mobile offer these functions. The chloride content in bioethanol fuels is the subject of ASTM D 512.

Determinations can be carried out by mercurimetric or argentometric titration or by direct titration with a Cl-sensitive electrode. Argentometric determination (with silver nitrate) is the method of choice because of its environmental advantages and high precision. A defined volume of the sample is pipetted into the titration cell, treated with 5ml of 2M nitric acid and then titrated against 0.01M silver-nitrate solution.

A proven method for sulphate determination is potentiometric titration with lead nitrate using a Pb-sensitive electrode. The pH of the sample is adjusted to pH 3-5 with perchloric acid and the sulphate is then precipitated out with lead-nitrate solution. The Pb-selective electrode detects the first excess of lead ions at the equivalence point. The wide range of potentiometric applications for bioethanol requires a flexible titrator, such as the Metrohm Titrando.

The determinations can be carried out with excellent reproducibility due to the range of high-specification electrodes provided by Metrohm. For the pH measurement, the Aquatrode Plus electrode (6.0257.000) is recommended, but for acidity titration the well-shielded Solvotrode (6.0229.100) non-aqueous electrode is used. For the chloride determination, the low-maintenance Silver Titrode (6.0431.100) is used and for the sulphate determination, the Pb-selective ion-selective electrode is used.

Reservoir Mixing System Improves Water Quality

The Resmix reservoir mixing system installed in a Scottish reservoir earlier in 2009 has completed its first summer with encouraging results, according to Gurney Environmental. The Resmix technology, developed by Water Engineering and Research Solutions, uses a slowly rotating impeller to skim a layer of water from the surface of the reservoir and then 'push' it down to the bottom. The advantage of top-to-bottom exchange is that dissolved oxygen (DO), which is plentiful at the surface, can be made available where it is required at the bottom.

As a result the quality of water is improved and maintained. The Resmix system is claimed to have proven its effectiveness in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. In its first UK application, a Resmix 3000 was installed to reduce the levels of manganese and other metals arriving at the reservoir's treatment works. Using approximately 1kW of energy the Resmix system has been designed to maintain uniform conditions in the 3,700 mega litre reservoir reducing summer peaks of manganese to levels treatable by the existing treatment works and therefore negating the need for an expensive upgrade.

David Orme of Gurney Environmental said: 'Manganese release occurs in reservoirs and water impoundments due to the natural process of stratification occurring during the summer months. 'The surface layer of the reservoir is warmed by sunlight and becomes more buoyant than the water below, preventing the underlying water from reaching the surface. 'Trapped beneath the warm surface layer, the main body of water becomes depleted of DO. 'The resulting low concentration of DO causes iron, manganese and other metal salts to leach from sediments leading to discolouration, odour and bad taste. 'Stagnation of the water also encourages the growth of algae in the surface layer.

Traditional methods of mixing reservoirs, typically either compressed air diffuser systems or mechanical mixers, bring poor quality water from the bottom, and mix it into the entire water column. This requires large amounts of electrical energy and can in some cases even exacerbate water quality problems. Andy Muir from Scottish Water Solutions added: 'We have had the Resmix unit in service now for the best part of a year. 'During this time we have monitored both the manganese levels in the raw water and the reservoir oxygen levels and temperature. 'Owing to some technical difficulties with, among other things our temporary power supply, the Resmix unit was not operating for an extended period at the hottest part of the year.

'During this period our monitors showed that reservoir stratification occurred and with it an increase in soluble manganese levels in the raw water. 'Stratification was evident from temperature and oxygen differentials from top to bottom of the water column. 'With the Resmix system back in service there was a marked drop in soluble manganese and the reservoir temperature and oxygen differentials decreased. 'This is a favourable outcome as the cost of running this unit is a fraction of the cost of running a filtration removal plant.

Particle-Into-Liquid Sampler Assesses Air Quality

The Particle-Into-Liquid Sampler (Pils) from Metrohm UK is said to be an effective way of producing real-time measurements for assessing air quality. The Pils system can measure particulate pollutants several times an hour and when used in combination with a Metrohm ion chromatography system, inorganic ions such as ammonium, nitrate, sulphate and chloride can be detected and quantified with a cycle time between five and 20 minutes depending upon application.

The Pils system uses small quantities of steam to form water droplets on individual aerosol particles. The water droplets containing the dissolved aerosols can then be captured and analysed by ion chromatography. The instrument can be operated unattended for up to 20 days depending upon the volume of reagents and size of denuder and can take samples every five minutes. The current method used for analysing airborne particulates is filter sampling.

The filters collect the aerosol particles usually over a 24-hour period and the results are reported as daily averages. High time resolution means more information can be gathered and trends and cycles can be observed. Applications where the Pils system can be used include indoor air quality monitoring, ambient air quality monitoring, tunnel monitoring, waste transfer and landfill site monitoring, stack emissions monitoring, and emission protection for employees.

Metrohm UK offers a direct online on-site analysis using well-established techniques and no manual sample preparation is needed. In combination with an ion chromatograph it is possible to determine the following species: cations (Na+, NH4+, K+, Ca++, Mg++), anions (Cl-, NO3-, NO2-, SO4--), organic acids (acetate, formate, oxalate), LOD (depending on ion) from 5-100 ng/m3. Full installation and training by a Metrohm applications chemist is included in the price of the system.

HDMI Active Enhances Viewing And Sound Quality

Chord has introduced the HDMI Active, which enhances picture and sound quality. This product features heavy gauge silver-plated oxygen-free signal conductors. Signal attenuation has been reduced with the use of 26AWG conductors. Overlapped foil shielding around all critical signal paths minimises crosstalk.

Double outer foil and high-density braid combine to minimise the levels of external interference. The exciting aspect of the Chord HDMI Active is the inclusion of a high-frequency filter on all lengths. The filter reduces the intra/inter channel skew between the four pairs of TDMS signals. The HDMI Active cable improved all aspects of the picture in tests using Denon, Arcam, Yamaha and Playstation 3 DVD and Blu-ray players.

When compared with the Chord HDMI Silver plus 1.3, the Chord Active produced a more detailed, dynamic and musically coherent sound. The improvement in performance was such that in tests, participants consistently chose a 15-metre Chord Active HDMI cable over a similarly priced one-metre cable.

Stealth Marking System Verifies Quality

Laser Photonics has announced the release of an automated laser part marking system, the Stealth. The Stealth is specifically designed for manually operated mass production environments. This system is fully automated and can be used by any production facility that is consistently marking a variety of parts that need quality verification. The system contains: a standard Laser Photonics fibre laser marking system; an integrated vision system; an RFID system; a material fixture handling system; and a PLC automation system.

The combination of all of these systems into one unit is a concept designed to help manufacturing facilities increase throughput time while making sure each component is properly marked and tracked. Due to its automated design, The Stealth does not need a trained laser operator to complete a marking task. After the machine is turned and activated into automatic mode, it will wait for the operator to place a fixture into the machine. Once the system detects the fixture, it will lock it in place.

After the operator removes his hands from the laser marking environment, the machine door will fall to the closed position and the marking process will begin without any additional input from the operator. If obstructions are detected in the machine tool entry, or the fixture is not locked in place, the machine will not start. The machine door is dual redundant and hardwired to the interlock system of the laser; therefore the laser will never fire if the door is open. Additionally, the door is gravity fed in order to close and meets weight requirements in that it cannot cause any harm while closing.

When the marking is complete, the internal vision system captures the images and verifies that it meets the necessary standards. Then, the door will open, the fixture will unlock and the operator can remove the marked part and insert the next piece. The Stealth automated industrial system offers a user life of more than 50,000 hours, precise marking and requires minimal maintenance. Laser Photonics will begin regular production of the systems within the next month. Laser Photonics has announced the release of an automated laser part marking system, The Stealth.

The Stealth is specifically designed for manually operated mass production environments. This system is fully automated and can be used by any production facility that is consistently marking a variety of parts that need quality verification. The system contains: a standard Laser Photonics fibre laser marking system; an integrated vision system; an RFID system; a material fixture handling system; and a PLC automation system. The combination of all of these systems into one unit is a concept designed to help manufacturing facilities increase throughput time while making sure each component is properly marked and tracked.

Due to its automated design, The Stealth does not need a trained laser operator to complete a marking task. After the machine is turned and activated into automatic mode, it will wait for the operator to place a fixture into the machine. Once the system detects the fixture, it will lock it in place. After the operator removes his hands from the laser marking environment, the machine door will fall to the closed position and the marking process will begin without any additional input from the operator.

If obstructions are detected in the machine tool entry, or the fixture is not locked in place, the machine will not start. The machine door is dual redundant and hardwired to the interlock system of the laser; therefore the laser will never fire if the door is open. Additionally, the door is gravity fed in order to close and meets weight requirements in that it cannot cause any harm while closing.

When the marking is complete, the internal vision system captures the images and verifies that it meets the necessary standards. Then, the door will open, the fixture will unlock and the operator can remove the marked part and insert the next piece. The Stealth automated industrial system offers a user life of more than 50,000 hours, precise marking and requires minimal maintenance. Laser Photonics will begin regular production of the systems within the next month.