Designed for four Houillon viscometer baths, the CS-HVA-1 system operates completely unattended and requires no operator intervention save loading the four x 100 position sample trays. The CS-HVA-1 performs 800 viscosity tests per 8-hour shift.
The automated system maintains optimal solvent levels in all viscometer baths to eliminate variability of solvent pressure for cleaning cycles and to minimize labor requirements.
The CINRG CS-HVA-1 Houillon Viscometer Automation system is a fully automated system that meets the requirements of ASTM D7279-14 which is specific to viscosity measurement carried out using automated Houillon viscometers that provides rapid viscosity analysis.
The system combines equipment from several leading equipment manufacturers with some innovative technology and sophisticated software that was developed by Wearcheck for use in their oil analysis laboratory. The system has a high degree of flexibility and can be customized to a large extent to suit local laboratory processing requirements.
The system can be loaded with standard laboratory racks (lab rack geometery and positioning can be easily specified in the software setup) or 100 position sample trays. By using the sample trays up to 400 samples can be loaded at one time. A complete sample loading cycle (including cleaning and drying of the syringe needle) takes only 40 seconds allowing the CS-HVA-1 system to process 90 viscosity measurements per hour. Solvent requirements are low requiring only 3.5 ml of solvent per sample (in addition to the solvent used to clean the capillary tubes).
The system includes a liquid level measuring system to measure the oil sample level in the sample vials, sample bottles and the viscometer capillary tube to eliminate mis-sampling errors.
The sample table is designed to hold at total of four laboratory racks or four laboratory trays which can be mixed. A sample rack is any standard laboratory sample rack designed to hold normal sample bottles (±100ml). Four sample trays are provided with the system and each holds 100 standard sample vials (±7ml).
A typical standard laboratory rack holds 20 sample bottles, and a sample tray holds 100 sample vials, so the system sample capacity ranges between 4 x 20 = 80 samples and 4 x 100 = 400 samples per sample rack/tray load. The average run time for 400 samples is 4-1/2 hours and the system is designed to run completely unattended overnight and includes an idle timeout to automatically shut off the vacuum pumps. As such the system is capable of performing close to 1,200 viscosity measurements using only a standard 8-hour laboratory shift.
A batch file containing both sample information and processing parameters is required by the application software in order to process samples and this can be imported from an external file in csv format. The sample information part of the batch file contains the sample ID, the sample position within the tray, the processing priority and if applicable, an expected viscosity for the sample.
The process parameters control how frequently process control standard are run and the upper and lower thresholds for the process control standards. Results can be set to be held until the process control standard is passed or to release immediately. Additionally samples can be set to automatically be retested if the time measurement is out of the set threshold.
Syringe sample and solvent aspiration and dispensing rates as well as cleaning volumes can be specified. The software also provides a setting for the idle time to automatically shut down the vacuum pumps (for overnight unattended operation).
The system minimizes needle contamination by limiting the initial plunge depth into the oil sample being tested and further minimizes needle contamination by moving downwards at the same rate as the oil sample uptake during sampling. After dispensing the oil sample into the viscometer capillary tube the needle returns to the wash station and both the internal and external needle surfaces are cleaned with solvent and the needle tip is dried before processing proceeds to the next sample.
The sample batch file allows the user to set a priority flag within the batch to allow a sample to be processed out of sequence. It is not possible to edit samples that have already been processed or edit the sample that is in process at the time of editing.
The system allows for up to 2 different process control standards per capillary tube and up to 16 different process control standards for the four bath system. Both upper and lower thresholds can be set for each process control standard, and the software allows you to determine how often, and how many standards are run per capillary tube. When a process control standard fails the capillary tube is set to off, and the previous results are quarantined and sent to a fail directory.
The software generates individual text files for each viscosity measurement containing an operator ID, the bath and tube numbers, the measured time, the tube factor, the calculated viscosity and the upper and lower time thresholds of the tube.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Sample Through-put | 40 sec/sample (8 hrs for 4 trays of 200 samples = 800 samples)* Throughput 100 samples per hour* |
| Solvent Usage | 3.5 ml/sample** |
| Sample Batch Size | 4 x 200 samples (tray has 200 positions, and system can hold up to 4 trays). Standard laboratory racks can be defined in the software and used directly on the sample table and/or mixed with trays (typically 20 samples per laboratory rack). |
* Sample through-put rate is directly dependent on the settings of the processing parameters. Specification stated is using default parameters.
** Solvent usage is for washing of the syringe needle. Additional solvent usage for cleaning the capillary tube as standard for the Houillon viscometer.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| X-Drive | Zaber linear slide with integrated stepper motor, encoder and controller - belt driven with 3000mm travel |
| Y-Drive | Zaber linear slide with integrated stepper motor, encoder and controller – lead screw driven with either 250mm or 500mm of travel depending on the size of the sample table. |
| Z-Drive | Zaber linear slide with integrated stepper motor, encoder and controller - belt driven with 295mm travel. |
| Supporting Frame | 80/20 aluminum extrusions and standard 80/20 fasteners and brackets. |
| Sample Table | Holds 4 x 100 sample trays or 4 standard laboratory racks and comes with integrated standards rack, needle wash station and electronic enclosure. |
| Communication Interface | B & B electronics USB to 4 ports Serial Port interface linked to custom EPROM for Viscometer baths to allow an 8 fold increase in the speed of serial communications. (Not required for newer VH1 and VH2 models). Requires only one single USB cable to link PC. |
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model | Gilson 402 Dilutor |
| Number of Syringes/Valves | Dual syringe/dual valve |
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model | Baumer UNKC 09 |
| Accuracy | ±0.1 mm from 3mm to 150mm |
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 126" (W) x 48" (H) x 36" (D - depends on sample table width) (320cm x 122cm x 92cm) |
| Weight | 125 lbs (57 kg) |
| Voltage Requirement | 100-120-230/240VAC selectable, 50/60 Hz. |
| Input Current | 3.5A @100-230V |
