WINDOX 5.7 released

The latest WINDOX 5.7 software release supports all Sympatec instruments including those installed in validated environments. It is the first validated release suitable for instruments with network interface via TCP/IP such as:

• The in-line / on-line laser diffraction sensor family MYTOS with TCP/IP interface and the evaluation modes FREE (Fraunhofer
  Enhanced Evaluation) and MIEE (the MIE Extended
  Evaluation). Both evaluations are identical to the evaluation of the HELOS/R series.
• The ultrasonic extinction sensor OPUS with TCP/IP interface.
• The photon crosscorrelation sensor NANOPHOX with TCP/IP interface.

In addition, the evaluation of our image analyser family QICPIC has been improved for complex fibre structures.

HELOS/R Technology Extended to the Process Environment

The recently released versions of our laser diffraction sensors for the process environment MYTOS and MYTIS bring the extended features of the HELOS/R series from the lab to the process environment. Data acquisition and evaluation are identical for the lab and process system and allow for the direct transfer of experience and specifications collected in the lab environment to the process application. As with HELOS/R 2000 measurements per second are continuously acquired. The statistics of the measured data is used to optimise the evaluation algorithms. Two evaluation modes are available:

• the parameter-free
  FREE (Fraunhofer
  Enhanced Evaluation),
  and the
• MIEE ( MIE Extended
  Evaluation) basing on the Mie theory

The link to the PC is performed via a safe TCP/IP-connection. The standard scope of delivery has been strongly extended by the number of interfaces, so that even complex systems with various samplers (TWISTER, probes, MIXER etc.) and manual feeders can be supported directly.

NANOPHOX Version E
with TCP/IP

NANOPHOX enables particle size analysis of suspensions in the range of 1 to 10,000nm. With version E of this instrument several improvements have recently been released .

NANOPHOX front view

This technology is basing on photon crosscorrelation spectroscopy and thus requires the precise capture of the times of single photon events to enable the calculation of the crosscorrelation at high quality. The current electronics replaces the former extensive and company specific GBit/s interface by a standard TCP/IP interface operating at 100MBit/s. So the use of a laptop computer is possible now. The safe TCP/IP connection with automatic correction of defective frames allows for even extreme correlation times without disruption by sporadic transmission errors.

In addition several mechanical improvements have been made: Adapters for different vial types (plastic, glass, small volume) are e.g. now part of the standard extent of delivery and micro-stepping motors allow for a precise alignment of the vials.

Improved Dynamic Range for the Ultrasonic Extinction Sensor OPUS

OPUS is a well established and powerful sensor for particle size analysis of high concentrated suspensions and emulsions in the process environment.

OPUS sensor: 10nm - 3mm, 0 - 70% Cvol, 0 - 120°C, 0 - 40bar, pH 1 - 14

OPUS is basing on ultrasonic extinction, i.e. the attenuation of an ultrasonic sound wave propagating to the suspension/ emulsion is measured versus frequency. The strongly different attenuations require a high dynamic range.

With the recently released OPUS electronics it was possible for the first time to extend the dynamic range up to 160dB. So about 16 decades of sound intensity can be measured in the frequency range from 100kHz to 200MHz without the need for mechanically varying the path length of the transmission during the measurement.

A built-in TCP/IP interface simplifies the interconnection to the controlling PCs. Multiple sensor applications are supported as well as applications in hazardous or explosion proof environments as options.

Lower Saxony
Foreign Trade Award

Prime minister of Lower Saxony McAllister (l.), Dr. Stephan Röthele (r.), Source: heinrichson fotos

On April 5, 2011 Sympatec received another public recognition.

After the nomination for the Lower Saxony Foreign Trade Award in February 2011 the prime minister of Lower Saxony hands the certificate over to the President of Sympatec Dr.-Ing. E.h. Stephan Röthele on the occasion of the Hannover Messe 2011 as a succès d'estime.

TCP/IP with Heartbeat Signal,
a Safe Connection

TCP/IP is the standard protocol of today's networks for computer systems. With the introduction of the HELOS/R series of laser diffraction sensors we have started to connect our sensors with this widely-used interface. So these sensors can be simply connected by a standard network cable to a laptop or desktop-PCs , as no company specific interfaces are required.

Special care has been taken that the extended network cables have no influence on the sensitive sensors. Encrypted data transmission protects the sensors, connected PCs, and measured data against unauthorised access. Three logical channels have been implemented on the connection: 1) for high speed transmission of the measured data, 2) for concurrent control of the sensor, disperser, sampler etc., and 3) a periodic heartbeat signal. The latter is used to detect any malfunction of the transmission line. If the line is broken an error is reported and transmitter and receiver will go well organised to an idle state from which they resume normal operation, as soon as the connection is established again.

The sensor settings such as IP-address etc. are performed on the sensor via a small password protected built-in web-server. A standard CAT6 cable can be used for a length up to 96m at 100MBit/s. For longer distances e.g. in the process environment, special DSL transceivers are available as an option. They operate at 25, 10, or 5MBit/s over cable lengths up to 1900m. For environments where this cannot be tolerated, WIFI-transceivers are available as an option.

QICPIC M9 offers Range Extension for Dynamic Image Analysis up to 30,720 µm

The well established dynamic image analyser QICPIC combines a sub-nanosecond pulsed light source, a double telocentric optics and a high speed CMOS camera with up to 450 frames per second. Due to the short exposure times all images are captured quasi static without any motion blur, so effective dispersers can be used. The optics used offers highest contrast even for transparent particles. The high number of frames allows for the acquisition of very high particle numbers (>10⁸) in short times for statistical relevant results. After the successful introduction of measuring range M3 on the fine end the measuring range M9 an the coarse end has been introduced recently.

Table of QICPIC measuring ranges. The values in brackets represent the values according to ISO 13322-2.

Dynamic image analyser QICPIC for size ranges from 1µm to 30 720µm with gravity disperser GRADIS and vibrating feeder VIBRI. The drawer for particle collection is shown partly opened.

Together with the introduction of M9 the QICPIC sensor has been updated. The beam expansion unit is now able to generate beam diameters from 1mm up to 50mm (used by M9). The housing has been slightly extended and offers a drawer of 950ml for the collection of the coarse particles in combination with the GRADIS as an option.