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Automatic fluxer

Summary of Contents for X-FLUXER

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ...me saving instrument please read this manual thoroughly and keep it in a safe and handy place for future reference Should you have any question regarding the use maintenance or repair of your instrume...

Page 4: ...ng of the melt 15 Cooling 15 Solution agitation 15 Using the X 300 basic 16 Operation of the safety shield 16 The main running screen 17 Loading a program 20 During a fusion 21 The right ingredients 2...

Page 5: ...edule table 50 Flux spillage on holders 50 Holders alignment and functionality 51 Air filter for the molds cooling 52 Furnace chimney cleaning 52 Element terminal connections 53 Furnace cleanliness 53...

Page 6: ...king 73 Copying logs to a USB drive 74 Accessing logs through FTP 75 Structure of the data log files 76 Error warning codes listing 77 Appendix E CPLive Networking 78 Connecting the fluxer to your LAN...

Page 7: ...s pre installed into the instrument and is not packaged separately Location Vent hood Molten flux additives and some samples may produce vapors and gases that need to be extracted In particular the us...

Page 8: ...as those strongly depend on factors linked to each individual installation pipe diameter pipe distance to the outside exhaust baffle type etc Those will need to be calculated locally for each installa...

Page 9: ...ee page 27 for mold installation details If mold is correctly leveled but beads are still incomplete please refer to Fusion troubleshooting at page 48 Connection The X 300 works on 195 250 VAC 50 60 H...

Page 10: ...thium borate flux is solid at room temperature and must be molten to dissolve anything This is the only reason the process requires heat Therefore the peak temperature of a sample preparation by fusio...

Page 11: ...nax The X 300 comes pre loaded with various fusion methods that can be used as is or can be customized All fusion methods can be saved renamed deleted or copied just like computer files Only the prese...

Page 12: ...with a few grams of powdered sample an appropriate flux and often other agents The crucibles are then inserted into the crucible holder Mold holder Platinum molds are installed under each crucible in...

Page 13: ...further to empty their contents into the molds A set of three blowers located underneath cool the molds while the furnace remains powered readying for the next cycle When the molds are completely coo...

Page 14: ...tes Productivity is enhanced by a user adjustable holding temperature Therefore the temperature between fusions can be maintained to minimize initial ramping time Individual mold blowers for fast cool...

Page 15: ...ble precautions must be taken Disconnect power cord before attempting any cleaning maintenance or repair operation Be careful that no liquid infiltrate into the unit s casing Acid spills When making s...

Page 16: ...e heating cavity the number of heating elements and the position of the platinumware holders will change Number of positions Model number Furnace cavity and holders location Number of heating elements...

Page 17: ...ystem moves the platinumware holders out of the furnace the molds are stopped just above cutouts At a programmed moment blowers located underneath those cutouts push fresh air upwards and under the mo...

Page 18: ...self again at the very end of the fusion cycle when the cooling fans stop A detector ensures that the shield is properly closed before allowing the fusion to start Katanax recommends working in that d...

Page 19: ...t of the shield Use a thin tool like the 2 5 mm hex key provided in the tool kit and reach for the cylindrical part in the top section of the oblong hole Gently push this cylindrical part upwards to u...

Page 20: ...used to launch the currently selected fusion program This button is used to unlock the safety shield see Operation of the safety shield page 16 This sleep button allows the user to put the fluxer in s...

Page 21: ...n informs on the rate at which the current target temperature is to be reached When turning the instrument on this will always show Fast The beaker loading icon is used to temporarily make the platinu...

Page 22: ...ers A closed padlock means that the parameters are locked and a password is required to unlock parameter access Conversely an open padlock means that all parameters can now be freely changed More deta...

Page 23: ...n screen will display additional information and buttons as well as a general estimated timer showing the total time remaining to the fusion program Here is the explanation of the additional graphical...

Page 24: ...ed or in case of emergency for example Pressing Stop again will cancel the ongoing program and reset the instrument Pressing Start instead will resume the fusion program Theright ingredients From the...

Page 25: ...2 Lithium metaborate Naturally actual samples are generally composed of more than one oxide type so a rough proportion must be calculated to determine the optimal flux type One notable exception is wh...

Page 26: ...LiT with 33 LiM is a good starting point 2 Using the formula above calculate the total amount of flux and sample required for your mold size 3 From this mass weigh 5 sample for 95 flux directly in the...

Page 27: ...of selected reagent will depend on the sample contents and can be estimated stoichiometrically An excess of oxidizer is recommended but that may require adjusting the flux mixture Manual mixing Once a...

Page 28: ...the table to remove the bead You may use a suction cup or an identification sticker to pull the glass bead while keeping track of the bead s ID With proper care and fusion method a crucible can be ex...

Page 29: ...ile not in the instrument This allows to avoid accidental powder spills on the holders and ensures that the crucibles are not installed in the very same position every fusion in which case they could...

Page 30: ...he current program name 4 In the platinum crucibles weigh the required amount of flux 5 Add the sample by weighing it directly into the crucibles on top of the flux Mix if no solid oxidizer is to be u...

Page 31: ...magnetic stirrers When making a solution the process is quite similar to making glass disks but the mold installation changes for the following 9 Place beakers in instrument 9 1 Completely remove the...

Page 32: ...trates with little or no agitation Heating 3 Typically used to oxidize the sample at higher temperature e g using carbonates again with little or no agitation Heating 4 Typically used to melt the flux...

Page 33: ...duration i e zero seconds and would simply be jumped over Most fusion programs will not use all heating steps Note that all heating steps 1 to 6 are identically structured and could be used interchan...

Page 34: ...er can look at the values and settings of the current program step by step This is done by pressing the Settings icon in the lower left corner of the main running screen The Settings icon allows to to...

Page 35: ...laced just besides a cell where the target crucible temperature is displayed The Minus and Plus buttons will be used to change the parameter The stopwatch icon is placed just besides a cell where the...

Page 36: ...e following Icons and symbols have the following meaning The large crucible pouring into a mold shows that we are now viewing the Pouring step parameters This block of icons shows that the pouring is...

Page 37: ...step will show us the available parameters for the first cooling step And we now recognize the duration parameter as well as the crucible tilting angle and motion speed The two crucible related param...

Page 38: ...oling Typically the tilting angle of Cooling 1 will be the same as the pouring and the tilting angle of Cooling 2 will be ninety degrees 90 to prevent residual drops from sliding on the outside wall o...

Page 39: ...he padlock icon and then press on the locking padlock icon on the keypad Managing fusionmethods Fusion methods can be managed just like files on a computer In the main screen you can press the icon co...

Page 40: ...last heating steps and leave the first ones empty when not needed Temperature Furnace temperature can be adjusted by pressing on the plus and minus buttons besides the crucible temperature icon Note...

Page 41: ...ther ramping values besides Fast are given in C minute Slow heat up rates are particularly useful with a solid oxidizer when we want it to react slowly over a temperature range of typically about 100...

Page 42: ...ng that is without any forced airflow This allows for the melt to completely fill the molds while the molds are as hot as possible and is of key importance in the stabilizing of the melt Indeed in mos...

Page 43: ...typical cooling step the two crucible related parameters are not used to control the crucible rocking motion but rather to control the straightening up of the crucible holder after the pouring Typica...

Page 44: ...arameter range to prevent nonsensical or error causing combinations All parameter modifications will take immediate effect If the step of modified parameters has already been executed the modified par...

Page 45: ...lobal parameter offset Example In your fusion program you have set Step 1 with a temperature of 700 C and the global parameter for holding temperature offset is 50 C Then no matter how the parameters...

Page 46: ...eginning of the fusion only when the furnace temperature Tfurnace is Tstep1 Offset Min Tfurnace Tstep1 Offset Max where Min 20 and 20 Max Ideally leaving both min and max at 20 C default setting will...

Page 47: ...able this security feature WARNING Disabling the safety shield protection can lead to serious injuries by extreme heat User is advised that doing so it at the user s sole responsibility Fusioncounter...

Page 48: ...Special parameters To invoke the Special parameters window Press on the padlock icon at bottom right of the main screen and enter the following code 2206 followed by the unlock icon The following win...

Page 49: ...it is possible to start motions independently The button This button will cause the furnace door to open and the holders to slide swing inside The vvv button This button will cause the furnace door to...

Page 50: ...ower Generally natural cooling no blower between 1m and 1m30s should be fine Diskcrystallizes Crystallization reaction cause the transparent melt in the mold to become milky opaque during cooling typi...

Page 51: ...ct the problem Improper grinding If the sample is too coarse or if it lumps together easily then the time allotted by the fusion program might not be long enough One can either extend the fusion durat...

Page 52: ...th by electrocution those procedures shall be executed only by trained personnel Inspection scheduletable Frequency Checkpoint Description Action if problem found Page Every fusion Flux spillage on ho...

Page 53: ...r e g 2 liter Pyrex beaker mix together a 20 Ammonium nitrate NH4NO3 solution with a 20 Hydrochloric acid HCl solution 3 2 Put your container on a hot plate and keep the solution warm at 80 C The clea...

Page 54: ...ANT Always disconnect the instrument from the power outlet when working with panels removed 240 Volts inside Risk of electrocution The air that is drawn through the blowers to cool the molds goes thro...

Page 55: ...mpletely 1 2 Remove the element connection access panel refer to page 60 Heating element replacement for details on this step 1 3 Visually inspect and verify that terminals of all ceramic connectors a...

Page 56: ...icular it is impervious to oxidation or damage by heat only a mechanical incident could damage the junction i e the tip of the thermocouple 1 This inspection consists in verifying the junction of ther...

Page 57: ...urnace 5 Repeat these operations 4 or 5 times to verify that no jerking movement occurs 6 If jerking or abnormal movement occurs disconnect the unit from its power outlet open the sides of the instrum...

Page 58: ...in the following pages imply a risk of death by electrocution those procedures shall be executed only by trained personnel 240 Volts inside Crucible holderremoval 1 Remove any crucibles and molds fro...

Page 59: ...occur 1 Manually rotate the crucible rocking collar so that its four 4 grouped screw head point upwards 2 Carefully look at the fork and you will notice that it is not symmetrical One prong of the for...

Page 60: ...Carefully store the mold holder s until needed again Caution the fingers are sharp and brittle Do not lose the spring or screw Mold holder configuration assemblyand alignment In this section you will...

Page 61: ...end long end The short end is designed to accommodate the smaller molds 30 and 32 mm while the long end is designed to accommodate the larger molds 35 and 40 mm All that you will do in the next sectio...

Page 62: ...place the finger support against the rocking motor plate and then install the screw do not forget the spring in between 6 Tighten the screw until a gentle compression of the spring occurs about 1 2 t...

Page 63: ...ls 4 Remove the instrument s LED safety guard plate 2 screws 5 Loosen the two screws of the element stabilizer clamp 6 Proceed to remove one element at a time 7 Lower unscrew the stopper screw corresp...

Page 64: ...n the terminal on the opposite side of the element and tighten then in the terminal 16 Tighten the stopper screw corresponding to the re installed heating element 17 Repeat steps 6 to 15 until you hav...

Page 65: ...back panel Sidepanel removal This fluxer has two sturdy side panels topped with a handle It is necessary to remove those panels to access the crucible swing mechanism and sensors or motor controllers...

Page 66: ...wo panels that act as a protective shield for the electronics underneath It is necessary to remove those panels to access the solution magnetic stirrer mold cooling blowers and other electronic compon...

Page 67: ...moved the front back panel then you can take the panel out completely Back bottom panel In the same horizontal plane as the front bottom panel but farther back in the instrument there is a second pane...

Page 68: ...ns Electrical Voltage 195 250VAC Frequency 50 60 Hz Electric power 3000 W Embedded breaker 250 VAC 15 A In wall breaker type 250 VAC 15 A not included Physical Weight 54 kg 120 lbs Height 51 cm 20 in...

Page 69: ...stituting parts or accessories of other manufacturers without the written consent of Katanax Minor adjustments are not covered by warranty Katanax disclaims any responsibility for misuse misapplicatio...

Page 70: ...chemistry samples and general oxides Most common fusion method Must only be applied to fully oxidized material Metal Samples containing un oxidized material Applicable to metals that can be attacked b...

Page 71: ...igit one You may have to drag the dialog window to the left to show the keyboard and then type the password 4 Select Upload Project Files if you want to backup the firmware i e the instrument s operat...

Page 72: ...iles if you want to restore the fusion programs parameters Note that this will erase ALL fusion programs currently stored on your fluxer 8 Touch OK 9 Now choose where you want the data to be fetched B...

Page 73: ...fusion method name and completion status with error code when applicable This log is stored as individual daily files in non volatile memory Up to 40 daily files can be stored after which the fluxer w...

Page 74: ...er icon Press the switch so that it lights up in green like below 4 Data logging is now enabled You may exit the window 5 If necessary adjust date time zone on your fluxer a Click on the arrow button...

Page 75: ...ter the password 2014 to unlock the save button In the X 300 model the left and right position might be invisible depending on your unit configuration X 300M X 300D or X 300T have respectively 1 2 or...

Page 76: ...to confirm and exit the window 8 Start the fusion as normal The sample IDs you have entered will be saved in the fluxer s internal log file Copying logs toaUSBdrive The logs generated by the fluxer wi...

Page 77: ...drive can instead be remotely downloaded through File Transfer Protocol FTP over your local wired network This can be useful to automate data retrieval without human intervention 1 Connect the fluxer...

Page 78: ...on a OK means the fusion successfully finished b ST means the fusion was manually stopped c ER means an error occurred and interrupted the fusion causing the fluxer to reset 9 Column N Error warning c...

Page 79: ...ken element H11 Furnace overheating H12 Furnace temperature is not increasing H13 HMI detected overheating H14 Low voltage detected M1 Motor controller communication problem P1 Pause P2 Preheating R1...

Page 80: ...st first be connected to your local area network LAN 1 Turn the fluxer OFF 2 Connect an Ethernet cable in the Ethernet Port 1 of the HMI It is the Ethernet port located under the HMI completely to the...

Page 81: ...of your fluxer on the network a Click the global parameters button b Write down the IP address of your fluxer e g 192 168 2 18 in the example below c If this field shows 0 0 0 0 there is a connectivi...

Page 82: ...and note your fluxer s IP address Refer to Appendix E CPLive Networking on page 78 for details 2 In order to control the fluxer you will need a program called a Virtual Networking Computing VNC viewer...

Page 83: ...mber one 111111 11 Tick the box if you want your device to remember your password then click OK to connect 12 You are now connected to your fluxer You can interact with both the computer remote and th...

Page 84: ...department 1 Contact our Service department at service katanax com and provide us with the serial number of your unit The serial number is located on the back of the unit but also in the Global Parame...

Page 85: ...83 4 Activate the WAN remote access switch This will allow Katanax to remotely access the screen of your fluxer You may turn the switch back to Off once the service is done...

Page 86: ...QC Canada G2C 1X1 Tel 1 418 915 4848 E mail info katanax com Web www katanax com When contacting us kindly have the serial number of the instrument at hand Customers are invited to visit our web site...

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