Trico FM-6 User Manual Download Page 1

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FM – 6

FERROGRAM MAKER

USER MANUAL

Revision D

August 2017

Trico Corporation

1235 Hickory Street

Pewaukee, WI 53072

Phone: 262.691.9336

www.tricocorp.com

Model:___________________________________

Serial Number:____________________________

Date of Purchase:__________________________

Windows Product Serial Number: ________________________________________

Summary of Contents for FM-6

Page 1: ... 1235 Hickory Street Pewaukee WI 53072 Phone 262 691 9336 www tricocorp com Model ___________________________________ Serial Number ____________________________ Date of Purchase __________________________ Windows Product Serial Number ________________________________________ ...

Page 2: ... 5 Consumables and Accessories 11 6 Fixer Pump Priming Procedure 12 7 Oil Sample Preparation 14 7 1 Fixer Filtered Solvent and Oil 14 7 2 Dispensers 14 7 2 1 Setting up Dispenser Assembly 15 7 2 2 Using the Pipette Dispenser 15 7 3 Preparing Oil Sample 16 8 Run FM Procedures 17 8 1 Oil Samples for Testing 17 8 2 Initiating the FM 6 17 8 3 Shut Down Procedures 18 8 4 Operating Procedures 18 8 4 1 A...

Page 3: ...ce 28 11 2 1 Daily Maintenance or as Needed 28 11 2 2 Weekly Maintenance 28 11 3 Sample Tube Seal 28 11 4 Over Flow Well 29 11 5 Diagnostics 29 11 5 1 Manual Sensor Checks 29 11 5 2 Using the Diagnostic 30 11 6 Bubble Level 32 11 7 Calibration 32 11 8 Pump Tube Pinching 33 12 Warranty 34 ...

Page 4: ... a fixing solution washes the sample slide leaving only wear particles and contaminants on the Ferrogram slide for analysis Audio and visual signals indicate when the Ferrogram is ready for microscopic evaluation on the Ferroscope The FM 6 can be operated in automatic semi automatic and manual modes It offers several significant advantages over its predecessor the Dual Ferrograph including automat...

Page 5: ...ottle into the waste bay by pressing the top right portion of the door inward and allowing the door to open Gently pull the waste cap from the bay and thread the bottle onto the cap and tighten Push the hose coming from the top of the waste bay back into the unit and place the bottle into the cradle Then close the waste bay door 4 Place the fixer bottle into the fixer bay located on the right side...

Page 6: ... counter clockwise to level the unit Two bubble levels are located between the magnet assemblies to indicate when the unit is level 10 Once the unit has been leveled lower the two support feet that are located under the waste and fixer bays until they make contact with the top of the countertop ...

Page 7: ...g system Windows 7 Memory 16 GB Flash External USB Ports 4 x USB A Ethernet Connection RJ45 cat 5 3 4 ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS For indoor use on a solid level surface without movement or vibration Use in a well ventilated area Room temperature 50ºF to 85ºF 10ºC to 29ºC Humidity 50 to 50 non condensing CAUTION DO NOT operate the FM 6 with the back panel removed Unplug the FM 6 from the power supply...

Page 8: ...ill eventually wear out and is replaceable by unscrewing the two screws holding the clip to the vial holder and replacing the part 3 Sample Vial The sample vial contains the mixed lubricant sample and fixer oil It is a test tube that holds slightly more than 7 ml The vial is discarded after each test to avoid contamination 4 Magnet Assembly Magnets specifically designed to attract the ferrous part...

Page 9: ...ntal level indicates adjustments made in the leveling feet along the X axis while the vertical level indicates adjustments made by the leveling feet in the Z axis Adjustments should be made to move the center of the bubbles as closes as possible to the black center mark line on the level bubble 11 Dispensing Arm The arm raises and lowers the dispensing assembly onto the glass substrate in order to...

Page 10: ...n empty Fixer Light In each station array there is a fixer indicator when lit yellow the FM 6 is pumping fixer onto the glass substrate Complete Light The complete light in each station array turns green when the entire cycle is finished and the Ferrogram is ready for removal Check the sample substrate to make sure that it is completely dry before removing it from the magnet assembly 4 2 2 System ...

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Page 12: ...genic but flammable PN 74 0020 Diluent Oil Used to assist flow over the substrate and to thin heavily contaminated samples to help prevent particle stacking on the substrate PN 74 0250 Grease Solvent An agent used to dissolve grease into a form that can be used with the FM 6 unit PN 73 0090 Sample Vial Rack Holds up to 18 sample vials in preparation for testing PN 74 0060 Glass Substrate A thin mi...

Page 13: ...to be drawn from the fixer bottle into the pumps and into each line This may take a few minutes if both fixer lines are dry 5 If no fixer is dispensed open the fixer compartment door located on the right side of the machine and remove the fixer bottle 6 Using the fixer priming bulb draw some fixer into the bulb from the fixer bottle 7 Gently pull the fixer line out of the fixer compartment 8 Inser...

Page 14: ...NOSTICS tab for each station to turn the fixer off 16 Allow the waste pump to run to remove any excess fixer from the slides these slides can still be used to collect samples 17 Ensure that all components are reset by pressing the All I O off button at the bottom of the Diagnostics screen 18 Select the RUN FM tab on the touch screen menu and follow the FM 6 procedures outlined in this manual ...

Page 15: ...uces a 10 to 1 dilution When filtered oil is used testing is carried out in the normal manner Trico offers filtered oil in 400 ml bottles Refer to Section 5 Consumables and Accessories for details 7 2 DISPENSERS Dispensers are mechanical devices that draw fluid from a supply container and deliver measured amounts to a test container Two types are offered Dispenser Assembly The dispenser assembly r...

Page 16: ...brated by Trico to dispense one milliliter of liquid when used according to the following directions 1 Take the pipettor out of the box and become familiar with it When pressing the plunger at the top of the pipettor it has two stops The first occurs when the plunger comes in contact with the plain sleeve This is the stop used when dispensing one milliliter of fluid 2 This sleeve and the plunger c...

Page 17: ...tor and clean pipette tip remove 2 ml of oil and dispense into a clean sample vial 5 Add 1 or 2 ml of fixer to the 2 ml of oil in the sample vial The viscosity of the oil determines the amount of fixer to add to the oil in the sample vial For high viscosity fluids add 2 ml of fixer to reduce the viscosity This will allow the viscous oil to flow along the glass substrate with ease For low viscosity...

Page 18: ...ff switch on the rear of the FM 6 unit to the on position The sides of the switch will indicate red when the FM 6 is on When the FM 6 is on Windows 7 will go through its start up operation and then the FM program will automatically boot The RUN FM tab of the FM 6 screen will be shown 2 Verify the FM 6 is level prior to running samples Make adjustments where appropriate using the leveling feet in f...

Page 19: ...ound and of general interest 8 4 1 Automatic Cycle The AUTO button initiates the flow of liquid across the Ferrogram at a controlled rate and automatically switches to a rinse and drying cycle resulting in a completely prepared Ferrogram 1 Preheat the sample to 150 F 65ºC 5º in the sample oven prior to testing 2 Using a pipette dispenser remove 2 ml of sample lubricant from the sample bottle and a...

Page 20: ...this pressure is great enough to force the entire sample out of the sample tube in seconds if a test is initiated If this situation occurs remove the sample vial from the vial holder and the valves will open relieving the pressure build up 13 Push the other end of the sample tube through the end of the delivery arm past the fixer delivery tube until the sample tube touches the sub straight refer t...

Page 21: ...velope and mark it with the appropriate identification information and or numbers 20 Carefully remove the sample tubing and sample vial from the FM 6 and discard The test is now concluded for automatic cyclic mode NOTE If the sample breaks non wetting barriers the surface tension of the glass may be too high or the unit is not level After making sure the unit is level and if the problem continues ...

Page 22: ... the station indicating the semi automatic cycle is finished 3 Remove empty sample vial and replace it with a new sample vial containing 4 ml of the appropriate wash solution 4 Press the SEMI AUTO cycle button again to initiate the wash cycle 5 Once the semi automatic cycle is complete the Ferrogram is ready for removal 6 Check to make sure that the Ferrogram is dry by lifting the delivery arm upw...

Page 23: ...low of fixer stops NOTE When pressing the fixer button the vacuum drain system stays on for 30 seconds in order to ventilate any residual fumes 8 5 CLEAN SAMPLE ANALYSIS In some cases the lubricant sample may be so clean that very few particles fall out on the slide This generally happens when the Trico Direct Reading Ferrogram DR 7 WPC Wear Particle Count results are less than 10 With so few wear...

Page 24: ...ing a sample fluid from a vial either automatic or semi automatic mode the delay is how long the sample vial is pressurized after the last of the sample fluid leaves the vial This delay ensures that all sample fluid is dispensed before continuing with the next cycle The delay setting for each side may be set by pressing the up or down arrows to increase or decrease the time The default for each st...

Page 25: ... New versions of the FM 6 software can be downloaded off of the Trico website and will update the FM 6 program offering additional features to the TOOLS tab Please check periodically with your Trico dealer or Trico website to find the latest software version The ABOUT tab refer to Figure 10 2 allows the operator to quickly reference the software version and provides contact information for questio...

Page 26: ...For service in the United States ship prepaid to Trico Corporation 1235 Hickory Street Pewaukee WI 53072 Phone 800 558 7008 USA only or 262 691 9336 It is a good idea to call ahead to make specific arrangements Trico can inform you of estimated charges after a preliminary check of the equipment is made Also refer to the limited warranty page at the end of this manual for additional information Ple...

Page 27: ...r bulb Have unit serviced No suction at drain head Broken suction line or vacuum pump Suction o ring missing Have unit serviced Remove magnet cover and replace small o ring Sample not dispensing Pump Tubing Pinched Peristaltic pump tube leaking O ring not sealing sample tubing Sample head tube seal leaking Peristaltic pump not turning See Maintenance Section 11 8 Have unit serviced Replace o ring ...

Page 28: ... bay Sample vial does not stay in place Vial clips bent outwards from normal removal of vial over time Gently squeeze vial clip prongs together to apply more force to vial clips Sample breaks wetted barrier Glass substrate defective Glass substrate not positioned over suction head properly Sample too viscous Unit not leveled Assist sample flow Glass substrate not positioned correctly Use different...

Page 29: ... the cover assembly making sure that the cover is snug against the magnet assembly and centered properly Ensure the two Viton seals remain in the grooves one around the outside well seal groove and a small o ring placed at the front of the well around the suction hole Failure to position the seals correctly will result in poor suction of fluid off of the substrate during testing Vial clips located...

Page 30: ... to diagnose issues with the FM 6 unit Using the diagnostics function technical support personnel can assist with troubleshooting problems and help to resolve them without further need of shipping the unit for service The following steps should be taken to go through diagnostic procedures The indicator light located at the bottom of the DIAGNOSTICS tab indicates if the connection is made to the em...

Page 31: ...e is a sensor issue Contact Trico for assistance 3 If the sensor turns yellow then place a solid object in the path of both the lower and upper sensor The system indicator light for the WASTE FULL should turn red If not contact Trico Fixer Bottle Sensors 1 With the FM 6 program running remove the fixer bottle from the right bay compartment 2 Place a solid object into the path of the lower sensor T...

Page 32: ... If both solenoids cannot be heard but other mechanicals turn on and off such as the waste pump then both solenoids must be replaced 5 If both solenoids cannot be heard and other mechanicals devices also do not work the sub processor board needs to be replaced contact Trico for service Issue B Sample does not dispense from vial tube 1 With 3 ml of solution in a sample vial and tube in place press ...

Page 33: ... rate adjustment this noise could be very soft or very loud depending on the factory flow rate setting If no noise is heard this does not mean that the fixer pump is not working it may just mean that the flow rate is dispensing slowly and it may take extra time to purge the fixer tubes Issue D Waste pump does not turn on during operation 1 Select Waste ON the waste pump should turn on and a loud v...

Page 34: ...s been damaged allowing air to escape past the seals In this case the o rings can be replaced with ones from the spare parts kit The second situation can occur if a unit has not use for long periods of time In this instance the silicone tubing becomes pinched due to the pump rollers sitting in one location and pushing the tubing wall together Tube pinching can be freed with the use of Isopropyl Al...

Page 35: ...ample 2 On correlating to the sample side loaded 3 Visually inspect that the sample is moving up the tube then do the same for the other sample side NOTE If both sides are pressurizing and the sample is moving up the sample tube then the pinching in the pump tube has been removed If the sample does not pressurize and move up the sample tube recheck the sample vial head o rings and repeat the proce...

Page 36: ...or malicious software ALL EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARRATNTIES FOR THIS PRODUCT INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO A PERIOD OF ONE 1 YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE FOR INSTRUMENTS AND NINETY 90 DAYS FOR SUPPLIES AND ACCESSORIES AND NO WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WILL APPLY AFTER THESE PERIODS IF THIS PRODUCT IS NOT IN GO...

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