Oxford Instrucments VULCAN Series User Manual

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Oxford Instruments

Industrial Analysis

VULCAN Series

User Manual

Issue 02 / March 2017 / 54-5103459

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Summary of Contents for Oxford Instrucments VULCAN Series

Page 1 Oxford Instruments Industrial Analysis VULCAN Series User Manual Issue 02 / March 2017 / 54-5103459...
Page 2: Table Of Contents
Vulcan series product overview ......................3 Vulcan Series External Connectors ......................5 Safety First ............................... 6 About safety goggles ..........................7 Safe operation of the Vulcan series ......................8 Vulcan safety features ........................... 11 Battery ..............................12 Get started ............................. 15 User interface overview ........................
Page 3 Sample preparation - light contamination, water, dust or similar ............ 45 Sample preparation - thin oxide layer, anodization ................45 Sample preparation – rust, paint, coatings or similar ............... 46 Maintenance ............................47 Cleaning the housing ......................... 47 Cleaning the measurement window ....................48 Measuring the check sample ......................
Page 4: Vulcan Series Components
(Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) analyzers. The local Oxford Instruments representative can train personnel in the safe and accurate use of the Vulcan series, or give advice about how to train personnel. The trademark of this LIBS device is Vulcan. Oxford Instruments wishes to ensure that every customer is able to get the maximum benefit from their use of the Vulcan series.
Page 5: Vulcan Series Product Overview
Some features of the Vulcan series depend on the selected variant. The Vulcan series might not include features such as camera, or Wi-Fi capability. Also there might be differences in software features and calibrations available. And also the available user interface languages might depend on the purchased version of the Vulcan analyzer.
Page 6 Vulcan Series Power and home Measurement window Connector port Battery door buttons Measurement window Power button: The instrument is turned on by pushing and holding the power button until the screen lights up. When the measurements are completed, the instrument can be switched off by pushing and holding the power button until the progress bar on the instrument screen is complete.
Page 7: Vulcan Series External Connectors
USB A connector for a USB memory device such as USB flash drive (supplied with the instrument) is used to download results, update the software or to manage the grade libraries. Use the USB Micro-B connector to connect the Vulcan series to a PC with the USB cable. This is used for service use only.
Page 8: Safety First
You will see these symbols wherever a hazard exists. Take particular care to understand sections denoted in this way. Vulcan series is a Class 3B laser device and must be considered hazardous. Serious injury can occur if the safety instructions are not being followed.
Page 9: About Safety Goggles
Oxford Instruments strongly recommends using safety goggles whenever operating the Vulcan analyzer. Wearing safety goggles when operating a class 3B laser might also be mandatory in your region or country. Always check the local legislation before operating the Vulcan series. Please contact your local Oxford Instruments’ representative for assistance and advice.
Page 10: Safe Operation Of The Vulcan Series
Vulcan in a carry case Never look into the analyzer nose and never point the Vulcan series at another person. Always point the analyzer nose downwards and away from people when not taking a measurement. Man holding the Vulcan and pointing the instrument downwards...
Page 11 Vulcan Series Always turn off the Vulcan series power, pull out the battery and disconnect the instrument from mains outlet before cleaning the laser aperture. Cleaning the measurement window with a cotton bud...
Page 12 Analyzer nose in contact with the sample The nominal ocular hazard distance (NOHD) for Vulcan series is approximately 3 meters (direct beam). Also direct reflections from shiny surfaces must be considered hazardous. Do not let unauthorized people near the analyzer when taking a measurement.
Page 13: Vulcan Safety Features
LCD screen changes to red color. The Vulcan series will not take a measurement if the proximity window is not covered. Trigger: The operator must pull the trigger of Vulcan Series to start the measurement. Proximity sensor and the warning light...
Page 14: Battery
Vulcan Series Battery The Vulcan series is battery operated. Two Li-ion batteries are included in the delivery. Before taking the first measurement, fully charge the batteries. This will take approximately 5 hours per battery. Typical battery life is up to 8-10 hours of use in room temperature. The battery life may be shorter in cold and hot environments.
Page 15 Vulcan Series Pulling the battery out of the battery compartment To charge the battery, first connect the charger (1) to the power supply (2). Then connect the power supply into the mains outlet. Adaptor plugs are supplied for the most common wall sockets.
Page 16 The instrument can also be operated on mains power. The DC connector is located underneath the plastic connector cover. To operate the Vulcan series on mains power, connect the power supply into mains outlet and the cable into the DC connector in the instrument.
Page 17: Get Started
Vulcan Series Get started User interface overview Main result screen Status bar shows the time, name of the measuring program you are using, battery level, and also a Wi-Fi symbol when you are connected to a wireless network and a camera icon if the camera is turned on.
Page 18: Gestures
Vulcan Series Gestures Tap is used to make selections. Slide or Drag is used to scroll views and menus. Long press is used to “pin” and “unpin” elements in Measurements results. Flick is when you quickly move your finger to jump ahead in a scrolling list.
Page 19: Pull-Down Menu
Vulcan Series Pull-down menu The pull-down is accessed by dragging the status bar down with finger. From there you can quickly toggle Wi-Fi and other measurement settings on or off, access camera or programs, sample naming, result history and settings.
Page 20: Basic Use
Vulcan Series Pre-burn toggle is used to select if the sample will be heated with the laser before the actual measurement, in order to burn away possible impurities on the surface of the sample. Basic use Switching on the instrument ●...
Page 21: How To Perform A Measurement
Vulcan Series Startup screen How to perform a measurement? 1. Make sure you have the right Program settings configured. Please refer to the Measuring programs section for more details. 2. OPTIONAL: Switch on the camera from the pull-down menu. 3. OPTIONAL: Name the sample by selecting Sample name from the pull-down menu.
Page 22: Measuring Programs
Vulcan Series After the measurement, you should do the following: 1. OPTIONAL: The tags can either be selected or deselected for a sample in the results screen by tapping the Tag and then selecting the appropriate tag for the sample.
Page 23 Vulcan Series Accessing programs ● Adding programs ○ Open pull-down menu. ○ Tap Measuring Program. ○ Tap Add New Program. ○ Select type: Analyze or Sort. See next chapter for more info about the types. ○ Give your new program a descriptive name or tap the Done to accept the default name.
Page 24: Program Types
Vulcan Series Program types There are two main types of measuring programs available, and both of them can be used with or without the averaging feature. ● Analyze is the default measurement mode. It is used to identify unknown samples. After measuring in Analyze mode, the closest matching grades are shown.
Page 25: Viewing Camera Image
Vulcan Series Numerical and graphical Chemistry views In the graphical view you can see the concentrations of the elements on a vertical scale. The more centered the indicator is, the better the match is. If the indicator is green, the match is good, orange is possible and red means no match.
Page 26: Pinning Important Elements
Vulcan Series Viewing saved camera image Pinning important elements If you need to keep an eye on certain elements in the results, you can pin them by long pressing the element list item. This will make them always appear on the top of the list, marked with attention color.
Page 27: Sample Naming
Vulcan Series Pinning an element Sample naming To find your measuring results easily later, you should name your samples. A default name is always given, but you can change it to something more meaningful. You can also add running numbering to the names so that the samples from the same working session will be named conveniently.
Page 28: Grades
Vulcan Series Entering a sample name Grades Grade is a commercial name for an alloy, e.g. “stainless steel 316” is a grade. Besides the name, it consists of a list of elements and their minimum and maximum concentrations. Grade library is a collection of grades. These libraries (e.g. AISI, DIN, JIS) include more than a thousand grades and even more can be added by the user.
Page 29 Vulcan Series Grade library ● Selecting which grade library to use 1. Open pull-down menu. 2. Select Grades. 3. Currently selected grade library is indicated with a checkmark. 4. Tap the library name you wish to switch to. ● Importing a new library into the instrument 1.
Page 30 Vulcan Series Importing new library If you need to add, edit or remove grades, it is recommended to first duplicate the library and then edit the copy. ● Viewing a grade 1. In Grades view, double tap on the grade library.
Page 31 Vulcan Series 5. Tap Min or Max fields to edit the limits. 6. When you’re done, tap Done icon 7. Libraries with edited grades will be indicated visually to distinguish them from the originals. Edited libraries are marked with a dot ●...
Page 32 Vulcan Series 4. You’ll see a list of elements. Tap the ones you want to add and tap Done icon continue. TIP: Use the search field to quickly locate an element. 5. Next fill in the minimum and maximum allowed concentrations for each element.
Page 33 Vulcan Series Exporting library to USB procedure ● Changing Grade settings and preferences 1. In Grades view, tap the settings icon 2. Tap Good match limit to set the maximum number of how many good match results are displayed. 3. Tap Possible match limit to set the maximum number of how many possible matches are displayed.
Page 34: Measurement Results
Vulcan Series Measurement results After the measurement, a results screen will be displayed. The name of the sample is shown [1], and the grade name [2] if a matching grade was found. Under the grade are icons indicating good and possible matches [3, 4].
Page 35: Viewing Results History
Vulcan Series Viewing results history You can view your previous results by swiping from left to right with your finger. The latest results are on the right, the oldest on the left. The rightmost is always the Ready screen. Swipe from left to right to see the older results...
Page 36: Results And Reporting
Vulcan Series Results and reporting Old results are stored in the instrument and can be viewed by opening the pull-down menu and tapping Results. The results are organized in a list of “batches”, i.e. sets of measurements that have been stored under the same name.
Page 37: Search And Filter Functions
Vulcan Series Search and filter functions To find a certain result, you can search for its batch name by tapping the search field and typing in a part of its name. Alternatively you can switch to date view by tapping the calendar icon then type in the date in the format “dd/mm/yyyy”, e.g.
Page 38: Exporting Results To Usb
Vulcan Series Exporting results to USB o Insert the USB stick to the device. o Select the results that you want to export by tapping the check box next to the batch name or the result name. If you select a whole batch, all results in it will be exported.
Page 39: Changing Reporting Settings
Vulcan Series Changing reporting settings You can customize the reporting settings to your liking by tapping the settings icon results. After that you can select what information is included in the reports. Reporting settings Report settings Enable full report Enabling the full report gets all the information related to the result.
Page 40 Vulcan Series Standard deviation Standard deviation indicates the repeatability (precision) of the analysis results and can be exported with the result if enabled. Grade ID If this is enabled, grade information of the measurement is exported with the result. Tags Select whether the user-defined custom info tags are exported.
Page 41: Settings
Vulcan Series Settings In this menu you can adjust the instrument’s general parameters and user preferences such as screen settings, dark or light theme, sounds, power saving etc. Settings menu...
Page 42: Device Settings
Vulcan Series Device settings Screen brightness Here the user can increase or decrease the device brightness Screen Timeout Dimming time: Set how many minutes the instrument can be idle until the screen dims. Device lock timeout: Set how many minutes the instrument can be idle until the device...
Page 43 Vulcan Series ● More Wi-Fi features ○ To prevent the instrument from automatically connecting to a network, tap the network’s menu and select Forget network. ○ To see details of a network you’re currently connected to, tap its name. A status popup will open and display the IP address, Signal Strength, Link Speed, Frequency and Security protocol.
Page 44 Vulcan Series ● Proximity sensor Proximity sensor is a safety feature that warns you if the instrument is not directly aimed at the sample. When the status bar turns orange, you should re-aim the instrument. You can turn off the warning, but this is not recommended - especially if other people also using the same instrument.
Page 45: System Settings
Here User can disable automatic calibration selection and pick the calibration manually from the list. Remote UI User can operate the Vulcan series graphical user interface from PC. Connection requires USB Micro-B cable (not supplied with the instrument). Localization This is where you set region-specific settings such as different splash screens for different...
Page 46 Vulcan Series About If you need to read about regulatory information or terms of use, it collected here. You can check the instrument’s current software version here and initiate an update. To update the software, you need a USB stick with the software.
Page 47 The laser in the Vulcan series is focused very close to the nose plane of the instrument. Therefore it is important to keep the instrument steady and in direct contact with the sample during the whole measurement.
Page 48: Performing A Good Measurement From Dirty Surfaces
The LIBS is a surface analysis technique and the laser can penetrate only couple of micrometers (µm) through the sample surface. Like any other analyzer, Vulcan series gives the best results when the sample is properly prepared. The best results can be obtained from a clean, smooth and flat surface.
Page 49: Sample Preparation - Rust, Paint, Coatings Or Similar
Sample preparation – rust, paint, coatings or similar Some surface contaminations such as thick rust, paint and some coatings are too thick to be cleaned with the Vulcan series’ pre burn feature. In these cases the surface must be cleaned mechanically prior to taking a measurement.
Page 50: Maintenance
Maintenance Proper maintenance is important to ensure that Vulcan series analyzer gives you accurate and reliable results. Please notice that there are no user serviceable parts inside the Vulcan series housing and opening the housing will void the warranty. Cleaning the housing Before starting the cleaning procedure, the device needs to be shut down.
Page 51: Cleaning The Measurement Window
Vulcan Series Notice, do not expose the connectors to water and dust when the connector cover is open during the cleaning process. Cleaning the measurement window Before starting the cleaning procedure, the device needs to be shut down and remove the battery and disconnect from the mains.
Page 52: Measuring The Check Sample
Vulcan Series Measuring the check sample The Vulcan series instruments are supplied with a check sample and certificate. It is a good operating practice to measure the check sample every morning before the first actual measurement. It only takes couple of seconds but measuring the check sample gives the confidence that the instrument is working according to the specifications.
Page 53 What if the check sample doesn’t give correct results? ○ Check that you have measured the sample from the right side, do not measure the sample from the label/printed side ○ Clean the measurement window ○ Clean the check sample surface with isopropanol, dry the surface ○...
Page 54: Technical Specifications
The module’s Bluetooth 802.11n, HT40 and MIMO capabilities have been disabled Standard accessories and consumables Vulcan Series Quick Guide Power supply with mains plugs for US/Japan, UK, Europe and Australia Desktop Battery charger...
Page 55 Calibrations (Vulcan Smart) Cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), low alloy steels, nickel (Ni), stainless steels, tin (Sn), titanium (Ti), tool steels, zinc (Zn) (*) (*) Note: some calibrations might not be included as standard and an optional calibration upgrade package is required Calibrations (Vulcan Expert) Aluminium (Al), Cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), low alloy steels, magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni), stainless...
Page 56 Vulcan Series Oxford Instruments Industrial Analysis Customer Support Industrial Analysis China No. 129, Lane 150, Pinbei Rd Tel: 400 820 1572 Minghang District, Fax: +86 21 5446 2078 Shanghai, China Email: iasupport.CHINA@oxinst.com Industrial Analysis Europe Oxford Instruments Analytical GmbH Tel: +49 (0) 2825 -9383 403...
Page 57: Regulatory Notices
Vulcan Series Regulatory Notices RF Exposure Notice This product emits radio frequency energy, but the radiated output power of this device is below FCC and IC radio frequency exposure limits. This equipment complies with FCC RF and IC radiation exposure limits for the uncontrolled environment. Nevertheless, the device should be used in such a manner that the potential human contact with the antenna during normal operation is minimized.
Page 58 Vulcan Series Canadian Notice This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference Causing Equipment Regulations. This device contains transmitter IC: 451I-WL18SBMOD and complies with Industry Canada license- exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1.
Page 59 Vulcan Series Mexico Notice La operación de este equipo está sujeta a las siguientes dos condiciones: 1. Es posible que este equipo o dispositivo no cause interferencia perjudicial. 2. Este equipo o dispositivo debe aceptar cualquier interferencia. Incluyendo la que...
Page 60 Vulcan Series EC Declaration of Conformity, Vulcan Series Oxford Instruments Industrial Products Limited Tubney Woods, Abingdon, OX13 5QX, UK In accordance with the following Directives: 1999/5/EC R&TTE Directive 2011/65/EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive Declare under our sole responsibility that the following equipment:...
Page 61: Appendix A: Troubleshooting
Vulcan Series Appendix A: Troubleshooting Nothing happens when I pull the trigger. ○ Make sure that the proximity sensor window is covered with a sample. ○ The measurement can only be started from the measurement screen. Push the “home” button next to the “power”...
Page 62 I don’t have laser safety goggles, can I use sunglasses instead? ○ No. The Vulcan series instruments emit infrared laser that is invisible to the eye. Only designated safety goggles with OD6+ (1064nm), 1064 R LB6 D LB6 rating provides protection against the direct and reflected beams.