Related Manuals for Katanax Environmental express X-fluxer X-100
Summary of Contents for Katanax Environmental express X-fluxer X-100
- Page 1 Operating & Instruction Manual +1.418.915.4848, 1.800.343.5319 W: Katanax®.com | environmentalexpress.com KP2100A-042025 Rev 0...
- Page 2 Katanax®.com 2 | environmentalexpress.com...
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
Contents Section 1 - Warranty Information ............7 Limited warranty ................7 Section 2 - Main features of the Katanax® X-100 ......... 8 Section 3 - What Is Included ..............9 Section 4 - Installation................. 10 Location ................... 10 Leveling ................... 11 Connection .................. - Page 4 Automatic shut-off delay ..............38 Safety shield protection ..............38 Fusion counter ................38 Ethernet connection and IP information ........39 Section 11 - Service parameters ............39 Section 12 - Fusion troubleshooting ..........39 Disk cracks ..................39 Katanax®.com 4 | environmentalexpress.com...
- Page 5 Controlling the fluxer from a remote device ........56 Section 16 - Accessories, Consumables and Services ....... 58 Method development ..............58 buy scrap ..................58 Section 17 - Appendix A – Technical specifications ......59 Electrical ..................59 Physical ................... 59 Katanax®.com 5 | environmentalexpress.com...
- Page 6 Enable Data Logging Procedure ............62 Sample tracking ................62 Copying logs to a USB drive ............63 Accessing logs through FTP ............. 64 Structure of the data log files ............65 Section 20 - Contacting Katanax® ............. 66 Katanax®.com 6 | environmentalexpress.com...
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Page 7: Warranty Information
Katanax® reserves the right to make changes to the design or to make additions or improvements with respect to its product without incurring any obligation to modify or install the same on previously manufactured products. -
Page 8: Main Features Of The Katanax® X-100
Main features of the Katanax® X-100 Section 2 - Accuracy • Entirely automated • Fully reproducible fusion methods • Drift-free durable platinum-rhodium thermocouple • Perfect reproducibility using a closed electric furnace • Non-contaminating ceramic holders for crucibles and molds •... -
Page 9: What Is Included
Additionally, if you have ordered an X-100 with solution-making capability, you will find: • 1 unbreakable PTFE beaker, KP0010A • Magnetic stirring bar (one is included with each beaker) • The rest of the solution-making assembly is pre-installed into the instrument and is not packaged separately. Katanax®.com 9 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 10: Installation
Section 4 - Congratulations on your acquisition of the X-100 fluxer from Katanax®. Please read the following section for proper commissioning of your instrument. Do not hesitate to contact Katanax® with any question you might have about this crucial step. -
Page 11: Leveling
Motor and fan / impeller sizing information can unfortunately not be provided by Katanax®, as those strongly depend on factors linked to each individual installation (pipe diameter, pipe distance to the outside, exhaust baffle type, etc...). -
Page 12: Mold Size
Therefore, the peak temperature of a sample preparation by fusion is determined only by the type of flux, not the type of sample. Katanax® does not recommend exceeding 1050°C when using lithium borates. Katanax® does not recommend exceeding 1000°C when using sodium borates. -
Page 13: The X-100 Fluxer
“Fork” Crucible “Hoop” The straight-walled platinum crucibles are loaded with a few grams of powdered sample, an appropriate flux and often other agents. The crucibles are then inserted into the crucible holder. Katanax®.com 13 | environmentalexpress.com... - Page 14 Some fusion types, such as peroxide and pyrosulfate, do not require pouring. The X-100 is also designed for such fusions, where the whole crucible is dipped into an acid, after the fusion, to prepare a solution by leaching. Katanax®.com 14 | environmentalexpress.com...
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Page 15: Cautions And Warnings
To ensure safe operation, proper installation of the crucibles needs to be checked by the user before each fusion. See page 25, Crucible installation, for detailed instructions. DAMAGED / DIRTY HOLDERS OR PLATINUMWARE Never run a fusion if platinumware or their holders are damaged or soiled. Replace damaged items or clean dirty parts immediately. Katanax®.com 15 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 16: General Hazards
SOLUTION AGITATION Making solutions requires that the instrument be fitted with the optional solution agitation module, item number KP2001A. Katanax®.com 16 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 17: Using The X-100
A detector ensures that the shield is properly closed before allowing the fusion to start. Katanax® recommends working in that default configuration, but it is also possible (at the user’s risk) to entirely disable the locking mechanism if necessary. Refer to Safety shield protection on page 38 for details. -
Page 18: Manual Override
Gently push this cylindrical part right, to unlatch the shield, and then open the safety shield. THE MAIN RUNNING SCREEN After the booting screen, you will obtain a display similar to the following (not all buttons/icons will appear, depending on the instruments’ settings): Katanax®.com 18 | environmentalexpress.com... - Page 19 The Copy button is useful to duplicate an existing program, to create a derived recipe. More details are given at page 33, Managing fusion methods. The Delete button is used to erase a program from memory. More details are given at page 33, Managing fusion methods. Katanax®.com 19 | environmentalexpress.com...
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Page 20: Loading A Program
In the program selection screen, you can use the left or right arrows to scroll among the proposed programs, or you can directly select the desired program by touching its name. Touch the green button to confirm, or the red to cancel. Katanax®.com 20 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 21: During A Fusion
• Pressing Red resume button will cancel the ongoing program and reset the instrument. • Pressing Green resume button instead will resume the fusion program Katanax®.com 21 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 22: The Right Ingredients
6. Mixing the components together. Sample preparation Besides the traditional requirements for a sample to be representative, uncontaminated and dry, Katanax® recommends that the sample be ground to <100μm. This is to ensure that the fusion is completed within a reasonable time. - Page 23 After the choice of the right flux, the flux-to-sample ratio is probably the second hardest question to answer. This section intends only to explain general concepts. For more specific information, the customer is invited to contact Katanax® directly. To obtain the best readability possible on the analytical instrument, one wishes to put as much sample as possible in the preparation.
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Page 24: Care Of The Platinumware
It is also important that the crucible’s and mold’s interior surfaces be kept polished, to ensure a smooth melt pour, easy bead removal and good analytical results. Katanax® offers a versatile polishing kit (p/n KP9031A or KP9032A, for 115 V or 230 V respectively) comprising a set of very fine diamond pastes with a rotary tool fitted with various soft buffing pads. -
Page 25: Crucible Installation
Fork Hoop IMPORTANT: Katanax® recommends that the crucible be filled while not in the instrument. This allows to avoid accidental powder spills on the holders, and ensures that the crucible is not installed in the very same position every fusion (in which case it could be prematurely damaged). -
Page 26: A General Fusion
Add the sample by weighing it directly into the crucibles on top of the flux. • Mix if no solid oxidizer is to be used and the sample is low in carbonates. 2.4. Prepare Solid Oxidation (if required) Katanax®.com 26 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 27: Making Solutions
IMPORTANT: Before attempting to make solutions, it is important to remove the mold holder fingers, which can otherwise interfere with the top of the beakers. IMPORTANT: Katanax® does not recommend attempting to prepare solutions in a fluxer not fitted with the optional solution magnetic stirrers. -
Page 28: Description Of The Fusion Steps
Used to transfer the crucible contents into a mold or beaker. Not used for some preparations, with peroxide fluxes for example. Cooling 1 Used for natural-cooling of the mold, or stirring of the solution Cooling 2 Used for blower-cooling of the mold Katanax®.com 28 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 29: Programming The X-100 (Advanced)
The Settings icon allows to toggle to a screen where the parameters for a given fusion step are displayed. Nothing can be changed unless the advanced mode is unlocked (see page 32, Unlocking the advanced mode). The screen will now look something like this: Let us now understand the meaning of each symbol. Katanax®.com 29 | environmentalexpress.com... - Page 30 The top one is the amplitude of the rocking. The bottom one is the rocking speed. The icon in the lower left corner has now switched to a graph icon. Pressing this button will bring you back to the main running screen. Katanax®.com 30 | environmentalexpress.com...
- Page 31 (in percent). This block represents the settings of the “shaking” feature. After the pouring action, one can program the crucible to shake up and down for a number of times at a given amplitude. Katanax®.com 31 | environmentalexpress.com...
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Page 32: Unlocking The Advanced Mode
Before being allowed to manage fusion program and edit parameters, one must enter the correct password. To do so, click on the padlock icon/button. After touching the padlock button, a numeric keypad will pop up, ready for password entry. Katanax®.com 32 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 33: Managing Fusion Methods
The system will automatically save them to non-volatile memory every minute. Therefore, if you turn off the device immediately after a change, the recently changed settings may be lost. Katanax®.com 33 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 34: Heating Steps
Heating steps all have the same structure. Hence, if you need only two temperature plateaus, you could use Heating 1 and Heating 2, or Heating 1 and Heating 3, and so on, without affecting anything. For standardization purposes, Katanax® tends to use the last heating steps, and leave the first ones empty when not needed. Temperature The furnace temperature can be adjusted using the plus and minus buttons located next to the crucible temperature icon. -
Page 35: Pouring Step
The first stage, known as Cooling Step 1, utilizes natural-convection cooling, meaning it occurs without forced airflow. This approach allows the melt to completely fill the mold while maintaining high temperatures, which is Katanax®.com 35 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 36: On-The-Fly Editing
To do so, simply edit parameters as explained in the previous paragraphs (from page 29 onwards). Note, however, that there are logical limitations, and the firmware will automatically limit the accepted parameter range to prevent nonsensical or error-causing combinations. All parameter modifications will take immediate Katanax®.com 36 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 37: Global Parameters
This parameter should not be modified unless advised by Katanax® with detailed instructions. Modifying this parameter without proper electrical wiring will lead to bad operation and could damage the unit. -
Page 38: Startup Tolerance
User is advised that doing so it at the user’s sole responsibility. FUSION COUNTER In the global parameters screen, there is a read-only parameter that displays the number of fusions since the instrument was built, similar to the odometer on a car. Katanax®.com 38 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 39: Ethernet Connection And Ip Information
Section 12 - This section presents the most common fusion-related problems. For specific assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us (see page 65, Contacting Katanax®). DISK CRACKS Disk cracking occurs when there is internal stress within the glass bead. The specific causes can vary as follows: Glass disk sticks to the mold If disk top surface is concave (disk adheres to the mold walls);... -
Page 40: Disk Crystallizes
100 μm. Also, a manual mixing of the sample with the flux can often prevent the lumping issues. Sometimes, the small “dust” is actually gas (see below). BUBBLES IN DISK Typical with carbonate samples, this phenomenon exhibits gaseous bubbles that remain imprisoned within the glass disk. Katanax®.com 40 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 41: X-100 Maintenance
(see page 46), which guides the user in a step-by-step fashion through operations that sometimes need to be performed on-site. If unsure, do not hesitate to get in touch with a Katanax® technician (see page 65, Contacting Katanax®). Assistance by phone or email is always free of charge. -
Page 42: Holder Alignment And Functionality Procedure
Check for any flux spillage on the holders. If flux deposits are found, refer to Page 41 2.3. Test Crucible Holder Movement • Ensure crucible holder can rock and pour into the molds freely, without any rubbing or hitting. Simulate the rocking and pouring movement manually. Katanax®.com 42 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 43: Air Filter Maintenance Procedure
Use a suitable brush or the eraser end of a pencil to scrub away any deposits from the inside walls of the chimney. 2.4. Reinstall the Chimney • Carefully re-install the chimney after cleaning, ensuring it is secured properly. 3. Final Check Katanax®.com 43 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 44: Element Terminal Connections Procedure
2.1. Check heating elements • Inspect heating elements visually • Ensure there is no visual damage on the elements Discoloration is normal 2.2. Check Door and Insulation • Inspect the furnace door and insulation visually. Katanax®.com 44 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 45: Thermocouple Junction Inspection Procedure
If the junction is found to be damaged, a new thermocouple should be ordered and installed as soon as possible. 4. Final Steps • After completing the inspection, reattach the top casing securely before reconnecting the instrument to the power outlet. Katanax®.com 45 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 46: Holder And Furnace Door Motions Procedure
Should you have any questions, or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us (see page 65,Contacting Katanax®). Note that your unit is able to be remotely diagnosed by Katanax® service personnel, with a few configuration steps described in Allowing Katanax® support to access your Fluxer Procedure, on page 57. -
Page 47: Removing Top Casing Procedure
1.1. Safety Measures • Unplug the X-100 and allow it to cool down completely. 2. Removing top casing 2.1. Remove the Screws • Locate and remove the screws as indicated. 4 screws on each side. Katanax®.com 47 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 48: Replacing Top Casing Procedure
The crucible holder consists of two parts: the "fork" (with two prongs) and the "hoop" (a closed square with rounded corners). If there is a suspected flux spillage, remove both the hoop and fork simultaneously, as they may be partially “glued” together in flux. Katanax®.com 48 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 49: Maintenance
Manually rotate the crucible rocking collar until its four grouped screw heads point upwards. 2. Placing the Fork 2.1. Orient the Fork • Examine the fork closely; it is not symmetrical. The prong with the longer transversal branch should be oriented to the right. Katanax®.com 49 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 50: Mold Holder Removal Procedure
Mold holder 3. Remove the Support • Using a hex key, remove the screw as shown in the provided illustration. • Exercise caution not to drop the screw or spring. 4. Store the Mold Holder Katanax®.com 50 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 51: Mold Holder Configuration
On the side of the holder, a mark has been engraved. Finger A must be aligned with the corresponding mark to hold the mold correctly. Katanax®.com 51 | environmentalexpress.com... - Page 52 To assemble the desired configuration, refer to the appropriate illustration to select the correct finger, appropriate orientation and locate the correct placement of the finger A. 30mm mold configuration: C short 32mm mold configuration: B short Katanax®.com 52 | environmentalexpress.com...
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Page 53: Mold Holder Installation Procedure
Align finger A with the corresponding mark indicating the desired mold size configuration. 1.3. Secure Fingers • Place the holding tab on top of both fingers and screw it down to lock the fingers in place. Katanax®.com 53 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 54: Heating Element Replacement Procedure
Securely fasten the element holder using the removed screw and holder. • Insert the fork terminals of the new element into the ceramic connector. • Tighten the terminal screws securely. 3. Repeat step 2, until all damaged heating elements have been replaced. Katanax®.com 54 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 55: Cplive Capabilities
7.1. Turn On the Fluxer • Turn the fluxer back ON. The device should now be connected to your LAN and assigned an IP address. 8. Check Connectivity and Obtain IP Address 8.1. Access Global Parameters Katanax®.com 55 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 56: Controlling The Fluxer From A Remote Device
It is possible to remotely access the touchscreen of your fluxer remotely, through a computer, a tablet or a cellphone. Additionally, with your explicit permission, it is possible for a Katanax® technician to access it, thus allowing for remote diagnostics of your unit. - Page 57 DHCP server. Check the IP address of the fluxer and reconfigure the VNC connection accordingly. Allowing Katanax® support to access your Fluxer Procedure For diagnosis purposes, you can grant a remote access to your fluxer, to a member of the Katanax® service and support department.
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Page 58: Accessories, Consumables And Services
METHOD DEVELOPMENT Katanax® offer a service of method development. This service provides help to develop fusion methods for your samples. Use the following link to access the form required to access this service. BUY SCRAP Katanax®... -
Page 59: Appendix A - Technical Specifications
This section lists the methods that are factory programmed into the X-100. It is not possible for the user to alter or delete them. Note that Katanax® cannot be held responsible for any damage to platinumware or fluxer incurred by the use of those methods. Especially, samples containing un-oxidized material should be fused with extreme care. If unsure, please contact Katanax®. -
Page 60: Backup Or Restore By Usb Procedure
This can also be useful to transfer fusion programs among several fusion instruments. Alternatively, you might have received from Katanax® a firmware upgrade that you want to install on your instrument. 1. Backup Fluxer to USB Drive 1.1. -
Page 61: Appendix D - Cplive: Data Logging
In the root folder of the USB drive, find the zip file containing the EasyConverter installer. • If the EasyConverter file is not present on your USB drive, contact Katanax® to obtain your free copy. 2.2. Extract the Files •... -
Page 62: Enable Data Logging Procedure
SAMPLE TRACKING This process allows for efficient and accurate tracking of samples using barcode scanning or manual input, with a secure method to save the sample IDs for future reference. 1. Preparation Enable Data Logging 1.1. Katanax®.com 62 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 63: Copying Logs To A Usb Drive
In the data sampling window, press the padlock icon. • Enter the password “2014” to unlock the save button. 3. Transferring Logs 3.1. Click Disk Icon • Click on the disk icon to initiate the transfer. 3.2. Wait for Transfer Katanax®.com 63 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 64: Accessing Logs Through Ftp
Assuming EasyConverter is installed on your computer, double-click the “.dtl” file to convert it into an Excel file. • If the file doesn’t appear immediately, press F5 to refresh the file browser. 5.2. View Logs • Open the converted Excel file to view the log for the selected day. Katanax®.com 64 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 65: Structure Of The Data Log Files
11. Column P – Fusion Checksum • A unique number for the set of fusion method parameters. This allows verification of whether any parameter of the method has been modified by a user. Katanax®.com 65 | environmentalexpress.com... -
Page 66: Contacting Katanax
Contacting Katanax® Section 20 - Katanax® sales and technical staff can be reached at the following address: Katanax® inc. 2500, Jean-Perrin, suite 100 Quebec, 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.
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