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METER AQUALAB Manual

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Summary of Contents for METER AQUALAB

  • Page 1 AQUALAB ®...
  • Page 2 18280-01 3.29.2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ....................1 2. Operation ....................2 2.1 Installation ....................2 2.2 Sample Preparation ................... 3 2.2.1 Sample Composition ................ 4 2.2.2 Sample Temperature ................ 6 2.3 Taking a Reading ..................7 2.4 Viewing Data ....................9 2.5 Using Moisture Content ................
  • Page 3 4.1.3 Multipoint Calibration (TEV Only) ........... 48 4.1.4 Restore Factory Defaults ............... 51 4.2 Cleaning ....................52 4.2.1 Cleaning Kit ................... 53 4.2.2 AQUALAB 4TEV Special Considerations ......... 53 4.2.3 Cleaning Procedure ................ 53 4.3 Maintenance Packages ................55 4.4 Repair ...................... 55 4.5 Troubleshooting ..................
  • Page 5 • AQUALAB 4TE uses a chilled-mirror dew point sensor and thermoelectric (Peltier) components to maintain a user-selectable internal temperature. • AQUALAB 4TEV uses both a chilled-mirror dew point sensor and a capacitance sensor for measuring nonvolatile and volatile substances, respectively. Either sensor is selected using the instrument menu system.
  • Page 6 OPERATION 2. OPERATION Please read all instructions before operating the AQUALAB to ensure it performs to its full potential. Please observe the following considerations carefully. • Only allow personnel qualified by METER to carry out service work on the electrical components.
  • Page 7 Table 1 Installation (continued) Plug In Instrument Plug the power cord into the back of the AQUALAB unit and into an outlet. Only use the supplied power cord or one rated for AQUALAB 4 and certified for the country of use. The cord must be a minimum of 18 AWG and have a rating for 10 A or greater.
  • Page 8 OPERATION Material left on the rim or the outside of the cup can contaminate the chamber and be transferred to subsequent samples. If a sample cannot be measured immediately, put the disposable sample cup lid on the cup to restrict water transfer. For longer term storage of no more than 4 h, seal the lid by placing tape or Parafilm ®...
  • Page 9 The most effective way to test these types of samples is to run them in the AQUALAB using Continuous or Custom mode and wait for the water activity readings to stabilize.
  • Page 10 (Section 4.2). 2.2.2 SAMPLE TEMPERATURE The ambient temperature of the AQUALAB should be between 4 and 50 °C. The AQUALAB 4TE and AQUALAB 4TEV have internal temperature control capabilities that enable them to read samples at temperatures different from the ambient temperature, but no higher than 50 °C and no lower than 4 °C.
  • Page 11 CAUTIONS • Never leave a sample in the AQUALAB after a reading has been taken. The sample may spill and contaminate the instrument chamber if the instrument is accidentally moved or jolted. • Never move the instrument after a sample has been loaded. Movement may cause the sample material to spill and contaminate the sample chamber.
  • Page 12 Length of read times may vary depending on temperature differences between the chamber and the sample as well as on other properties of the sample (Section 2.2). The default AQUALAB reading cycle continues until the rates of change of three consecutive intermediate readings are <0.0005 each other.
  • Page 13 AQUALAB Figure 5 Completed test results with both water activity and moisture content Autosave (default setting) retains the data without any annotation (Section 3.2.4.2). To add an annotation, select SAVE, add desired letters, and select SAVE again (Figure 6). Figure 6 Keyboard screen to annotate data results 2.4 VIEWING DATA...
  • Page 14 The relationship between water activity and moisture content is called the moisture sorption isotherm, and it is complex and unique to each product type. AQUALAB DUO functionality generates water activity values and moisture content. The functionality uses preloaded product-specific isotherm models to calculate moisture...
  • Page 15 2.5.2 LOADING AND ORGANIZING PRODUCT ISOTHERM MODELS A product model must be loaded onto the AQUALAB before it can calculate moisture content. Models can be loaded onto the instrument by METER or by using the AquaLink 4 software (Section 3.3.1).
  • Page 16 Each model will need to be imported individually. The models should now show up in the Model Manager window. 11. Click in the Sync box next to each model name that will be uploaded to the AQUALAB. 12. Click Apply.
  • Page 17 AQUALAB Figure 12 Changing moisture content model on the Configuration tab Select %Moisture. A list of available models appears, organized by name (Figure 13). Figure 13 Product models for moisture content Select the model for the product to be analyzed. If the listed models do not apply, select None. No moisture content will appear on the Measurement tab.
  • Page 18 Reference methods can differ between laboratories, so check for a linear offset upon receipt of a new isotherm model from METER. In addition, the linear offset should be adjusted if moisture contents calculated by the AQUALAB are consistently higher or lower for a product than reference method values over several samples.
  • Page 19 AQUALAB Figure 15 Select %Moisture on the Calibration tab The %Moisture Calibration screen will appear (Figure 16). Figure 16 %Moisture Calibration screen If creating an existing model, select New. If editing an existing model, select Edit. 10. Scroll through the reference models for the desired product (Figure 17).
  • Page 20 OPERATION Figure 18 Start test 13. Place a sample in the sample chamber when prompted (Figure 19). Figure 19 Prompt to place sample in chamber 14. Remove the lid from the sample cup prepared in step 3 and place into the chamber. 15. Close and latch the lid. 16.
  • Page 21 20. Air out the chamber for at least 1 h. 21. Measure the sample again in normal sampling mode. The AQUALAB should now read the corrected moisture content value provided in step 17. If moisture content readings are still inconsistent with the reference method, contact Customer Support.
  • Page 22 OPERATION Select the desired model (Figure 23). Figure 23 Moisture content model list Select Defaults (Figure 24). Figure 24 Default options A confirmation dialog will appear (Figure 25). Figure 25 Confirmation dialog to reset calibration to defaults To restore the original model settings, select OK. To cancel and return to the Calibration tab, select CANCEL. A screen will confirm the restoration of factory calibration (Figure 26).
  • Page 23 Select OK to return to the Configuration tab. 2.5.6 DELETING MODELS If a model is no longer needed, it can be deleted directly from the AQUALAB. Models are not user-specific, so if a model is deleted from the instrument, all users will lose access to it.
  • Page 24 OPERATION Figure 28 Moisture content model list A confirmation screen will appear indicating the model to be deleted (Figure 29). Figure 29 Confirmation dialog to delete model Select OK to delete the model. Select CANCEL to return to the previous screen.
  • Page 25 AQUALAB 3. SYSTEM This section describes the specifications, components, and theory of the AQUALAB instrument. 3.1 SPECIFICATIONS MEASUREMENT SPECIFICATIONS Water Activity Range 0.030–1.000 Resolution 0.0001 Accuracy ±0.003 (4TE dew point) ±0.015 (4TEV capacitance) Repeatability 0.001 Moisture Content Accuracy 0.1%–0.5% to moisture content reference Repeatability 0.02%...
  • Page 26 At equilibrium, the relative humidity of the air in the chamber is the same as the water activity of the sample. The AQUALAB DUO functionality makes it possible to determine both moisture content and water activity with one machine. For...
  • Page 27 WARNING: Only use the supplied power cord or one rated for AQUALAB and certified for the country of use. The cord must be a minimum of 18 AWG and have a rating for 10 A or greater.
  • Page 28 The AQUALAB then signals with beeps and displays the final water activity and temperature. The AQUALAB uses an internal fan to circulate the air within the sample chamber to reduce equilibrium time. Since the AQUALAB measures both dew point and sample surface temperatures simultaneously, it eliminates the need for complete thermal equilibrium, thereby reducing measurement times to <5 min for most samples.
  • Page 29 AQUALAB 3.2.3 BUTTONS The power switch is located on the lower left corner of the AQUALAB back panel. After being turned on, the AQUALAB should warm up for 15 minutes before operation to ensure accurate readings. There are four arrow buttons: LEFT, RIGHT, UP, and DOWN (Figure 32). These buttons allow for navigation through the various screens on the AQUALAB.
  • Page 30 SYSTEM The button icons on the display change to show the available actions for the screen (Table Table 2 AQUALAB button icons Icon Name Action ENTER Accepts the current action CANCEL Ends the current action MENU Switches between the Measurement, Configuration, and Data tabs...
  • Page 31 The main screen shows the water activity in the middle of the screen and above the sample temperature. The measurement read time is shown at the bottom left of the screen. The AQUALAB 4TEV model will display either DEW or CAP indicating whether the dew point or capacitance sensor is being used.
  • Page 32 • Temperature. Select to set the AQUALAB to the desired temperature using UP and DOWN. When finished, select SAVE (Figure 38). The AQUALAB 4TE models may be set between 15 and 50 °C in 0.1 °C intervals. The default temperature is 25 °C.
  • Page 33 All readings taken during Continuous mode are saved on the instrument memory if the autosave feature is turned on (default). If the AQUALAB is connected to a computer using AquaLink 4 (Section 3.3.1), all readings can be downloaded to the AquaLink 4 software.
  • Page 34 If autosave is turned on (default), all test readings will save to the instrument memory, but only the final reading will remain on the Measurement screen. If the AQUALAB is connected to a computer using AquaLink 4 (Section 3.3.1), AquaLink 4 downloads all readings taken during a Custom mode test.
  • Page 35 The time is recorded with each water activity reading. Figure 44 Time option • Regional Formatting. Select to configure how the AQUALAB displays information. Choose the temperature scale (Celsius or Fahrenheit), the date display (mm/dd/yy or dd/mm/yy), the hour format (12h or 24h), and the language (Figure 45).
  • Page 36 The Admin Settings allow the administrator to grant or block access to some or all the configuration options. NOTE: Once the administrator is set up, the password cannot be recovered. The AQUALAB must be sent back to METER to be reset.
  • Page 37 NOTE: When a Brecknell printer is connected, setting the print mode to On will keep the printer time synchronized with the AQUALAB. Setting the print mode to Detailed will disable the printer date and time header and instead use the time directly from the AQUALAB instrument.
  • Page 38 SYSTEM not change more than 0.03 ºC. Typical ranges for the lid, base, and sample temperatures is between 24.5 and 25.5 °C. The optical sensor has a typical range between 300 and 2,900 mV. If values are outside these ranges, refer to Section 4.5. Figure 50 Chilled-mirror dew point sensor Diagnostics screen For the capacitance sensor (TEV models only), Diagnostics provides lid, base, and sample temperatures, relative humidity, and the capacitive sensor user offset (Figure 51).
  • Page 39 AQUALAB 3.2.4.3. DATA TAB Data can be viewed or deleted from the Data tab (Figure 53). Figure 53 Data tab • View. Select to view stored measurements with the most recent measurements at the top of the table (Figure 54). Use UP and DOWN to move through the stored data. Use LEFT and RIGHT to page quickly through the data.
  • Page 40 Figure 56 Delete option backup reminder dialog 3.3 COMPUTER INTERFACE The AQUALAB can connect to a computer using USB (included) or RS-232 to send water activity data for further analysis and storage. The interface is run through the AquaLink 4 software or a terminal communication program.
  • Page 41 Figure 57 AquaLink 4 main screen 3.3.2 USING A TERMINAL PROGRAM There are several terminal program options. METER has its own terminal program (DecaTerm) that can be downloaded from metergroup.com/aqualab4te-support. Two other options are TeraTerm, a free program that can be found on the internet, and Hyperterminal, the standard program with Microsoft Windows prior to Windows 7 software.
  • Page 42 SYSTEM 3.4.1 MOISTURE CONTENT Moisture content implies a quantitative analysis to determine the total amount of water present in a sample. There are two primary methods for determining moisture content: loss on drying and Karl Fisher titration. Secondary methods, such as near infrared (NIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), may also be used.
  • Page 43 In the AQUALAB, a sample in a sample cup is sealed inside the sample chamber, which contains a fan, a dew point sensor, and an infrared thermometer.
  • Page 44 25 °C, though 20 °C is sometimes indicated. Minimization of extreme ambient temperature fluctuations. If the environmental and AQUALAB temperatures fluctuate by as much as ±5 °C daily, water activity readings may vary by ±0.01 . Temperature control eliminates variations caused by changes in ambient conditions.
  • Page 45 3.4.3 CHILLED-MIRROR DEW POINT LIMITATIONS The limitation of the AQUALAB 4TE is its ability to accurately measure samples with high concentrations (typically >1%) of certain volatile compounds such as ethanol or propylene glycol, which can condense on the surface of the chilled mirror.
  • Page 46 For example, if using the AQUALAB to monitor the moisture content of dried potato flakes, measure the water activity and moisture content of potato flakes dried to varying degrees using the standard drying process for those flakes. That data is used to construct an isotherm and infer the moisture content using the measured water activity of samples and that isotherm.
  • Page 47 4.1 VERIFICATION AND CALIBRATION It is important to verify the AQUALAB water activity calibration against known standards to guarantee optimal performance and accuracy. METER recommends verification daily, once per shift, or before each use.
  • Page 48 NOTE: The AQUALAB needs to warm up for approximately 15 min to make accurate readings. Empty a vial of the lower water activity verification standard into a sample cup. Place it in the AQUALAB testing chamber. Make sure that the standard is as close to the instrument temperature as possible. See Section 2.2.2...
  • Page 49 0.894 0.740 0.517 0.275 0.172 NOTE The AQUALAB measures these verification standards to ±0.003 with the dew point sensor and ±0.015 with the capacitance sensor. The readings may lead to one of three outcomes. a. If the AQUALAB reads within ±0.003 of the first verification standard for dew point and ±0.015 for capacitance, take two readings of the second verification standard.
  • Page 50 After verification and cleaning, the instrument an offset may be necessary. Navigate to the Configuration tab. For the AQUALAB 4TEV, the currently selected sensor for the instrument will be the one offset. Make sure to select the correct sensor before beginning the offset.
  • Page 51 NOTE: To interrupt the offset procedure, return the lever to the OPEN position or select CANCEL to return to the previous screen. After the AQUALAB has finished measuring the verification standard, it displays a Change the offset screen (Figure 62). Figure 62 Change the offset screen 11.
  • Page 52 Navigate to the Configuration tab. For the AQUALAB 4TEV, make sure to select the capacitance sensor before beginning the multipoint calibration. Select Calibration from the Configuration tab (Figure 63). Figure 63 Capacitance sensor calibration screen Highlight Type and select ENTER to toggle to Multipoint.
  • Page 53 Place the sample cup in the AQUALAB sample chamber. Carefully close the lid and move the lever to the READ position. Select OK to begin testing. After AQUALAB has finished measuring the verification standard, a new screen appears requesting that a 0.50 standard be placed in the chamber.
  • Page 54 Figure 69 Calibration canceled confirmation 16. Let the sample chamber air out for at least 1 h. 17. Measure a 0.25 or 0.50 verification standard in the Measurement tab (with capacitance sensor type). 18. Verify the AQUALAB reads within ±0.015 at a given temperature.
  • Page 55 AQUALAB 19. Measure a 0.76 verification standard according to the verification procedure detailed in Section 4.1.1. If both verification readings are within ±0.015 , the instrument is ready to begin testing. If incorrect verification standard readings persist, contact Customer Support. 4.1.4 RESTORE FACTORY DEFAULTS To restore original calibration settings, do the following: Navigate to the Configuration tab using MENU.
  • Page 56 Select OK. 4.2 CLEANING Keeping the AQUALAB clean is vital to maintaining the accuracy of the instrument. Dust and sampling debris can contaminate the sampling chamber, so regular cleaning is essential. To clean the AQUALAB, carefully follow these instructions and refer to the labeled diagram in Figure 73.
  • Page 57 4.2.2 AQUALAB 4TEV SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS When cleaning an AQUALAB 4TEV, do not to get cleaning solution on the capacitance sensor filter (Figure 73). Repeated exposure of cleaning materials or contaminants to the filter may cause inaccurate readings.
  • Page 58 If necessary, repeat the cleaning process using new KIMWIPES tissues. Let stand for 5 min to ensure the sample chamber is dry. After cleaning the AQUALAB, check the instrument performance and correct for any linear offset that may have occurred during the cleaning process.
  • Page 59 Customer Support to obtain an RMA number. The following steps will help to ensure the safe shipping and processing of the AQUALAB: Ship the AQUALAB in its original cardboard box with suspension packaging. If this is not possible, use a box with at least 4 in of space between the instrument and each wall of...
  • Page 60 SERVICE Place the AQUALAB in a plastic bag to avoid disfiguring marks from the packaging. Do not ship the power cord, serial cable, or any other accessories. If the original packaging is not available, pack the box moderately tight with packing material (e.g., Styrofoam...
  • Page 61 The mirror may be dirty. Clean the mirror and chamber (Section 4.2) and measure the sample again. Dew point sensor failure The cooler is damaged and needs to be serviced by METER. Refer to error message Section 4.4 for detailed instructions.
  • Page 62 Firmware is corrupted. See The firmware on the instrument is corrupted and needs to be Manual for options. reloaded. To download new firmware to the AQUALAB 4 models, the instrument must be serviced by METER (Section 4.4). error message On the measurement screen, toggle to the correct model using the UP and DOWN button (Section 2.5).
  • Page 63 Phone: +49 89 12 66 52 36 Fax: +49 89 12 66 52 20 Website: metergroup.de If contacting METER by email, please include the following information: Name Email address Address Instrument serial number Phone Description of the problem NOTE: For products purchased through a distributor, please contact the distributor directly for assistance.
  • Page 64 SERVICE 4.7 TERMS AND CONDITIONS By using METER instruments and documentation, you agree to abide by the METER Group, Inc. USA Terms and Conditions. Please refer to metergroup.com/terms-conditions for details.
  • Page 65 AQUALAB REFERENCE Labuza, Ted P., K. Acott, S. R. Tatini, R. Y. Lee, J. Flink, and W. McCall (1976). "Water activity determination: A collaborative study of different methods." Journal of Food Science 41, no. 4: 910–917.
  • Page 66 6, 21 admin settings 32–34 delete 36 download 36–37 annual calibration service 43, 55 view 35 AQUALAB models 1 Data tab 35–37 AquaLink 11–12, 36 autosave 30, 33 date 31 dew point sensor 29, 34, 39 diagnostics 34–39...
  • Page 67 INDEX mirror 5, 24, 41–42 settings mode beeps 33 continuous 29 date 31 custom 29–30 language 31 ISO 29 mode 29–30 low-emitting 30 sensor 29 print 33–34, 37 temp eq 28–29 single 29 temperature 31 moisture content 10, 21 time 31 measuring 12 specifications theory 38...
  • Page 68 18279-01 3.29.2019 METER Group, Inc. USA 2365 NE Hopkins Court Pullman, WA 99163 T: +1.509.332.2756 F: +1.509.332.5158 E: info@metergroup.com W: metergroup.com METER Group AG Mettlacher Straße 8, 81379 München T: +49 89 12665236 F: +49 89 1266520 E: info@metergroup.de W: metergroup.de...