Instrument Usage

In times of increasing competitive constraints, companies are more often deliberating whether the investment of a new chromatographic instrument is required or if the present instruments could be charged better to capacity. All information to support such a decision are actually stored in the CDS. Anyway, they cannot be exploited just like that. 

The first step would be a summary of all run times of an instrument. But this only provides the actual measuring time. Times for equilibration and injections that are not stored in the CDS also need to be considered. All these times provide in summary the actual usage time of an instrument. 

In addition, it needs to be considered that samples are measured as a series (sequence or sample set) in most cases. In order to judge the real usage, the times between two series needs to be considered, as well. In case of an idle running of perhaps 1 h no further samples could be measured during this time. If beyond that the column needs to be replaced and solvent need to be changed, even periods 

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This demonstrative TAT data, along with a multitude of other process management information, is readily available from the TPID database. This information allows the user to monitor work load and productivity trending that can be used to adjust staffing and instrument usage to meet the demands of the day s work. When instruments are interfaced with the TPID software, locating a particular case of interest in any step of the histological process is made easier. This flexibility allows you to minimize the time required to locate and move to the front of the line a STAT case, whenever it is determined to be so. 

Course proceeds through four (4) phases, each with its own unique assessments. Course ertds wiUi written and practical instrument usage assessment... 

Most of the electronic components, especially the ones in the RF generator, are aircooled. Therefore, the air filters should be checked, cleaned, or replaced on a fairly regular basis. Although this is not carried out as routinely as the sample introduction system, a typical time frame to inspect the air filters is every 3-6 months, depending on the workload and instrument usage. 

Typically, two roughing pumps are used in commercial instruments. One pump is used on the interface region, and the other is used as a backup to the turbomolecular pumps on the main vacuum chamber. They are usually oil-based rotary or diffusion pumps, where the oil needs to be changed on a regular basis, depending on the instrument usage. The oil in the interface pump will need changing more often than the... 

Identify deteriorating performance in instruments, energy usage, equipment, or catalysts. 

History The histoiy of a plant forms the basis for fault detection. Fault detection is a monitoring activity to identify deteriorating operations, such as deteriorating instrument readings, catalyst usage, and energy performance. The plant data form a database of historical performance that can be used to identify problems as they form. Monitoring of the measurements and estimated model parameters are typic fault-detection activities. 

Because of these solutions, important technical data can be transferred from local instrumentation (control system) through data-based controllers to a control station with computers. The operator may use the many variations that the software data system provides. Technical data operation may be digital off/on messages such as the status of operation and the performance of alarms or analog measurements such as temperature, humidity, pressure, velocity, energy usage, etc. 

The problem of permeability exists whenever a plastic material is exposed to vapor, moisture, or liquids. Typical cases are electrical batteries, instruments, components installed underground, encapsulated electrical components, food packaging, and various fluid-material containers. In these cases, a plastic material is called upon to form a barrier either to minimize loss of vapor or fluid or to prevent the entrance of vapor or fluid into a product. From the designers viewpoint, the tolerable amount of permeation established by test under conditions of usage with a prototype product of correct shape and material is the only direct answer. 

If only one counter can be purchased, then a gamma counter is the instrument of choice since most assays are now performed with gamma emitting isotopes. Table I lists the isotopes in common usage for competitive protein binding assays. 

Ten-year horizon. Based on recent trends in the production of analytical instruments, requirements for RMs should grow by more than 5% per annum. Because PT material usage is growing from a smaller and less structured base, its growth should be about 15 % per annum. 

Miniaturisation of scientific instruments, following on from size reduction of electronic devices, has recently been hyped up in analytical chemistry (Tables 10.19 and 10.20). Typical examples of miniaturisation in sample preparation techniques are micro liquid-liquid extraction (in-vial extraction), ambient static headspace and disc cartridge SPE, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE). A main driving force for miniaturisation is the possibility to use MS detection. Also, standard laboratory instrumentation such as GC, HPLC [88] and MS is being miniaturised. Miniaturisation of the LC system is compulsory, because the pressure to decrease solvent usage continues. Quite obviously, compact detectors, such as ECD, LIF, UV (and preferably also MS), are welcome. 

Assistance of Dr. Bob Carsel at EPA in Athens, Georgia is gratefully acknowledged. Dr. Carsel was instrumental in getting our models to a practical state of usage at CIBA-GEIGY. 

The robustness of an analytical method can be defined as a measure of the capability of the method to remain unaffected by small, but deliberate, variations in method parameters. The parameter therefore provides an indication of the method reliability during normal usage. The ruggedness of a method is the degree of reproducibility of test results obtained by the analysis of the same samples under a variety of conditions, such as different laboratories, different analysts, different instruments, different lot of reagents, different days, etc. 

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