Optimize your XRD throughput with the Aeris High-Capacity Sample Changer
When you’re continuously analyzing new samples, every time you return to the instrument more time is taken away from other crucial tasks. Just as automated data analysis and data transfer free operators from performing those tasks manually, being able to set up a high number of sample measurements in advance and leave the instrument unattended is highly beneficial for your overall resource management.
That’s why automated sample loading is so valuable for any analytical instrument. With round-the-clock batch sample changing for over 60 samples, operators can even leave the instrument to run overnight.
With the upcoming launch of the High-Capacity Sample Changer (HCSC), this capability will soon be added to the Aeris compact X-ray diffraction (XRD) system. Read on to find out more about the role XRD plays in laboratories and production plants worldwide, and what the Aeris adds to your quality control and process monitoring when equipped with the HCSC.
What is X-ray diffraction?
The structures in which atoms arrange themselves determine the physical properties of a material. The unique combination of elements or molecules in an atomic structure is known as a crystalline phase. Every material has its own combination of phases. Analyzing the phases of a material is the starting point in understanding the properties of the material. XRD is commonly used to identify and quantify phase composition and is used in research and production plants around the world – for example in pharmaceuticals, building and advanced materials, or mining and minerals.
Within these industries, XRD plays an additionally important role in process monitoring and quality control. For example, in cement plants, as clinker passes through the kiln, the phase composition changes under the effect of heat and chemical reactions. If XRD shows that an output sample contains a high amount of free lime (i.e., unprocessed calcium oxide), the operator will know to increase the heat of the kiln to achieve the proper reaction.
As a result, XRD is often a process-critical analysis, making a quick turnaround of results essential.
How does automated sample loading benefit XRD?
While Aeris already provides rapid, accurate measurements, the ability to queue and reprioritize samples would provide operators with more flexibility to attend to other tasks, while still tackling urgent measurements immediately. Automated sample loading and measurement setup make this possible – and they’re now available using the HCSC.
With the HCSC, Aeris can run batches of over 60 samples unattended. If you receive a priority sample that must be analyzed as quickly as possible, it can be switched in without interrupting the ongoing measurement run.
With higher sample handling capability, you can also optimize your sample throughput without losing data quality or flexibility – crucial for your Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 transformation. The speed, accuracy, and connectivity of Aeris, together with the workflow management capabilities of the HCSC, put you on track for a successful data-driven future.
Thanks to the modular build of the Aeris XRD platform, integrating the HCSC is seamless. Your new automated system can be up and running within a day, minimizing interruption to your production process. And because Aeris can be run as a simple push-button system, operators will only require minimal training.
An added advantage is that the proven robotic sample-loading technology used in the HCSC removes the human error that can occur with manual sample changing. Your results are completed reproducible and when every minute matters, removing the downtime associated with cleaning up spilled samples is a great benefit.
Learn more about the Aeris HCSC at our upcoming event
Whilst Aeris has already established high analytical performance and cost-efficiency, adding the HCSC takes your laboratory performance to a new level. If you’d like to ask any questions about the Aeris HCSC, make sure you sign up to the launch event on April 3 at 16:30 CET!
Our Aeris Product Manager, Willijan Vissers, will provide an in-depth tour of the HCSC’s features. You’ll learn how to optimize your workflow and get the most out of your instrument – all while reducing operator workload! Interested in a personal demonstration of the Aeris compact XRD system? Get in touch with our experts!