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Caltest Warning & Alerts |
HomeBulletin 700 **************************** It has come to our attention that certain Foss/NIRSystems instruments with the spinning sample module will rotate at all times when the drawer is closed in some situations. This problem arises when the sample module drawer is closed and the instrument is powered up. In this situation as long as the drawer is closed, the rotation will occur. This will cause the sample drawer to "warm up". Contributed by Mr. Mark Matteson, Cargill Animal Nutrition - 6/08/2000 Bulletin 400 ***************************** "Bag-Can-Bag Storage" The Proper Storage of Certification Samples Samples that have been sent to a reference (referee) laboratory for analysis, in effect, become standards if they are low in moisture and are not prone to rapid degradation. Standard Certification Samples need to be stored properly for use later should your equipment fall prey to malfunction and then factory repairs. Certification Standards should be stored in a "Bag-Can-Bag" configuration and in a dark, cool, dry place. Caltest offers storage facilities for your Certification Standards. Your Certification Standards will be properly containerized in a "Bag-Can-Bag" assembly, catalogued and stored in an ultraviolet limited and climate controlled room. All standards will be checked and rotated periodically. Replacement and updating will be performed as new Certification Standards become available. Bulletin 400 The "Bag-Can-Bag" Certification/usr/home/calte1/www/htdocs/old_homedirample Storage Procedure For Samples With > 90% Dry Matter Caltest offers the following procedure as a service to it’s clients wishing to store their own Certification Samples (Standards). It is not necessary to store large quantities of standards, only enough to repeat your initial NIR analysis as a method of checking instrument performance after a major failure. Tools: Inner Bag: Whirl-Pak Sampling Bags; Suggested: 7 ounce sample bag for 4 ounce samples, Size: 31/4" X 7", Thickness: 3 mils. Outer Bag: Whirl-Pak Sampling Bags, Suggested: 24 ounce sample bag, Size: 6" X 9", Thickness: 4 mils. "Tin" Can: Suggested: 1 Pint, Round With Compression Lids Whirl-Pak Sampling Bags, Suggested Supplier: NASCO, 901 Janesville Avenue, P.O.Box 901, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0901 "Tin" Cans", Suggested Supplier: Consolidated Plastics Company, Inc., 8181 Darrow Road, Twinsburg, OH 44087
1. At the time you contract your referee laboratory to assay your certification samples, request that they return to you any unused portion of the samples. 2. Supply enough sample to your referee laboratory that will allow them to complete all of the necessary analyses of your product and return any unused portion of the certification standards back to you. 3. When you have received the certification standards from your referee laboratory, examine the condition of the original plastic bags or containers in which the samples were shipped, and discard all certification standards in bags, or containers that are found to have opened, or been damaged during shipment. 4. Unless initially shipped in 7 ounce Whirl-Pak bags, replace all bags and containers returned to you with Whirl-Pak 7 ounce "inner bags". 5. Assure that the original "random numbers" you assigned the original bags or containers are transcribed to the new Whirl-Pak 7 ounce "inner bags". 6. After filling the 7 ounce "inner bags" with sample, force out any "head space" air above the sample and seal the bags. 7. Transcribe the random numbers of each "inner bag" onto the respective sides of an equal number of "tin" cans. 8. Seal the cans and place each can into it’s respective "outer bag". 9. Place the bagged cans into their respective compartments in the shipping carton originally delivered when the cans were ordered. 10. Store the cartons in a cool dry place. Bulletin 600 ***************************** It has recently come to our attention that there may be a "problem" with some Foss/ISI black round sample cups. Caltest studies have shown that in some cases, cup to cup variation has exceeded expected repack error. The most notable cup to cup difference has been a 4-5% difference in NDF in the prediction of a single sample packed in multiple cups. The cup supplier has suggested that the amount of glue used to fasten the quartz lens is the problem. If you have cups that have glue on the junction of the lens and the edges of the cup, you may have problem cups. Caltest is recommending that its customers run some precision tests on all cups currently in their possession and any cups they get in the future. Talk to us about having Caltest help your set up an experimental design for you to use to test your cups, analyze your data and supply you with documentation. If a problem is found, Caltest can suggest corrective measures.
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