New products

The platform increases cross-departmental collaboration and can integrate with existing systems, including process historians, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), maintenance management, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems [ ]the stainless steel mixer has continuously welded seams and surface finishes that prevent contamination and meet U S Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials www mcam com Adsorbent Material Captures Volatile Organic Compounds The DES VOCANT adsorbent helps to control and eliminate the aceumulation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to off-gassing of enclosed manufactured goods The poly isobutene chips provide the same benefits as other high-molecular-weight polyisobutene products, including excellent barrier properties, adhesion to a wide variety of surfaces, clean peel, and flexibility at low temperatures

Harwell Computer Power has launched a text information retrieval system for the chemical industry which incorporates two major breakthroughs in technology.
STATUS/IQ is based around STATUS, originally developed by the Harwell Laboratory, but can understand questions addressed to it in plain, standard English and can assess the relative importance of each piece of retrieved text.
Traditional free text systems allow users to ask questions via a command or menu-driven interface that simply searches on any word. However, STATUS/IQ's natural language ability allows the user to ask questions such as: 'What are the safety standards that control the manufacture of isocyanates for paint?' STATUS/IQ will immediately recognise the concepts in the sentence such as 'safety standards,' 'manufacture,' 'isocyanates' and 'paint.' STATUS will then search through the database to find every relevant article.
The second technological breakthrough-the ranking ofdata in order of relevanceis in some ways a more fundamental advance in information technology.
Whereas traditional systems will often retrieve several hundreds of articles that include specified keywords, STATUS/IQ finds all of the information and indicates which pieces are most relevant to your question.
Both STATUS and STATUS/IQ automatically index every word in each document entered into the database, and allow the location ofwords, phrases or concepts. STATUS/IQ, which uses natural language rather than keying search words into menu options, virtually eliminates the need for training and can be used by staff with little or not computer skills.

Personal computer controls dissolution testing
The automatic set-up and control of tablet dissolution testing with the HP 8450A diode array UV/vis spectrophotometer can now be simplified by using HP's PC-compatible Vectra computer as the system controller.
This new dissolution testing package for pharmaceutical laboratories, comprising HP Vectra, HP 8450A spectrophotometer, accessories and software, provides both single and multi-component analysis using proven mathematical algorithms. Methods may be stored for future use. Up to three six-vessel dissolution baths may be used simultaneously, and a control sample for each can be measured automatically to validate system performance before the test.
During testing, measurements are made at constant intervals or at user-specified times. Automatic pump control is available for long term tests.
Up to five quality control specifications can be defined, and results from any vessels that do not meet these are listed separately.
Data from up to four baths may be combined in one report, which is produced in the format required by the user. Data are stored as ASCII files, and can thus be imported into other programs. Complete statistical analyses are included in the report. Dissolution-testing system from Hewlett-Packard, consisting of an HP8450A diode-array UV/visible spectrophotometer, the HP89024B dissolution testing kit and the system controller, an HP Vectra PC. Quantitation and enzyme kinetics software for diode array spectrometry New software just released by Hewlett-Packard for the UV/vis Chem-Station further extends the capabilities of the HP 8452A diode array UV/vis spectrophotometer.
Quantitative analysis is greatly facilitated by the HP 89511A quantitation software package, designed to aid the development ofquantitative methods and multicomponent analysis. The new software takes full advantage of the advanced diode array technology of the HP 8452A.
For single component analysis, the software allows the selection of wavelengths which provide the best calibration curve and the greatest reproducibility, and the determination of sample impurities. In multicomponent analysis, the software allows concentrations of up to 12 components to be determined within a known sample matrix, allows the use of absorption and derivative spectra and saves time in method development by mathematically synthesizing spectra prior to measuring actual samples so that the feasibility of multicomponent analysis may be determined quickly.
A new enzyme kinetics package, HP 89512A, provides biochemists with the means to investigate enzyme reactions, rate data and reaction models with unmatched speed and accuracy. The combination of diode array scanning of the whole wavelength range with the fast data evaluation of this new software allows spectral information to be stored and evaluated post-run. In this way the design of subsequent experiments may be optimised after the initial run, eliminating repetitive trial and error.
Reaction rate data may be determined quickly and easily with various types of curve fit. Nine mathematical models for enzyme reactions provide flexibility; alternatively users can develop models from their own equations. The kinetics of several reactions may be measured in parallel with the help of a new multi-cell transport mechanism for the HP 8452A.
New full-colour, illustrated brochures are available for both packages. The brochures describe the software in detail, and contain application examples. Off-line reports recalculate the average and standard deviation over a defined time and/or batch range.
Further statistical analysis includes process capability (Cp, CpK) and histogram display for results comparison with the normal curve and control limits.
The batch report function gives a compilation of all tests carried out for any specific batch. This includes pass or fail messages.
As many as five material properties can be entered via the keyboard (i.e. hardness, SG).
Manual input data is processed in an identical way to automatically collected data.
Moncal 10 requires an IBM personal computer with 20 MByte hard disk, a floppy disk and HPIB board. Screen entry facilities, prompt messages and function keys simplify system opera- CSA oxygen analyser from Kane-May Ltd.

On-line thermal conductivity analyser
Teledyne's Model 235 Thermal Conductivity (T/C) Analyser provides accurate on-line monitoring of gases in a variety of applications.
Typical applications for the Model 234 include: hydrogen analysis in petroleum refinery hydrocarbon streams, ammonia synthesis, turbine generators and blanketing gases; gas purity monitoring of argon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, helium and other gases in air liquefaction; monitoring gas proportions for process control of mixtures such as proportions for process control of mixtures such as N2/argon, H2/N, helium/air and O/N2; and other applications where the thermal conductivity of one gas is significantly different from that of another gas (or gases) in the mixture being monitored.
The Model 235 operates by comparing the amount of heat absorbed by the sample gas with that absorbed by a known reference gas. The difference is electronically analysed with a simple Wheatstone bridge. The result is provided as a signal output.
The Model 235 features electronic temperature control of the T/C cell for optimum accuracy and stability.
This 2-filament nickel-plated brass T/C cell requires only a simple periodic calibration to provide many years of service. The cell is the heart of the Model 235 and has proven its reliability, durability and accuracy in over 20 years of field use. The hub of the TA4000 system is the newly designed TA TC 11 processor.
It contains the complete software in the basic version, method memory for 10 standard methods, and evaluation programs stored as standard.
Automatic calibration routines and automatic, intelligible scaling of the plots are also built into the TC11. All models in the 600 series utilise an easy to use interactive display which guides the user through every operation. A series of questions, prompts and statements are displayed in any of the five different languages available. Simple instructions guide the operator through the programmed maintenance procedures. and EasyLab application programs but provides up to three times faster EasyLab processing and has three times the dictionary capacity of conventional Zymate controllers. PC compatibility allows ease of data management and report writing as well as archiving and transmission to central computers. electrode stability and waiting time. Together with the automatic addition of an auxiliary reagent, e.g. an ion strength adjuster, this means excellent reproducibility. The best possible accuracy throughout the electrodes' wide measuring range is obtained by calibration with up to five standard solutions.
The calibration data of each electrode are stored together with other method parameters in a memory covering up to 60 methods. The method parameters include automatic selection of electrode input and burette position. To change from one method to another you just key in the For further information, contact: Zymark Full details are provided on the methodology, which has been developed by Beckman, including pipetting patterns used for template isolation in a 96-well plate. There are also details of the Biomek 1000 itself.
Biomek is particularly effective for automating DNA sequencing due largely to its ability to pipette 2 tl volumes with a fine precision. The two unit design, where the optical bench is normally mounted near to the sampling point and the control unit is located in a more convenient position, allows separation by as much as 500 metres.