Fluid Cleanliness measuring

[Kramnaganalf]

The company I work for utilises the NAS 1638 class 6 standard of verifying the fluid cleanliness.
While there are many machines out there which will measure partical contaminant analysis within the fluid, each manufacturer of the machines recommends that a "Patch Test" is taken and campared to a master slide.

In order to reduce the ambiguity of interpretaion within the comparison of two slides, I was wondering if there is a system available to count the contaminant particles on a sampled patch test.

Have any of you guys came across such a device?

Possibly if not, we would incorporate a camera device on the magnifying glass to show in clearer method on a monitor.

If anybody can advise any companies which provide these devices as well it would be appreciated

Regards

Kramnaganalf

 

[unclesyd]

Here is one of several companies that supply the instruments and or services for getting any information you will ever need for particle characterization.

Look under contacts for a office near you.

http://www.malvern.co.uk/home/index.htm

 

[Kramnaganalf]

Thanks Unclesyd.

I am aware of Malvern products, along with HIAC etc.
However these are partical counting within the fluid.

We can only use these machines as guidance and need to pull our samples through a vacuum in a "Patch Test" cleanliness analysis.
This leave all the contaminants on a filter paper which is analysed through a microscope and compared to a master slide to determine the cleanliness

We aim to improve our system by not simply comparing slides which can lead to individual ambiguity and interpretation, to a system which can count the particles and sizes on the paper filter to provide an accurate NAS Class code.

If I cannot find such a device, I will be looking to project the particals onto a monito for easier manual counting

Thanks again

Kramnaganalf

 

[unclesyd]

I haven't checked that close but doesn't Malvern have specific particle characterization equipment?

I know we have several large atlases of particles we used for identification and characterization of extracted particles. This changed when we started outsourcing some of the work and the reports had the word Malvern in the header. I wasn't that close to the work except when the analysis was for me so I don't know whether Malveen (US) ran the test or their equipment was used.