Boost efficiency, productivity and reliability in your laboratory with the new generation of Ultra Micro Balances. Kaspar Dieffenbacht, the project leader of the new Micro Balances, explains, what the changes mean for end users.
METTLER TOLEDO recently introduced an enhanced generation of Ultra Micro Balances XP6U, XP2U and Micro Balance XP6. These balances are designed to boost efficiency, productivity and reliability in laboratories. We asked Kaspar Dieffenbacher, the project leader of the new Micro Balances, to tell us about this new innovation and to explain what the changes mean for end users.
Kaspar, what is especially interesting about these new Ultra Micro Balances?
“0.0000001 gram” – This value itself is difficult to comprehend! Pushing the boundaries of what is possible is a great technical challenge. Strangely enough, when I tried to understand that value myself, I programmed the microbalance to microgram units. It is so much easier to read a weight of 0.1 μg. Samples in that weight range are incredibly small. It is amazing that such minute values can be weighed so precisely.What are the greatest challenges in developing a microbalance?
To find people who have the feeling and the patience to get the required performance out of the balance. Developing a microbalance is not a simple task; it is a long-term, delicate job which requires engineering competence, knowledge and experience. Thousands of optimization and evolution hours are included in each new microbalance, which makes the difference between a bad, good or excellent microbalance.So what makes an excellent microbalance?
An excellent microbalance performs excellently within basic parameters such as repeatability, nominal weight drift and linearity. It should be emphasized that the lower the weights are, the greater the relative errors. The differences between no weight and a microgram weight are so small that a tiny error could have drastically adverse effects. For example, our new Micro Balance XP6U shows a 61-million-point resolution with repeatability below 0.25 μg at 200 mg load. This means that the error level is at around 0.00000125%.That’s really tiny. Isn’t it difficult to handle such a highly precise balance?
In principal, such a microbalance can be operated like all other balances. It’s not as fragile as you’d think. The balance is very robust with its solid metal cover, careful manufacture and overload protection. It also goes without saying that the error related to incorrect handling could be immense. A good microbalance is only good when the operator takes care. Initial training and guidance is necessary in order to produce a good ‘micro weigher’.Tell us what’s so special about the new XP Micro Balances in terms of features and benefits for our customers
The new XP6/XP2U/XP6U set a new milestone in our microbalance development history. Firstly, users can lower the minimum allowed weight according to their tolerances due to repeatability improvement. In other words, our customers save costs particularly when weighing-in precious or toxic samples. Secondly, we have reduced the stabilization time of the XP6 to 8 seconds. This not only maximizes sample throughput but also increases productivity. Lastly, we have integrated a color touch screen with the new Micro Balance. The clearly structured and customized color user interface and the SmartSens infrared sensors for hands-free operation help to avoid user errors and make more secure weighing possible.
Thank you, Kaspar, for this information.
| Request more Information |
