Refractometer – Rudolph’s Digital J57-VT HA – High Accuracy & J57-VT WR Wide Range.
The J57-VT High Accuracy Refractometer and J57-VT Wide Range Refractometer are part of the Rudolph Research Product Line. The Rudolph J57-VT High Accuracy and J57 Wide Range refractometers are designed to meet the unique needs of food quality testing where the automatic refractometer is viewed as a quality control (QC) tool rather than a laboratory instrument. A single flat measurement surface, automatic electronic temperature control, and one button measurement capability make it perfect for heavy use food industry applications. In the food industry, fast, automatic, and accurate Brix readings are required.
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Capabilities to meet your Application – Two Models J57-VT High Accuracy & J57-VT Wide Range
- Where High Accuracy is critical the J57-VT HA Model Refractometer offers Accuracy of ±0.00002 RI and Brix Accuracy of ±0.01 with an RI Measurement range of 1.32-1.53 and Brix measurement range of 0-100. The capabilities of J57-VT HA are designed to meet the application requirements of the Food and Beverage Industry.
- Where Measurement Range is most importance the J57_VT WR Model Refractometer offers an RI Measurement range of 1.3-1.7 and Brix measurement range of 0-100 with Accuracy of ±0.0001 RI and Brix Accuracy of ±0.1. The Rudolph J57-VT WR is an excellent fit for Chemical Industry Laboratories where applications often require a wider RI measurement range.
Automatic Measuring System
Rudolph J57-VT High Accuracy refractometer features a fully automatic measuring system. The operator simply places the sample on the prism, presses a button and the results are displayed on 7.5cm x 10cm back lit LCD. There are no shadow lines to match and there is no eyepiece requiring operator determination or manual adjustment.
High Accuracy Refractometer With Electronic Temperature Control
BRIX readings are very sensitive to temperature changes while food industry samples tend to arrive at the refractometer either very hot or very cold. Temperature related variations in BRIX readings can be minimized by using the ICUMSA temperature correction for sucrose, but only minimized, not eliminated. The ICUMSA Temperature Correction Table was developed for a sucrose and water solution and the further from pure sucrose and water the sample is, the more inaccurate Temperature Correction becomes.
Temperature Correction also requires that the sample temperature remains stable during the measurement. So a room temperature sugar solution measurement works reasonably well, but if a sauce sample or syrup comes from a kettle or a refrigerator, temperature correction will be almost useless. The solution to measuring hot samples has always been to control the sample temperature with a circulating water bath and then clean and maintain the water bath. This is still not ideal as bringing samples to temperature with a water bath is slow and maintaining a water bath is time consuming. The J57-VT refractometers addresses this issue with a built in, maintenance free, electronic temperature control which provides the best solution for these real world problems: absolute accuracy regardless of sample type and excellent thermo-stability no matter what the sample or environmental temperatures are. Standard configuration includes sample Temperature Control from 10ºC to 65ºC.
High Accuracy
The J57-VT HA was designed for the food industry with a BRIX range of 0 – 100% and a Refractive Index range of 1.33 – 1.53 RI. The J57-VT HA has a ±0.01 BRIX and ±0.00002 Refractive Index (RI) accuracy, which matches the accuracy of Rudolph’s best refractometers. Combined with absolute temperature control the J57-VT HA delivers high accuracy and consistent readings, perfectly designed for rigorous Food Industry applications.
Easy to Clean Measurement Surface
Regardless of the specified instrument accuracy the real world performance will always depend on how well the instrument is cleaned between samples. The J57-VT refractometers address this issue by providing a very flat easy to clean measurement surface with no corners or crevices that tend to trap sugars, syrups, and other food industry samples.
High Durability Sapphire Prism
When a traditional automatic refractometer is used in a high throughput application, prism replacement becomes a regular task. This is because traditional Abbe refractometers have glass prisms which are much softer than the sapphire prism of the rugged J Series refractometers and thus more prone to scratching and general wear and tear which can result in inaccurate readings potentially unknown to the operator.
Lower Cost of Use over ABBE Refractometers
Traditional industry has used an ABBE refractometer either with or without a water bath. The cost of replacing the water bath and the Abbe dual glass prism over time makes the cost of owning a Rudolph Research J57-VT with its single sapphire prism and electronic temperature control, actually less than the cost of an Abbe over their comparable useful lives. The speed and accuracy of readings also increases productivity and reduces costly mistakes that can be potentially caused by inaccurate readings.
Calibration
The J57-VT Automatic Refractometer offers 1 or 2 point calibration. The instrument stores the date and the time of the last calibration in line with ISO and similar standards. Regardless of how many times the refractometer is calibrated it can always be restored to the default factory calibration.
User Configurable
Versatile laboratory instruments have advantages when applications change however this versatility can also lead to confusion during regular production use with extra buttons and by forcing operators to interpret extra results that have no relevance. The J Series customizable digital display allows the instrument to be configured to exactly what is required for each application. The customizable keypad can be “locked out” or just a few keys can be operable, making for an even faster user learning curve. The lockout function, calibration and other functions are all password protected.
Touchscreen and Digital LCD
All functions of the J57-VT Automatic Refractometers are activated through a large 4.3″ 480dpi, digital, color TFT LCD touch screen. The 70mm X 75mm measure button on the J57-VT is designed to allow an operator wearing gloves to activate measurement with an elbow or side of a hand. The sealed touchscreen is resistant to fingernails, sharp objects, chemicals and acids.
Password Protection
A combination of password protection and being able to lock out specific “keys” enables control over which users can access certain functions. This means that the J57-VT can be set up as a one-button instrument for factory environments.
Printer & Computer Output
In today’s highly regulated environment many users find hard copy or computer record keeping essential. The J57-VT comes complete with an RS232 port and a forward facing USB port.
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Rudolph Research Analytical offers a comprehensive range of Preventive Maintenance and Service Programs. Rudolph has demonstrated a commitment to its customers by keeping installed instruments operational, not only for 20 years, but in some cases for over 40 years. This long-term commitment to keeping our instruments running makes the cost of ownership, over the life of a Rudolph Instrument, one of the lowest in the laboratory market segment. At the date this document was published, there is no other laboratory instrument manufacturer guaranteeing service and technical support for 20 years. View the entire 20 Service Guarantee.
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