Automated Flavor & Fragrance Lab Testing

Rudolph Research understands that the Flavor and Fragrance industries have unique needs. Many wish to make multiple tests of their sample such as automated Density, SG (Specific Gravity), RI (Refractive Index), OR (Optical Rotation), Specific Rotation, BRIX, Color, and pH measurements all with one sample loading. Automated Flavor & Fragrance Lab Testing can be challenging as samples are scarce or very valuable; thus using the minimum amount of samples is very important. Samples may be very viscous and require several solvents to fully clean the instrument. Rudolph’s Most capable automation system can handle all of these requirements. The R837, using both suction and pressure at the same time makes pumping high viscosity samples of up to 37,000 mPa -s possible through instruments still using less than 12 ml of sample.

AutoFlex® R837 can:

• Automate Density measurements
• Automate Optical Rotation measurements (OR Measurements)
  
• Automate Specific Rotation measurements (SR Measurements)
  
• Automate SG measurements (specific gravity)
  
• Automate RI measurements (Refractive Index)
  
• Automate BRIX measurements
• Automate Color measurements (Reflectance and transmittance)
  
• Automate pH measurements
• Automate Urine Specific Gravity measurement (SG)

Automated Flavor and Fragrance lab testing

• Self-validated system – makes it so easy to run daily system validation. This can be done as often as you’d like without any daily interruption to your daily routine.

• Flexible Sample vials – Saves time, and money and no decanting. Simply use the same vial you’re accustomed to, 4 Dram, 1 oz., 1/2 oz., 16x100mm, 13x100mm, 13x7mm, 5mL, and more.

• Heated Racks – For your heated applications we have 2 configurations available 40/10 (40 heated and 10 non-heated) and 20/30 (20 Heated and 30 non-heated). We know that it is necessary to have non-heated availability for some control samples and the AutoFlex^® R837 is the only autosampler in the world that can fulfill that need. We make it very easy to use. It’s merely transparent to the user. The system has the intelligence to not use the heated tubes and interface when loading a non-heated sample and also to heat up the tubes and heated interface prior to loading a heated sample.

• Flexible Method Selection – With the variety of samples that are cycled in today’s laboratories we realized how important it is to have a system that can handle your samples painlessly. One of our goals at Rudolph Research Analytical is to keep things simple for the user. Each sample may require different sample load modes and/or parameters, measurement parameters, measurement criteria, temperature, cleaning parameters with solvent type, amount of solvent, and drying time.

• Best unattended autosampler system that has the intelligence to let you know when a solvent runs low and it’s time to empty your waste container.

• Most advanced safety features – The needle does not protrude in the absence of a sample vial. Turns on the heated racks in the morning and off at the end of the day.

• Robust – Build with advanced cutting-edge technology.  Military-grade cables and circuits to ensure top quality and redundancy. The AutoFlex^® R837 is built to handle the harshest laboratory environments. Its metal frame and covers can handle any accidental chemical spills.

• Urgent sample – Allows the user to run an urgent sample without interrupting the active run.

• Import List of Sample IDs – A whole list of sample IDs can be saved and exported to the instrument to automatically populate the sample sequence without the need for sample labels.

• Safety – Complies with all safety regulations (US and International)

• Low sample volume consumption – The AutoFlex^® R837 uses less than 12mL for a 5 analytical instruments system (Density Meter, Refractometer, Polarimeter, Colorimeter, pH meter).

• Fast Throughput – 1.5 to 8 minutes per cycle (load, measure & clean).

Automated Data Collection

Automated sampling manages electronic data recording, and sample IDs, and reduces operator errors. Test tubes and bottles can be automatically identified by the system with a built-in bar code and label reader.

• Use any format of bar codes: PDF 417, 2D Matrix, UPC, or any bar code your lab chooses.

• The bar code is recorded as the Sample ID, measurements are taken, and data is available for export to a USB, Network Server, LIMS, or any data storage system.

• Labeling sample vials are also simplified as each bar code can be placed at any rotation on the sample vial or bottle because the sample vials are spun as they pass the bar code reader.

Durable Laboratory Automation

The Autoflex^® R837 is engineered to withstand demanding Automated Fragrance testing lab environments

The Rudolph R837 Automatic Sampling System is rugged and specifically designed to stand up in a harsh laboratory and industrial applications.

• Superior material construction: Stainless Steel Needle, PTFE, Teflon, and PEEK liquid flow path materials.

• Robust needle with sufficient torque to pierce any septum.

• Never miss piercing a sample vial with precision-engineered probe arm and sample racks which virtually eliminate misalignment errors.

• Safety guard protects hands and automated needle detects no-sample condition.

• Modular design reduces combined footprint.

Application Flexibility

The AutoFlex^® R837 is a flexible automation solution that can be configured with various instruments and measurement methods to automate a wide range of sample viscosities. It is perfect for high throughput laboratories looking to increase productivity, which makes this an excellent Petroleum testing system. The R837 is excellent when used in combination with Rudolph Research laboratory instruments in the Petroleum, Chemical, Flavor, Fragrance, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicology industries.

Using standard and custom Methods the Autoflex® R837 can:

• Automate Density Measurements
• Automate SG Measurements (Specific Gravity)
• Automate Specific Rotation Measurements
• Automate OR Measurements (Optical Rotation)
• Automate BRIX Measurements
• Automate Color Measurements
• Automate pH Measurements
• Automate RI Measurements(Refractive Index)

Please read the Automation technical bulletin to read more about all of the automation systems and their applications. Technical Bulletin

Eliminate sample cross-contamination with complete needle cleaning is a Rudolph exclusive feature

• Automatic Self-cleaning needle eliminates cross-contamination by washing both inside and outside areas of the needle between each sample. Most commercially available automation systems only flush the inside of the sample needle but neglect cleaning the outside of the needle thereby carrying over small amounts of the prior sample into new samples.

• The R837 rinses the entire system with your choice of 3 solvents between each sample. This is very important in Automated Flavor testing and Automated Fragrance testing.

• Low solvent level sensing: the 3 solvent bottles have a non-contact low-level sensor which will prompt the user with a low solvent level message.

• Sample return feature allows 95% of the original sample to be returned to the sample vial.

• Solvent selection flexibility: by using highly solvent-resistant materials for all sample pathways, a wide variety of solvents may be used including Water, Acetone, Isopropanol, Toluene, Hexane, and Heptane.

Flexibility Unmatched with Windows Embedded

The user interface allows the operator to interrupt a measurement routine with an urgent sample. If you need to quickly find and measure a sample in the rack, the auto-find feature will search and measure for you.

Automated Reporting

Certificate of Analysis

This sample was measured on Autosampler, Needle box Serial Number 1047 and Valve Box

Serial Number: 00000

Density Meter Serial Number: DDM4085

Refractometer Serial Number: 1780

Colorimeter Serial Number: 104034

pH-Meter Serial Number 1780001024219

Printed Date and Time: Wednesday: 09/02/2020 12:48:44PM

 

Automated Flavor & Fragrance Testing Made Easy

The Autoflex® R837 is capable of:

• Automated BRIX measurements
• Automated Density measurements
• Automated SG measurements (Specific Gravity)
• Automated RI measurements (Refractive Index)
• Automated Color measurements
• Automated pH measurements
• Automated OR measurements (Optical Rotation)
• Automated SR measurements (Specific Rotation)

• Push the Start button and Automate your Density, SG (Specific Gravity), RI (Refractive Index), OR (Optical Rotation), Specific Rotation, BRIX, Color, and pH measurements. All results are exported automatically to your LIMS with a sample ID number.

• Flexible Sample Vials: Test Tubes, Boston Rounds, 1 OZ, ½ OZ, virtually any size bottle.

• Flexible rack configurations: Heated and unheated on the same carousel.

• Flexible Method Selection: Suction Mode, Pressure Mode, 3 variable rinse selections, and endless drying time options.

Automated Flavor and Fragrance lab testing – Smart Sample Loading Technology

• SMART TECHNOLOGY™ automatically adjusts pump speed ranging from thin to high viscosity samples up to 36,000 mPa-s (cP).

• A heated rack option handles heavy crudes and waxes.

• Standard Methods: Define measurement configuration, sample load configuration (Vacuum or Gas Displacement) solvent choices, and drying time.

• No loss of accuracy or reproducibility over manually loaded samples.

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Push the start button and watch your vial spin to read your barcode, QR, PDF417, or 2D labels for the sample ID. Sample load flawlessly handles low and high viscous samples, Automated Density, SG, OR, SR, RI, Brix, Color (L*A*B*), Gardner, ABS, %T, Cobalt, pH measurements, then transferred automatically to LIMS, SAP or any proprietary data management system, reclaims the sample if enabled, then thoroughly cleans and dries with zero cross contamination and it’s ready for your next sample. This makes for an excellent system that can be paired with our laboratory instrumentation for Automated Pharmaceutical lab testing.

A sample of the many custom rack configurations available only from Rudolph Mix or match up to 5 heated or unheated racks on one Carousel

Small diameter 28 Positions per rack with up to 5 racks. 13mm Test Tube (Dual Rows) Up to 140 samples per carousel. 

Small diameter 14 Positions per rack with up to 5 racks. 13mm Test Tube (Single Row) Up to 70 samples per carousel.

Standard Test Tube Rack, 10 Positions per rack, 16mm Test Tube (Single Row) Up to 50 samples per carousel.

Short Test Tube Rack, 10 Positions per rack, 8mm Test Tube (Single Row) Up to 50 samples per carousel.

Boston Round bottle with caps Rack, 6 or 7 Positions per rack, (1/2 oz or 1 oz) (14 oz or 28mm) 30-35 samples per carousel.

Heated Rack Configurations for Your Application

Pre-Heat your samples from 30°C to 90°C with heated sample positions.

2 Heated Configurations

• 20 Heated and 30 non-heated sample positions, for a total of 50 positions

• 40 Heated and 10 non-heated – sample positions, providing independent temperature control for 20 samples that can be set at one temperature and the other 20 at a different temperature and 10 non-heated for a total of 50 positions

Safety

• The automation software has safety measures and intelligence to avoid operator errors.

Heated Tubing

• Keeps the sample in a liquid state to load and unload the sample without clogging. Controlled by the measurement methods making it transparent, operator friendly, reliable, and safe. Only Turns on when it is required in the method. This is important for highly viscous samples; when automating petroleum testing or other samples that need to be heated to flow.

Shown below with our 4 heated and 1 non-heated rack system and 2 method solution

Each rack can have its own measurement method solution: pressure, suction, rinse number, rinse time, and dry time.

 

Typical  Automated Flavor and Fragrance lab testing system features and specifications

Automated Flavor and Fragrance lab testing – Standard Features:

• 3 rinses available

• Inside and Outside Needle Wash

• Low Solvant Level Detection

• Suction Mode

• Pressure Gas Displacement Mode

• Flexible Method Selection

• LIMS Compatible

• 5 Test Tube Racks Handling 50 Samples

• Rack Specific Method Selection

• SAP Compatible

• Variable Drying and Rinse Times

Optional Features:

• Racks (customized to your bottles)

• Heated Racks

• Built in Bar Code / Label Reader with Vial Spinner

• Handheld Bar Code / Label Reader

• Automated Empty Vial Recognition

• Extra Racks

• Sample Return Feature: Allows 95% of sample
    to be returned to sample vial

• Custom Programming

Specifications:

Sample Viscosity:

Samples up to 36,000 mPa-s (cP)

Sample Volume Requirements:

3.5ml typical, optional to 1.5ml or 1.5mL to 10mL config. dependent

Rack Sample Capacity:

50 – 16 x 100mm test tubes. 70 – 13 x 100 mm, or optionally dozens of sample vial configurations and capacities.

Cleaning Cycle:

1:45 minutes nominal – time varies by application

Full Measurement and Cleaning Cycle:

2:30 minutes nominal – time varies by application

Software Interface:

Compatible with Rudolph Research instruments
running Windows Embedded OS

Power Requirements:

100-240 volts – 50-60 Hz – 10 amps

Operating Dimensions:

L: 24”          W: 24”        H: 20.5”

L: 61 cm      W: 61 cm    H: 52cm

Weight: 42 lbs. / 19 kg

R837D & R837C Features:

Pumping Method	Smart Sample™ Loading Technology comes standard with 3 choices
Suction Mode	Yes – All Models
Pressure Gas Displacement Mode	Yes
Hybrid Sample Loading	Yes
Air Drying	Internal Air Pump
Sample Agitation	Yes

Sample Capacities & Custom Sample Vessels

Carousel Capacity	Carousel Models – Up to 140 samples
Drawer Capacity	2
Custom Racks	Carousel Models – Use your vessel

Rinsing and Cleaning Features

Needle Cleaning	Full Needle Washing and Drying
Rinses available	Up to 3
Variable Drying and Rinsing Times	Complete flexibility in Drying and Rinsing times and Routines
Low Sample Volume Consumption	Yes
Low Solvent Alert	Yes
Typical Measurement Time	3-7 Minutes
Min Sample Volume	2mL

Data Reading and Sample Handling Features for Automated Flavor and Fragrance lab testing systems

Bar Code Reader	Optional on all Carousel Models – Handheld Bar Code for drawer models
Vial Spinner	Optional on all Carousel Models – Handheld Bar Code for drawer models
LIMS / SAP / Network Capable	All Models
Safety Shield	All Models
AutoFind™	AutoFindTM is available on all carousel models
Multiple Analysis	Up to 6 analyses Including but not limited to: Automated BRIX measurements Automated Density measurements Automated SG measurements (Specific Gravity) Automated RI measurements (Refractive Index) Automated Color measurements Automated pH measurements Automated OR measurements (Optical Rotation) Automated SR measurements (Specific Rotation)

Automation Quick Guide