Standards-compliant filter residue analysis

Image analysis system precisely determines the number of residue particles on a filter, while the detection algorithm minimises possible user error and/or influence

The AnalySis FilterInspector is a residue analysis system for fully automated analysis, classification and documentation of filter residues.

With its high resolution, this system was designed for fast analysis.

This means full inspection of circular filters 47mm in diameter may be conducted quickly and at resolutions down to 0.8um.

The speed is made possible by FilterInspector's fast cameras and motorised stages.

Optical residue analysis is a method for determining residue amounts on components or system parts.

There are usually three steps involved.

Firstly the object in question is cleansed with a rinsing fluid.

Then a defined amount of this fluid is filtered and finally the collected residue is quantified optically.

Cleanliness is of particular significance in many industrial, pharmaceutical and medical applications.

It can affect the life-span and functionality of technical components as well as the quality of pharmaceutical products.

Virtually every production process and every product has specific mandatory cleanliness requirements defined by the respective standards for each individual branch of industry.

The level of residue considered tolerable varies considerably.

Using optical residue analysis systems, particles can be quantified on the micrometer level and thus classified for the respective quality and/or production inspection in accordance with the relevant standards.

The number of particles involved ranges from a few to several million.

Some sample applications where filter analysis is used include determining contamination of lubricants, hydraulic fluids, fuels and carbon particulates in diesel emissions, and monitoring residues in engine blocks, transmissions, camshafts and crankshafts.

The AnalySis FilterInspector has been designed as a comprehensive system solution for fully automatic residue analysis of circular filters.

The system comprises a microscope (eg Olympus MX61 or BX2M series), digital camera (eg F-View II), motorised stage (including controller) and the filter inspection software.

The hardware and software have been developed to interact perfectly, guaranteeing highly precise and reproducible measurement results.

The FilterInspector software is user-friendly and guides the user step-by-step through the entire analysis procedure.

Few steps are involved and more complex analyses can be learnt quickly.

The AnalySis FilterInspector precisely determines the number of residue particles on the entire filter.

Images of the entire filter are acquired, analysed and classified automatically, and the detection algorithm minimises possible user error and/or influence.

The FilterInspector is the first product on the market capable of analysing particles of any size, independent of the resolution setting, says Olympus.

Even at the micrometer level, particles that may be the same size as the filter itself, are quantified accurately.

All particle data is presented in sheets and diagrams.

Overviews are available for particles and images.

Histograms and single-particle data are also supported.

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