Calibration Station

As a result of the increased attention given to the affects that vibration has on the dissolution process, AAPS '99 Exhibitor VanKel Technology Group has developed the new QA II Station. This calibration unit for dissolution testers was designed specifically to allow the measurement of vibration in the X, Y and Z axes in four parameters: acceleration, frequency, velocity and displacement via an electronic vibration sensor.

To facilitate checking standard parameters, the QA II is also equipped with a calibrated NIST traceable temperature probe, for guaranteed accuracy within 0.1 degree to verify vessel as well as bath temperature; an electronic level sensor, for checking the level of the vessel table and the perpendicularity of each shaft from side-to-side and front-to-back; a digital wobble gauge mounted on an EaseAlign bracket, which displays shaft wobble in inches or millimeters on its built-in LCD; and an optical tachometer, which also is mounted on an EaseAlign bracket, for verifying spindle speed.

The base of the station contains the keypad, LCD and the Report Center Printer, which provides a complete hard-copy print-out of the test results including the vibration measurements recorded in the X, Y and Z axes. Simple navigation through the unit's menu screens allows the flexibility of choosing to measure all parameters or only those of specific interest. Another feature offered by the QA II is the ability to download test data to a PC by means of the RS232 interface. The QA II also has a non-volatile memory with an information capacity for up to 30 testers and it can be battery operated. With a built-in handle, it is easily transferred from one dissolution station to the next. Provided with each unit is a certificate of calibration plus an adapter which allows the use of the QA II with other non-VanKel testers.

The QA II is useful not only for the regularly scheduled calibration process, but also for trouble-shooting specific abnormal test results to quickly ensure no physical parameters have changed.

VanKel Technology Group, 13000 Weston Pkwy., Cary, NC 27513-2228. Tel: 630-773-3330. Fax: 919-677-1138.