Feature Temperature control
AL temperature controllers from West Control Solutions are helping laboratory OEMs to provide the best possible condi- tions for research into the treatment of diseases such as cancer. The CAL 3300 temperature controller, for example, is controlling the performance of an incu- bation chamber for laboratory equip- ment manufacturer, Solent Scientific. The 37˚ Climate Chamber is an acrylic enclosure integrated with a powerful microscope, which is used to conduct prolonged studies of living cells, usually involving time lapse image capture. These enclosures can also exclude light when working with low level light microscopy. In opera- tion, warm, filtered air circulates within the enclosure from a heater unit, but the precise temperature within the chamber needs to be controlled. With temperature control such a critical feature, Solent Scientific turned to West Control Solutions, which pro- vides reliable temperature controllers that perform over long periods within extremely tight tolerances. Orry Dugdale, director, Solent Scientific, explains further how the 37˚ Incubation Chambers work and why the CAL 3300 provided an ideal solution for temperature control: “When we built the incubator we were trying to create a cell culturing system that accurately replicates conditions within the human body, and that means maintaining a constant temperature. The temperature requirement for the chamber is 37˚C, + 0.1˚C. The tem- perature must be accurate and within that tight tolerance. The CAL 3300 is proven to be capable of delivering that, day after day, year after year.”
Meeting medical research demands C
A temperature controller from West Control Solutions is helping to control the performance of a Climate Chamber – an acrylic enclosure featuring a powerful microscope – that is being used to research treatment for diseases such as cancer
An easy to use solution
Easy to operate, the CAL 3300 features a large 4-digit green LED display clearly showing the current temperature, and a parameter security-locking feature that prevents the operator from inad- vertently changing the settings. It also offers ease-of-use to the customers of OEMs such as Solent Scientific by offering integrated auto-tune PID con- trol (Proportional Integral Derivative). This means that users do not have to programme parameters manually, a task that requires a certain amount of technical knowledge, and reduces set up time to a few minutes.
The PID facility is further enhanced by a dAC (Derivative Approach Control) function, which prevents con- trol temperature overshoot during warm up. CAL has developed dAC functions outside of the proportional band during warm-up by widening the proportional band. The temperature rise is slowed during this period and when the temperature falls within the original proportional band, the con- troller reverts back to normal operation. The result is a steady temperature rise with minimal overshoot, which can be critical when maximum temperatures must not be exceeded. West Control Solutions has also provided Solent Scientific with a cost- efficient method of logging temperature over a period of time, a facility that was required in order to test the operation of each incubator. By using the communication software for real-time
The Climate
Chamber is used to conduct prolonged studies of living cells
logging of CAL controllers, Solent Scientific could prove that the tempera- ture within the incubator was kept to ±0.1˚C over long periods of time, which is well within the tolerances required for the application. This solution avoided the considerable cost and development involved in employing SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) packages.
The CAL range of temperature controllers offer accuracy and reliability
The 37˚ Incubation Chambers are making a major contribution to the life sciences, with sales to universities and research institutes across the globe. Imperial College in London was the first customer in 1997. Dugdale adds: “When I visited London in 2012, the chamber was still working and I can think of no better recommendation for CAL controllers.”
West Control Solutions T: 01273 810116
www.West-CS.co.uk Enter 269
Enclosure & Safety Solutions SUMMER 2013
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