During the foundry melt process, using an optical emission spectrometer (OES) allows you to obtain a complete picture of the exact chemical composition of the materials you are creating. It also generates lots of data. Knowing the best way to analyze and manipulate this data is key to gaining the most useful insight from it. Hitachi High-Tech’s range of OES analyzers give operators powerful reporting tools and quick, accurate analysis.
Some of the best ways to drill down into your spark spectrometer data and drive growth and productivity in your business are outlined below.
Connectivity, Storing and Sharing
Based on the latest Windows operating system, Hitachi High-Tech’s range of OES analyzers include the control software packages SpArcfire and WASlab. This offers operators some state-of-the-art tools for data storage, connectivity, and distribution.
With both optional Wi-Fi and network connection available, data can be stored and shared easily in a variety of formats including text, CSV, and PDF files. When handling a lot of data, being able to see it in a format that suits you can be hugely beneficial. From here, the data can be stored on an SQLite database and there will soon be an option of using their ExTOPE Connect data cloud service.
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Sample Identification
It is essential to properly identify your samples. To make the task a little easier, you can adapt the sample ID to more closely suit your needs by automating some features.
A good starting place is:
- Mandatory ID fields
- Increments (such as those used for the charge number)
- Date and time
So that you can more easily scroll through a selection of fields, you should also consider setting up some predefined lists such as customer/supplier lists or operator names. Setting upgrades for a comparison analysis concerning the limits and tolerances of preselected grades is another popular time-saver. Previous IDs will be kept as defaults to make this simple to manage.
Charge Correction
Working out which adjustments to make if your melt material isn’t hitting the targeted grade can be a complicated and long-winded affair. Hitachi High-Tech provides an optional charge correction software package that can carry out the job of calculating the most cost-effective solution.
Grade Identification
Every Hitachi High-Tech OES analyzer includes the market’s most comprehensive GRADE Database. It is advised that you take some time to produce some tailor-made grade libraries that suit your applications. This will make the process of checking if melt material meets a specified grade (or whether it needs any additional material) extremely fast.
Reporting
A key starting point for any analysis is the way data is reported. Listing data in a dense, unstructured list is going to massively hinder your ability to pull out actionable insights. Fortunately, both software come with report and certificate creation tools, which means you can easily present data in your chosen way.
Statistical Process Control
There are also methods to make the statistical process control (SPC) easier to manage. SPC software allows you to collect, maintain, evaluate and archive your measurement data for production and control samples. By monitoring a process at every stage and by filtering, sorting and preparing analytical data for reports and certificates you are 100% prepared for audits.
Creating the optimum analysis solutions for foundries all over the globe is about much more than creating the easiest to use and effective OES analyzers. Hitachi High-Tech has also been providing the best ways for companies to turn their analysis data into insight that adds value to their operations over the last 45 years.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science.
For more information on this source, please visit Hitachi High-Tech Analytical Science.