Sometimes a seemingly innocuous procedure can bollix up desired results. That’s why the old saw “real people don’t need to read directions” can frequently result in less than desired outcomes.
So it is with mounting Tovatech’s FlowCal 5000 liquid flow meter, a factory-certified digital liquid flow meter for use with any model HPLC pump. The accuracy and repeatability features of this precision device are maintained by proper use and regular cleaning, but are also dependent on proper mounting.
Several mounting options come in the FlowCal 5000 kit, but all require that the meter be mounted within ~10 degrees of vertical. Mounting should also be such as to allow a suitable collection vessel to be placed below the flow meter.
Wall mounting is accommodated by one of two supplied “L” shaped brackets, the long end of which is attached to the wall with two supplied screws. The base of the flow meter is then attached to the short end of the bracket by inserting the meter’s threaded outlet tube assembly housing through the bracket’s mounting hole and tightening the dome nut – snug but not overly tight.
The flow meter can also be attached to a free-standing mount, the base plate of which is attached to a bench top counter surface by means of supplied adhesive feet. Two L brackets are used in this scenario – the longer of which is attached by its short end to the base plate. For this, a screw and shake-proof washer are placed under the base plate and connected to the mounting bracket by a star knob.
When the desired mounting height is determined, attach the long end of the shorter L bracket to the long bracket, using two sets of screws, shake-proof washers and star knobs. The flow meter is attached to the short end of the short bracket in the same way used for the wall mounting configuration.
Stack system mounting enables positioning the flow meter on the front, left or right side of almost any stacked pump/detector system. In this scenario the shorter L bracket is attached to the flow meter as above, while the short end of the long bracket is attached to the uppermost mounting hole of the short bracket using a screw, shake-proof washer and star knob. The flow meter must be positioned below the long bracket. Insert the long arm of the long bracket into a gap between units in the stack system for support.
As an alternative a bottle top adapter kit allows the flow meter to be mounted directly onto standard wide-necked reagent bottles of at least one liter capacity. In this case the meter’s threaded outlet tube assembly is inserted through two supplied washers and a hole drilled in the plastic bottle top. A washer is also used between the dome nut and the inside of the bottle top to hold it snugly in position.
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Did you find this information useful? How do you mount flow meters in your organization? Have you had any adverse experiences due to improper mounting? Pleas share your experiences and solutions.
Tags: flowmeter
