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Apollo2: Listening to the voice of the customer for more accessible, user-friendly light fastness te |
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Written by James Heal
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Wednesday, 30 July 2008 |
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DATE: July 2008TITLE: Apollo2: Listening to the voice of the customer for more accessible, user-friendly light fastness technology… Of all the types of colour fastness testing, gauging a material’s reaction to light is probably one of the most important. Anticipating light fastness correctly can be a question of make or break for some businesses.
Light fastness testing is a fundamental part of research and development and quality control. It is also one of the most difficult tests to get right. Most manufacturers wanting to run light fastness tests on their materials have to send everything out to specialist laboratories or invest in highly intricate instruments that are extremely difficult to operate accurately and maintain. It has been a complex and expensive process – something definitely best left to the experts…until now. At James H. Heal we have designed an instrument that introduces new levels of ease of use and operation whilst performing consistent and repeatable light fastness testing…Apollo2 Apollo2 was designed with an entirely new approach that was focused on delivering an instrument which boldly distinguishes itself through innovative engineering and exceptional quality and value. In Apollo2 the samples being tested rotate around a 2200W air cooled xenon lamp specifically developed for long-term performance. Our 2200W lamp faithfully reproduces the closest simulation to natural sunlight-essential when you need to predict a fabric’s performance in real-life situations. Advanced engineering techniques and extensive quality control capabilities have enabled us to incorporate a durable range of optical filters, used to modify and control the spectral output of the lamp. Furthermore, the ergonomic design of the lantern enables operators to quickly and safely remove and replace the filters. Apollo2 can be as simple and straight forward, or as complex as you want it to be, for development work. The instrument’s control software has been designed so that tests can be run to completion in a trouble-free and reliable manner. Inexperienced operators can literally begin a test in 3 simple steps: Ø Select a StandardØ Set an Exposure TimeØ Press the START key The test will begin and finish uninterrupted, performing all the necessary functions required by the chosen test method. For the more demanding user, who is proficient with light fastness testing, the Apollo2 software can be set to operate in its comprehensive mode. This allows skilled operators to access the system control functions and make any changes or alterations to the test parameters that best suit specific customer testing requirements. Apollo2 has product performance standards pre-programmed and stored within its system. In the simplified mode, the operator has quick access to a shortlist of the most popular light fastness standards and test methods. The comprehensive standards menu allows operators to select, view, edit, create and reset a set of 40 programmable standards. The instrument also comes equipped with a quiet, high speed, long life thermal panel printer. Its primary function is for the continuous monitoring and logging of testing conditions but can also be used to document the setting of each menu and for fault diagnostics. Apollo2 will be on display on HEAL’S stand C11, Hall E3, at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2008 in Shanghai, China, between the 27th and 31st of July 2008. For more information on this or any other testing solutions from HEALS please visit www.james-heal.co.uk or contact HEAL’S Sales Department on +44 1422 366355. ENDS NOTES TO EDITORSCOMPANY BACKGROUND: James H Heal & Co. Ltd began in 1872. Today the company manufactures and supplies high quality fabric and colourfastness testing instruments. It also produces Quality Assured Consumables. In addition to this it provides excellent after sales service through HEALINK and the recently launched HEALINK ASIA, these are Global Service and Calibration Divisions which offer a complementary range of services, covering: installation, training, applications and engineering support, maintenance and calibration - whatever you need to realise the most from your investment. |
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