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[August 2001]
New Generation of Sieves
Retsch GmbH & Co KG (Haan, Germany) is launching a new generation of test sieves on to the laboratory market, these being manufactured for the first time on a fully automated production line. The international product launch will take place in early October 2001.
The company says that the new sieves offer users a large number of advantages. A special welding technique is said to ensure a fabric-screen connection without 'dead edges', thus preventing sample material from remaining on the sieve edge. As opposed to traditionally fabricated sieves, it averts the accumulation of moisture: thus, there are shorter drying periods and a significantly higher product life cycle.
A further feature is the elimination of the soldering seam at the junction of the sieve frame to the mesh gauge, effectively preventing cross-contamination. Moreover, the entire sieve is designed using non-corrosive, high alloy stainless steel (316L OR DIN 1.4435) and therefore allows for use in all areas of laboratory analytics.
On the new series, with regard to labelling, sieve data are directly applied to the sieve frame with the aid of a laser. Consequently, it is impossible to alter or remove sieve data. The mesh size is marked in three locations so that it can easily be read from all sides.
No test sieves leave the production facilities in Germany without a certificate. Sieves are calibrated using a world-wide unique mesh measuring system, says Retsch. "The new standard (DIN EN ISO 3310-0) requires a much higher number of meshes to be tested than previously specified," explained Kenneth McCartney, Head of Technology. "Such measurements cannot be accomplished, however, using conventional measuring techniques. Thus, we have developed an optical mesh measuring system (MMS) which on the one hand works quickly and at the same time can test a large number of meshes while ensuring extreme precision."
ENDS