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Alicat Making Headlines |
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| Alicat Scientific, Inc. receives ISO 9001:2000 certification | | Date: 03/08/2005 | | On February 10, 2005 AOQC has certified Alicat Scientific, Inc to be ISO 9001:2000 compliant. The certification encompasses all business, engineering and production functions of Alicat Scientific.
ISO certification represents a tremendous milestone More >> | | Alicat Scientific Forum Update | | Date: 01/18/2005 | | Alicat Scientific is an effort to further improve customer support is re-launching its product support forums. The Alicat Mass Flow Support and Discussion Forums are aimed at providing support to end users of mass flow equipment, regardless of brand More >> | | Alicat Scientific Website Makeover | | Date: 06/14/2004 | | In following with Alicat Scientifics
promise to offer you the highest
quality service possible, our website
has received a makeover. It is our
goal to make your online experience
more enjoyable by increasing the ease
of navigation and More >> | |
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Low-Flow Gas Measurement: The Benefits of Internally Compensated Laminar
by Elizabeth North
from Flow Control magazine - March, 2004
Please visit http://www.flowcontrolnetwork.com/PastIssues/mar2004/2.asp to view this article.
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Laminar Based MFCs for Precise Gas Injection Control in Portable Devices
by Elizabeth North
from Laboratory Equipment magazine
Please visit
http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/ShowPR.aspx?PUBCODE=020&ACCT=2000013560&ISSUE=0303
&RELTYPE=PR&ORIGRELTYPE=AOEM&PRODCODE=00003915&PRODLETT=A
to view this article.
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Alicat Scientific Inc. now carries full line of compatible fittings, filters and tubing for use
with Alicat devices.
Tucson, Arizona
For Immediate Release
Tucson, Arizona- Alicat Scientific Inc. in its continuing mission to address end-user and new customer
concerns, has introduced a full line of compatible fittings, tubing, and filters to streamline and
simplify the integration of Alicat Scientific Inc. meters and controllers into processes and equipment.
Alicat Scientific Inc. now carries Swagelok, Beswick, and Parker-Hannafin accessories for process
connection and fluid filtering. Fittings can be ordered and delivered installed upon new equipment,
or ordered to accommodate existing equipment.
Alicat Scientific Inc.'s multi-drop RS232 communications and versatile cabling options and accessories
like the BB9, have already made communication connections easy and efficient for end-users. Now offering
fittings filters and tubings allows Alicat Scientific Inc. to provide the same efficiency to process and
fluid connection.
For more information about Alicat Scientific Inc. products and services visit us at www.alicatscientific.com
or contact a Representative at (888) 290-6060.
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Low-Power Portable Flow Meters, a boon to fieldwork, and in-house testing applications
Tucson, Arizona
For Immediate Release
Tucson, Arizona- Alicat Scientific Inc.'s series of portable mass flow meters and liquid flow meters, utilizes a battery pack with a standard 9 volt battery to make metering gas flow, pressure, or water flow in the field, and in the lab, convenient and reliable.
Alicat Scientific Inc. is providing a dynamic response to an increasing demand for an efficient means to measure flow, perform leak tests, and verify proper operation of installed devices in the laboratory and field. Based on the Alicat advantage of low power consumption, we have developed the 9VDC battery pack accessory for use with all standard Alicat meters. This feature makes our industry tested and accurate laminar metering technologies available for use in the field, or as a tool to ensure quality control over flow-based systems in the laboratory.
Laboratories, industrial plants, process facilities and field technicians have all gained substantial advantages from the Alicat portable, mass flow meter and liquid flow meter. Instead of spending time hard wiring a power source you can be utilizing our multiple parameter measurement features to quickly verify proper operation of flow meters and flow controllers from any manufacturer, take measurements of gas flow, water flow, or pressure in the field, and to test for leaks in multiple processes or systems.
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Alicat's New Plasma Booth Equivalency Device
Tucson, Arizona
For Immediate Release
The paper "Plasma Spray Booth Equivalency", presented at NTSC '90 in Long Beach, California, revealed that booth-to-booth variances across 17 plasma spray booths of one popular type exceeded 35% for a "power density" term, or Kilowatts per Liter of gas flow. Most of the variance was due to imprecise rotameter gas flow control. The following year, "Booth Equivalency II: Demonstration of the Effects of Booth-to-Booth Variances on Coatings Attributes" concluded that variances even smaller than the 35% found in the first paper could cause significant changes in coatings properties, such as microstructural oxides, hardness, and tensile strength, with the tensile strength range from 4400 psi to over 10,000 psi for one coating system (chrome carbide/nickel chromium). The work for the second paper was conducted three times, each a month apart, in order to positively confirm the effects. While some of the plasma spray consoles studied in the 1990 and 1991 papers have been replaced, most have not; it is anticipated (and is being confirmed) that the newer rotameter-control consoles are still very imprecise. Other flow control methodologies have also been found to vary significantly.
TubalCain Company Inc., owned by Walter Riggs, the primary author of the two papers, has partnered with Alicat Scientific, Inc. of Tucson, Arizona, to bring to the market an affordable solution to the gas flow problems. The system, now available for sale, is called the Plasma Booth Equivalency Device. It has four mass flow meters for plasma spray analysis (argon, nitrogen, helium, and hydrogen), and two for low velocity combustion spraying (oxygen and acetylene). All six meters are based upon Laminar Flow technology (differential pressure). Alicat Scientific flow meters are based on the accurate measurement of volumetric flow. The volumetric flow rate is determined by creating a pressure drop across a unique internal restriction, known as a Laminar Flow Element (LFE), and measuring differential pressure across it. The restriction is designed so that the gas molecules are forced to move in parallel paths along the entire length of the passage; hence Laminar (streamline) flow is established for the entire range of operation of the device. The LFE technology constrains the gas molecules to a Reynolds Number range which guarantees laminar, instead of turbulent flow. Unlike other flow measuring devices, in laminar flow meters the relationship between pressure drop and flow is linear. The underlying principle of operation of the flow meters is known as the Poiseuille Equation. The meters also measure absolute pressure and temperature, and can be data-logged to any standard PC using the Hyperterminal program connected to the standard RS-232 interface. Export of the data to Excel spreadsheets or to other applications is simple from within the Hyperterminal program. Use of the device in each of the spray booths in a given facility will reveal the exact flows in each booth for a series of settings on the console, thus providing a means to achieve true flow without re-capitalization and replacement of existing equipment.
The size of the Plasma Booth Equivalency Device is approximately twice the size of a laptop computer. For further information, contact Walter Riggs at TubalCain Company Inc., 1928 S. Seguin, New Braunfels TX, 830-606-0773, plasmaspray@sbcglobal.net, or Elizabeth North, Alicat Scientific, 520-290-6060, enorth@alicatscientific.com.
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Dual Valve Pressure Controller for the Semiconductor Market
Tucson, Arizona
For Immediate Release
Alicat Scientific, Inc. has announced its introduction to the semiconductor market
the revolutionary high speed dual valve pressure controller to aid in pressure control
during semiconductor manufacturing. The dual valve pressure controller from ASI is a
pressure control device that incorporates two control valves, one upstream and one
downstream to provide accurate pressure control in dead ended applications without the
use of a manual bleed valve. The dual valve pressure control is able to modulate
proportional valves on the source and vent side of the process, concurrently, allowing
precise pressure control even with changes in supply pressure. The ASI DVPC offers
excellent control stability, typically +/- 0.02% of full scale, custom pressure
selection range and a response time so fast that its limiting factor is the time
required for the process volume to fill through the inlet valve. The ASI DVPC is a low
power unit (consuming 50mA typical) and can be configured for low, moderate and high
flow rates. All of these in a user configurable package that offers custom pressure
range selection at a price that is comparable with other units that offer much less.
The ASI dual valve pressure controller is made with rugged stainless steel components
and contains the same technologically advanced features that are built into Alicat
Scientifics' line of precision flow measurement equipment, including patented laminar
technology. The DVPC comes standard with organic display and real time readout of
control settings and pressure on screen, allowing users to see what is happening in real time.
The unit can be set locally via the buttons on the unit or full control and communication can be
achieved via RS-232 allowing for fast and simple field repairs resulting in reduced downtime.
Alicat dual valve pressure controllers can be set up in a "multi-drop" configuration allowing
multiple Alicat units to operate together in a single process all communicating independently to
single serial port.
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Ultra-Low Flow Mass Flow Controller for the Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry
Tucson, Arizona
For Immediate Release
Tucson based Alicat Scientific has recently announced it's intention to begin working in the semiconductor
space by introducing it's line of ultra-low flow (0.5SCCM - 50SCCM) Alicat Mass Flow Controllers to the
semiconductor manufacturing industry.
Semiconductor manufacturing processes such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD),
thin film, sputtering, and backside wafer cooling call for a MFC that has the ability to control below 5SCCM.
With patented internally compensated laminar flow technology Alicat can control at flow rates as low as 0.5SCCM
full scale with a control range of 1% - 100% full scale and a control response time of less than 100ms with 1% accuracy.
Alicat devices are NIST and CE certified and have standard 14 gas user selectable calibration and a small footprint
for easy mounting. Alicat MFCs also come standard with a dynamic display allowing the user to quickly view the status
of the device, change the values of the PID control loop and view several parameters including mass flow, volumetric
flow, psia, and temperature. A variety of customizable components are available including totalizer function and a
variety of fittings.
Alicat Scientific is a Tucson, AZ based manufacturer of mass flow instrumentation based on a patented technology
of laminar flow. Alicat has been making mass flow instrumentation since 1992. Alicat currently has over 22,000 mass flow
control products in use worldwide.
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Alicat Scientific announces its battery powered, portable, secondary calibration standard.
Tucson, Arizona
For Immediate Release
Tucson, Arizona- Alicat Scientific Inc.'s Portable Calibration Unit (Alicat part# PCU) integrates 3 ranges of Alicat laminar flow meters to provide
a secondary calibration standard for gas flow applications ranging from 0.005 SCCM - 1500 SLPM.
The Alicat PCU is becoming widely known as the most efficient and affordable secondary calibration standard for gas flow
applications in today's market. The PCU integrates three Alicat Laminar Mass Flow Meters into an industrial briefcase that
can be taken anywhere in the world to verify the operation of flow equipment. Unlike other current secondary standards, the
PCU is fully self-contained and does not require any additional support equipment or line power. It is as simple as having a
tech arrive on site, plug the unit into the system and take readings. The PCU also has on-board digital output to send flow
data to a laptop or other computer system.
The PCU can be plugged into wall power or it can be powered by two standard 9V batteries. The unit will alert the user to
replace the batteries when power falls below a minimum threshold via a bright led indicator. Like Alicat's standard line of
flow devices the PCU also has no large mechanical parts to service or fail. The ranges of the flow meters are specified by
the end user while ordering the PCU.
Laboratories, industrial plants, process facilities and field technicians have all gained substantial advantages from the Alicat Portable Calibration Unit:
Verify proper operation of flow meters and flow controllers from any manufacturer
Take measurements of gas flow without a need for a hard-wired power source
Alicat Portable Calibration Units are available with these features:
Low, Medium, and High Range Displays of Mass Flow, Volumetric Flow, Pressure & Temperature
Multi-drop RS-232 I/O communications packages for simultaneous data acquisition from all three meters.
20 pre-set selectable gas calibrations and 10 pre-set gas mix calibrations (specific gas mixes and calibrations available)
Alternate and adjustable STP to simplify comparisons to other flow devices
High accuracy calibration of +/- (0.4% of reading + .2% of full scale) (on full scale flow ranges from 5 SCCM to 500 SLPM)
Integrated totalizer for tests that require long term averaging
All of Alicat's products carry the CE marking and are NIST traceable
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