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UV Analyzer

UV MEASUREMENT DEVICE

The UV Analyzer is an app-based UV measurement device. It consists of the UV Analyzer app for Android and iOS, the UV Analyzer self-adhesive strips and the UV Analyzer stick.

 

The app can be downloaded via the App Store from App Store® from Apple® or via Google Play free of charge. The UV Analyzer measuring strips and stick are distributed by IST. Please contact Frank Krauß for order processing.

 

Measuring is quite easy. Put the strip on your substrate, irradiate it with UV and measure the strip with the stick. The app will show you the measured dose. The measurements can be exported for quality assurance and documentation. 

 

Download Flyer UV Analyzer FAQ

 

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Use gloves and stick the measuring strip on a white (light) substrate

 

Irradiate the measuring strip with UV light; the measuring strip turns dark blue

 

Take the measurement with the UV stick and transfer to the app via Bluetooth

 

Performance of the measurement

Use gloves and remove the measuring strips from the light-protected packaging. Separate individual measuring strips. The measuring strip has a practical peel-off aid. Do not touch the measuring strip with your fingers.

 

Recommended processing time until irradiation 15 min, remove measuring strip and stick on a white (light) substrate.

 

Irradiate the measuring strip with UV light; depending on the irradiation dose, the measuring strip turns dark blue. Each UV lamp should always be measured individually.

 

After irradiation, evaluate the measuring strip within 15 minutes.

 

Call up the app, select a suitable calibration curve depending on the unit and enter the measurement data. By taking a picture, the measuring strip is recognized and saved in the app for documentation purposes.

 

Place the UV stick on the measuring strip and take the measurement. The measured value is transferred to the app via Bluetooth.

 

A maximum of 10 measurements can be saved. Sharing the measurement data creates a measurement protocol.

 

Technical specification

Store between 0 - 18 degrees, no direct sunlight, protect from liquids and contact materials, store measuring strips in supplied packaging, observe shelf life

 

Recommended measuring range for dose from approx. 200 - 2500 mJ/cm². For further information see FAQs

 

FAQ

Any Application where UV dose is of interest and that can’t be accessed via conventional UV dose measuring devices.

 

Use gloves, hold the strip in the corner and pull of the strip. The strip is self-adhesive and must be put onto a white surface to avoid shine through from the background. Don’t touch the strips without gloves!

 

There are quite a lot of factors influencing the measuring. Most important are electrical power, distance to UV unit, light spectrum, machine speed and shape resp. color of underground (curved – flat, dark - light).

 

Recommendation: Respect the warming up time of minimum 5 minutes for the whole unit before measuring and ensure consistent measuring conditions

 

Position the stick on the strip, ensure no overlapping and and start measuring in the app. The app allows up to 5 measurements (after repositioning) for each strip. After completion of the desired number of measurements a mean value is automatically calculated. We do recommend minimum 2 measurements.

 

We do specify the UV dose as a rough rule between 125 mJ/cm² and 2500 mJ/cm². In detail the real sector is a function of strip sensitivity and the emmission sectrum of light source. The app will use recommendations depending on the selected type of UV. The UV dose is inversely proportional to machine speed. Means double the speed, half the dose. Therefore a lot of applications are brought up for UV measuring. The app can calculate a dose for a target speed.

 

It might be that requested dose values exceed the recommended limits of the strips. In this case you should set your machine speed to realize dose values which will be within the limits. The machine speed might now be wrong for your application, but you are able to calculate the exact dose for your desired machine speed with this feature.

 

We do recommend not to overlay a period of 6 month.  During this period the strips should be stored under dark and cold conditions, best will be to put jn the fridge.

 

The UV Analyzer app is using calibration curves to realize best accuracy. In reference to the type of UV unit and lamp spectrum resp. LED spectrum you have to choose the designated calibration curve. Choosing a calibration curve will get you as well a detailed information for recommended dose levels.

 

Available calibration curves:

 

  • BLK Hg - (mercury lamps for IST BLK units)
  • BLK Fe - (iron doped lamps for IST BLK units)
  • LUV3 385 nm - (385 nm LEDs with optics for IST LUV3 units)
  • SC 395 nm - (395 nm LEDs without optics for IST/ITL units)
  • Generic LED 375-405 nm - (LEDs for all non IST units)
  • Generic Hg - (mercury lamps for all non IST units)

The app shows dose measurements in reference to the type of UV unit and the spectrum, which will work for UV and LED. Before measuring, you can enter and save additional parameters, such as unit number, operating hours, machine name and measuring speed, distance to substrate and power setting. These parameters are informative and have no influence on the actual UV measurement.

 

There is a certain sensitivity (up to 420 nm) to ambient light. Therefore we recommend no massive light impact before and after UV radiation. You should also consider a maximum of 15 minutes before and after UV radiation.

 

In every package of the UV Analyzer is a calibration standard included. This is used for recalibration and must not be exchanged with others. IST METZ recommends that the stick be subjected to a factory check once a year.  Therefore you have to send the stick back to the company IST.

 

The UV Analyzer respects that UV strips do not have uniform sensitivity over the complete UV range. The calibration curves with reference to unit type and spectrum take this aspect into account and enable precise measured value assignment. In addition, each stick is referenced to a calibration standard. Through these measures, a high measurement quality is achieved.

 

The UV Analyzer app offers the possibility to share measurements. A complete protocol can be stored as a pdf-file, transmitted to a printer or an e-mail address. Please note that only the last 10 measurements will be stored within the app. If you try to store more than 10 measurements the oldest measurement is overwritten.

 

Of course, that is possible. In this case you have to choose a spectrum (calibration curve) which is close to your usage. 

 

However, the UV Analyzer was developed for IST equipment and calibrated accordingly. This means that you only get the full accuracy in regards of dose measurements with the calibration curves for IST UV units. 

 

No, the App will only recognize ISTs UV Analyzer strips, third party strips are not supported. 

 

While connecting the stick to the app, a message pops up and will display the status of the battery in a figure up to 100.

 

Start the app, switch on the stick, the LED of the stick flashes. Then press the icon with the stick in the upper right corner. Turning the icon blue will confirm the connection. Switch-off needs the button on the stick pressed for approx. 3 seconds.

 

By selecting the settings menu you will find the possibility to input your mail address, and the desired units for distance to the substrate (cm, in, mm) and machine speed (ft/min, mm/s, m/min, m/s). The mail address is used for transmitting the measurements to a PC.

 

The app needs connection to the internet for the first app start and updating data. This will allow to load the necessary information from the data base.

 

The stick is connected via Low Energy Bluetooth with the smartphone, therefore you have to allow the usage of Bluetooth. LE Bluetooth needs a location sharing as well.