3 External Factors That Wreck Dispensing Outcomes

When Your Dispensing Process Requires Consistency

If your benchtop dispensing system isn’t working at certain times of the day you may want to consider external factors on your production floor. Here are a few to watch for:

1. Factory Air Pressure

Most time-pressure dispensing equipment requires factory air pressure between 80 − 100 psi* to work properly. If your air pressure fluctuates throughout the day, it affects the accuracy of your deposit. Having a consistent air supply is essential for accurate dispensing. Here are a few ways to ensure a constant supply of air pressure:

• Install a five-micron filter regulator close to your dispensing equipment to help stabilize small pressure fluctuations

• Set incoming air pressure at least 10 psi below the lowest fluctuation point of your air supply e.g. if plant air pressure fluctuates from 90 ─ 110 psi, set your five-micron filter regulator to 80 psi

• Consider installing dispensing equipment closer to your air compressor to help keep air pressure more constant

These recommendations can add a higher degree of accuracy and control to your process.

*Note: Setting air pressure above the maximum recommended air input pressure setting can damage your equipment. Be sure to follow the guidelines recommended in the operating manual for your equipment.

2. Temperature Fluctuations

Many fluids are sensitive to temperature. For most fluids, viscosity gets thinner as temperatures rise. So if it is 65° F / ~18° C on your production floor in the morning, and then it heats up to 90° F / ~32° C in the afternoon, you might need to adjust dispensing parameters to accommodate for the lower fluid viscosity. Consider checking to make sure no doors are being propped open during the day and the HVAC system is working properly.

Sometimes when an operator holds a syringe barrel for a long time it can also increase the temperature of the fluid. Consider mounting the syringe barrel on a production stand.

3. Operator Effect

If everything works great during the first shift but then falls apart during the second shift it could be due to variations in usage between operators. Sometimes installing the right dispensing system such as a benchtop dispenser with operator lockout can prevent differences between operators from affecting process control.

These are just a few external factors that can affect your dispensing outcomes. Do you know of any others we could add? Feel free to submit them to [email protected].