Have you viewed the inside of a calibration laboratory? Metrologists are calibrating rotational equipment like tachometers or perhaps air velocity equipment in the wind tunnel or many other types of instruments. InnoCal, our featured calibration laboratory, calibrates and repairs almost any meter, controller, calibrator, recorder, or generator including instruments measuring temperature, humidity, pressure, electrical, force, torque, flow, air velocity, rotational, dimensional, sound, and pH. They also provide a comprehensive NIST-traceable calibration report. View the video to get the full InnoCal experience.
Take a Video Tour of the InnoCal® Laboratory
July 7, 2011
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Hollywood, Too Cool for School, Videos | Tagged: air velocity, and pH, calibration, calibration services, calibrator, controller, dimensional, electrical, flow, force, generator, humidity, InnoCal, NIST-traceable, NIST-traceable calibration report, pressure, recorder, rotational, sound, torque | 
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Posted by bdumey
Serial Dilutions
May 17, 2011Serial dilutions are among the most commonly performed techniques in biology, chemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, and physics laboratories. A serial dilution is essentially a stepwise dilution of a substance in a solution. It is often used to reduce the concentration of microscopic organisms or cells in a sample or standard.
When using pH meters or ion meters to measure ion concentration in a solution, it may be beneficial to have multiple standard values to calibrate your ion selective electrode. Typically, begin with a 1000 parts per million (ppm) standard and dilute this down to a smaller value such as 100 ppm and further to 10 ppm or even further if a lower concentration is required.
This helpful video illustrates a stepwise dilution of a 1000 ppm standard down to 1 ppm. This procedure is quite common, however overlooking steps in the process, using poor technique, or lacking organization can lead to errors. It is especially critical to stay organized.
We would love to hear from you. Tell us your stories of mishaps when performing a serial dilution, or share tips to stay organized when performing this technique.
2 Comments | Hollywood, Public Service Announcement, Videos | Tagged: ion concentration, ion meters, ph meters, serial dilution | Permalink
Posted by Scott
Thermography is a HOT Topic!
February 10, 2011Although Infrared thermography, or thermal imaging use has increased recently within commercial and industrial applications, it has a long history beginning in the 1800s when Sir William Herschel discovered infrared.
Flir i3 Entry Level Thermal Imagers
Timeline:
- Astronomer Sir William Herschel discovered infrared in 1800
- 1950-1960 Single Element Detectors (Line Images)
- 1970 Philips and English Electronic Valve (EEV) developed Pryo-Electric tube. First Naval Thermal Imager used by the Royal Navy for shipboard firefighting.
- 1978 Raytheon patented ferroelectric infrared detectors using on Barium Strontium Titanate (BST)
- Late 1980’s Microbolometer technology developed.
How it works:
Thermal imaging cameras convert the energy in the infrared wavelength (9,000 to 14,000 nanometers) into a visible light display, making it possible to view the environment without visible illumination. The thermal imaging camera performs a series of mathematical algorithms and builds a visible picture, usually in a JPG format. The image shows the viewer an approximation of the temperature at which the object is operating rather than detecting the actual temperature.
All objects above absolute zero emit thermal infrared energy, so thermal cameras can passively see all objects, regardless of ambient light. However, most thermal cameras only see objects warmer than -50°C. The amount of radiation emitted by an object increases with temperature; therefore, thermography allows one to see variations in temperature.
If the object is radiating at a higher temperature than its surroundings, then power transfer will be taking place and power will be radiating from warm to cold following the principle stated in the Second Law of Thermodynamics. So if there is a cool area in the thermogram, that object will be absorbing the radiation emitted by the warm object. The ability of both objects to emit or absorb this radiation is called emissivity.
Thermal imagers are ideal for use in applications where a visual indication of temperature variation may be helpful, such as troubleshooting electrical systems and machinery or doing a home energy audit. Thermal imaging is a non-contact technology that measures infrared wavelengths to determine temperatures from a safe distance. A thermal imager displays an image using different colors to represent different temperatures. Extech and Flir thermal imagers are fully radiometric which means they measure and store temperatures at every point in the image.The data can then be analyzed. With the highest accuracy for this class of thermal imagers at 2%, these imagers are perfect for identifying hot spots or a rise in temperature which often indicates that a problem exists or a failure could be imminent.
Cole-Parmer offers a wide assortment of thermal imaging cameras with a variety of features depending on your particular application or budget.
To be continued…
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Posted by Scott
What can’t Masterflex® peristaltic pumps do?
October 28, 2010Who doesn’t love the great taste of caviar? This gourmet hors d’oevre is considered a luxury delicacy. Caviar is the salted, non-fertilized roe, or ripe internal ovaries or egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, and more commonly from the sturgeon species of fish. Harvesting caviar has become regulated over the years, particularly as some species of Beluga sturgeon are now endangered. The high price of caviar, and the harsh methods of collecting the sturgeon roe, discourage some from indulging in this delicacy.
However, there are alternatives to the traditional caviar or fish eggs. The method of producing these alternatives is much more cost-effective and certainly less taxing on the sturgeon. One company uses kelp, a marine plant filled with nutrients, which is fat free, cholesterol free, and has zero calories. Plus, because kelp caviar is a plant, this “caviar” may appeal to vegetarians.
The kelp is ground into a thick gelatinous solution and, with the help of a Masterflex® pump, the solution is pumped through a separator which outputs tiny kelp “pearls.” This brief video shows how kelp caviar is made with a Masterflex pump, and raises the question, what can’t you do with a Masterflex pump?
Masterflex Peristaltic pump helps manufacture kelp caviar
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Posted by Scott
Summer Blockbuster from Masterflex® (or Viral Video Hit)?
July 22, 2010Now playing at Coleparmer.com or a Youtube channel near you: How to load Masterflex Tubing Pump Heads.
Ok, our latest videos may not be this summer’s blockbuster movie or the latest viral video on Youtube, but they are informative.
Our popular line of Masterflex peristaltic pumps offer tremendous advantages in applications requiring liquid handling or pumping precise volumes of fluids at consistent flow rates. Now, our latest videos illustrate how to quickly and easily load tubing into our Masterflex L/S® Standard Pump Heads and Masterflex I/P® High-Performance Tubing pump heads. These videos offer time-saving tips and address questions we commonly receive from customers.
Masterflex L/S Tubing Pumps
Masterflex L/S pumps include fixed- and variable-speed pumps. Masterflex L/S tubing pumps feature high-accuracy drives for precise flow control and are ideal for laboratory, field, or process applications.
Masterflex I/P Tubing Pumps
Masterflex I/P peristaltic tubing pumps offer flow ranges from 0.012 to 17 liters per minute. Masterflex I/P pumps are characterized by heavier motors and better protection from the hazards of industry such as dust and water. Use these pumps in your manufacturing process or for quick fluid transfer in your lab.
Leave a Comment » | Announcements, Hollywood, Videos | Tagged: fluid handling, Masterflex, masterflex I/P tubing pump, masterflex L/S tubing pump, Masterflex Peristaltic Pumps, masterflex pump, masterflex tubing, peristaltic pump, peristaltic pumping, pumps | Permalink
Posted by Scott
Check out our NEW “About Cole-Parmer” video. I make my Hollywood debut as Dan from Swanson Labs!
March 22, 2010Check out our NEW “About Cole-Parmer” video. I make my Hollywood debut as Dan from Swanson Labs! Not sure why I was voiced over but that’s Hollywood for you. 
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Posted by Cole-Parmer
Cole-Parmer’s Oakton Infrared Thermometer Featured on CSI
January 27, 2010
Oakton IR Thermometer Mini-InfraPro 6 (39641-06)
Cole-Parmer’s products hit the big screen again on CBS’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – “Sin City Blue,” which aired on January 14th, 2010. The show featured the Oakton IR Thermometer Mini-InfraPro 6 (39641-06) between minutes 8:24 and 8:35. The infrared thermometer was used to determine post-mortem body temperature in the morgue.
Infrared thermometers are ideal for use when objects are extremely hot, moving quickly, difficult to reach or vulnerable to contamination. Noncontact infrared thermometers use infrared technology to quickly and conveniently measure an objects surface temperature. They provide fast, accurate, repeatable readings without ever touching the target. Just aim, pull the trigger, and read the temperature on the LCD.
2 Comments | Hollywood, Videos | Tagged: csi, csi: crime scene investigators, infrared thermometer, infrared thermometers, ir thermometer, measure surface temperature, measure temperature, measuring temperature, oakton, temperature | Permalink
Posted by Cole-Parmer
Space: The Final Frontier. $200,000 will get you there.
December 9, 2009
On a cold and windy night at the Mojave Air and Space Port, the VSS Enterprise was unveiled to the public tonight. Attached to its mother ship, the vehicle better known as SpaceShipTwo is expected to be the first commercial spacecraft when it enters service with Virgin Galactic.
SpaceShipTwo was built by Scaled Composites under the guidance of legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan. The carbon composite spacecraft uses the same fuselage as its mother ship, VMS Eve. After a year of rigorous testing, VMS Eve completed flight testing earlier this fall. Rutan didn’t specify when flight testing for SpaceShipTwo would begin, though it is expected to start early next year.
Sub-orbital passenger flights could start as early as 2011 from Virgin Galactic’s space port in New Mexico which is currently under construction. Tickets for the early adopters are $200,000 for a training program culminating with the ride into space. Both Rutan and Virgin Galactic founder, Sir Richard Branson have repeatedly said they expect the prices to drop rapidly similar to many new technologies, including the early days of air travel.
Once flight testing is complete, production will begin on a fleet spacecraft like SpaceShipTwo in order to meet the expected demand for rides into space. Rutan and Branson have partnered in a company known simply as The Spaceship Company. The joint venture will produce both the WhiteKnightTwo mother ships and the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. Rutan says he expects that 40 to 50 spaceships will be needed in order to satisfy the market needs. Branson’s Virgin Galactic has the exclusive use of the launch system for the first 18 months of operation.
Rutan said tonight’s unveiling is the culmination of many years of thinking, designing and working on making space travel more accessible to more people outside the ranks of government space programs.
“All of us at Scaled are tremendously excited by the capabilities of both the mother ship and SS2. Today is the culmination of a dream that began many decades ago, was stimulated by Paul Allen’s funding of our X-Prize-winning SS1 and then moved forward to commercial reality by Sir Richard and Virgin’s visionary investment in a new future for space transportation.”
Branson said seeing SpaceShipTwo for the first time is very exciting and he looks forward to the next steps towards commercial space flights.
“The unveil[ing] of SS2 takes the Virgin Galactic vision to the next level and continues to provide tangible evidence that this ambitious project is not only moving rapidly, but also making tremendous progress towards our goal of safe commercial operation.”
In a video released by Virgin Galactic (below), both Rutan and Branson continue their salesmen jobs promoting the passenger flights into space with each of them touting the safety and beauty of flying on Virgin Galactic. The video features footage from the successful SpaceShipOne flights in 2004 and animations of future flights of SpaceShipTwo, including an overview of the flight profile for passengers with the “care free” re-entry system developed by Rutan for SpaceShipOne.
With more than 300 future passengers already putting up the $200,000 for a seat on SpaceShipTwo, there appears to be a strong demand for the rides to the blackness of space. After a few successful flights are broadcast to the world, more people are expected to line up for a window seat on the first commercial spaceship. And hopefully prices will drop so that some day those who want to enjoy the thrill of space flight can trade a week on the beaches of Waikiki, for a view from more than 350,000 feet.
Photos/Video: Virgin Galactic
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Posted by Cole-Parmer
Cole-Parmer products featured on CSI: Miami.
October 7, 2009Cole-Parmer’s products hit the big screen on CBS’s CSI: Miami – Episode 24 “Dissolved,” which aired on May 11th. The show featured the Oakton® pH 11 Economy Meter and a probe. The meter and probe were used to detect the pH level of a pool that was part of a crime scene.
Please go to http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi_miami and look for “Dissolved” Season 7 Episode 24.
Leave a Comment » | Hollywood | Tagged: csi miami, oakton, pH 11 Economy Meter, ph level, pool | Permalink
Posted by Cole-Parmer
