Test equipment is one of the material basis for carrying out quality testing. This paper introduces the management and maintenance of laboratory instruments and equipment from the perspective of the selection justification during the procurement of equipment, to the maintenance of equipment during the use of two aspects of maintenance.
Characteristics of detection test equipment
1. High scientific and technological content, complex structure
With the country's continuous improvement of product quality requirements, testing technology is also rapid development, advanced instrumentation continues to emerge, the old equipment is constantly upgraded, replaced; at the same time, modern testing technology is moving towards a multidisciplinary cross-penetration, multidisciplinary intelligence-intensive direction. Many large-scale precision instruments and equipment is chemistry, machinery, electronics, optics, biology, computers and other multidisciplinary intelligence is concentrated, such as gas chromatography, atomic absorption spectrometer, etc..
2. More varieties, large number
such as, a variety of ultrasonic oscillator, vacuum drying oven, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer, optical microscope, such as balance. This type of instrument unit price is low, many varieties, large quantities, suitable for basic testing tasks, frequent use leads to aging, will bring a lot of work to the maintenance staff, it is difficult to repair in a timely manner, thus, affecting the detection. Professional testing equipment and large precision instruments and equipment units less, but more varieties, high unit price, the user needs to participate in the instrument manufacturer training and testing operation induction training, failure, only rely on the maintenance force within the unit is difficult to repair, you must contact the manufacturer to deal with, which will inevitably result in a long maintenance cycle, high maintenance prices, delaying the completion of the detection task.
The main problems
1. equipment negligence
Most of the chemical testing equipment belongs to the precision instruments, not only require test operators will use, but also to understand the basic principles of the instrument, the use of precautions, the instrument's storage environment, so that the failure rate of the instrument will be reduced [1], for example, textile laboratories commonly used in the single-yarn strength machine, to do peeling Top break test using the universal materials testing machine, the mechanical part of the screw needs to be frequently oil maintenance, but in practice, often because of the use of infrequent, negligent maintenance, there is a large number of optical instruments used in the ultraviolet - visible spectrophotometer belongs to the optical precision instruments, optical lens positioning precision, the storage environment should be dust-proof, shockproof and moisture-proof, the requirements of the environment to maintain a room temperature of 15 ℃ ~ 35 ℃, no direct light, no Strong vibration or continuous micro-vibration, no strong magnetic field, relative humidity 40% to 80%, no corrosive gases, no cause of ultraviolet absorption of organic and inorganic gases, less dust. If the optical instrument is stored in the general laboratory, in a humid environment, the mirror surface is damp and moldy. In some laboratories, the existence of optical analytical instruments near the centrifuge or oscillator and other equipment, so that the operator in the centrifugal procedure, the sample can be optical analysis, but optical analytical instruments for a long time in the high-speed operation of the instrument next to the lens may be shocked off or shattered. In the maintenance process, found that more problems such as these, the instrument management is slightly less attention [2], the detection of the test to bring a greater impact on the maintenance personnel to increase the workload and maintenance funds.
2. Instrument lack of maintenance files
Test instrumentation in the purchase, installation, acceptance for normal use, should be classified into the relevant materials, the establishment of the instrument files. Files mainly include contracts, manuals and other technical information, equipment to reach the corresponding faculty that should be the corresponding instrument use records, maintenance records, maintenance records, but sometimes form a "heavy acquisition, light maintenance; heavy use, light management," for the use of maintenance and repair records do not pay enough attention. For example, ultrasonic oscillation instruments used in the laboratory more, found in the maintenance, due to improper maintenance, the operator in the use of the operator after the splash of water or chemicals, corrosion of the instrument's circuit board, resulting in the replacement of the entire circuit board, which prolongs the maintenance time, but also delay the use of the increased costs. Many instruments repaired, because the maintenance time is tight, the task is more, often negligent of the maintenance of records, not conducive to the statistical utilization rate, but also does not facilitate the newly recruited maintenance personnel fault query and replacement of parts and components, affecting the repetitive failures or related failures of the maintenance efficiency.
3. Older equipment can not meet the requirements of proficiency testing
CNAS laboratory proficiency certification program almost every year, there are different projects, through the inter-laboratory comparison test the strength of the unit, usually, the laboratory of large-scale instrumentation due to the expensive, usually in the maintenance of the object is the focus of the object, it is also a long period of service, so there is a problem to meet the inspection Standards for the instrument requirements, but for proficiency testing after the data, the old equipment usually get outliers unsatisfactory conclusion.
3. Analysis of the causes
1. the use of personnel to take equipment maintenance
In the maintenance of equipment, it will be found that a lot of failures are man-made reasons, man-made failures occur for two reasons:
1) operators are not familiar with the use of instruments and equipment or violation of the operating procedures;
② operator's sense of responsibility is not strong, both of which are often The latter accounted for most of the cases, such as, in the maintenance of constant temperature and humidity treatment box found that some failures are due to the operator in the use of responsibility is not strong, not carefully observed, the heating tank water did not exceed the heating tube, began to heat, resulting in the heating tube dry burn burst or circuit burned out. Magnetic stirrer also has the same problem.
2. The establishment of equipment maintenance files is particularly necessary
With the current testing program continues to increase, the type of test equipment, the number of yearly increase in the value of the equipment is more and more high, but due to the number of equipment maintenance personnel is limited to the establishment or the cost of employing people, and did not increase. How to familiarize themselves with these varieties of equipment as soon as possible, to understand the principles and operating methods of equipment and can quickly deal with a variety of faults, is the problem of each equipment maintenance personnel. Establishment of sound equipment maintenance files, each piece of equipment archives, maintenance personnel according to the requirements of the maintenance application, through the archive room information to understand the situation of the instrument, timely handling of faults and the cause of the failure phenomenon, treatment methods, the amount of money needed to do the text to stay on file. Convenient for laboratory administrators to access the use of equipment and maintenance costs when needed. Do a good job of maintenance records file on the instrument technical transformation and end-of-life identification can provide a reference basis [3].
3. There are different laboratories to update the pressure of equipment
Unlike scientific research and testing units, pure third-party testing laboratories, often without the support of scientific research projects, can not use scientific research funds to buy advanced testing instruments, resulting in large equipment service life will be longer, but at the same time, often have the ability to laboratories, update the higher precision of the advanced equipment, the ability to carry out this Verification, test multiple laboratory test data is discrete, often in the equipment purchased many years ago due to the previous production process with the current test does not match the accuracy and precision of the data in the accuracy and precision, it is easy to deviate from the average data a lot [4].
4. Countermeasures and recommendations
1. Test equipment procurement management
The procurement of test equipment is based on the needs of the test according to the corresponding purposeful procurement, and not a large sum of money to buy a large pile of equipment. According to the needs of the laboratory test, in addition to the basic test equipment on the basis of careful selection of equipment to be purchased. Parameters of the test equipment. This is the purchase of hard indicators - the technical parameters of the test equipment and the accuracy of the final results of the test. If an accident occurs during the test that is caused by the test equipment, it will cause the test to fail. Therefore, in the procurement of test equipment, they must be required to meet the quality of the relevant national parameters before the next operation.
The performance parameters of the equipment selection to determine the following three aspects:
1) Comparison with the common models on the market selection. Through the market research can be obtained through the parameters of the general model to meet the detection needs.
②In accordance with the technical parameters of the instrument in the test standard selection. Standards for instrument performance, accuracy requirements, is an important parameter of the investigation of procurement equipment.
3 and similar quality inspection organizations to buy the instrument comparison selection.
Consultation with the same kind of testing projects in the laboratory of the peer purchased instruments, because there is a period of experience in the use of more comprehensive understanding of the performance of the instrument and after-sales service. In addition, you can also consult the measurement and calibration organizations, because such units often issue calibration reports, such organizations on the performance of certain types of products can provide more accurate data support.
Choose the reputation and quality of the manufacturer, the conditions allow the two sides can reach a long-term cooperative relationship. Choose such a manufacturer not only to make product quality is guaranteed, in the product of some problems can be found independently of the supplier, the two sides to negotiate, and amicably solve the problem, reduce the chances of problems in the test. In the laboratory general equipment, such as, constant temperature water bath, balance and other instruments, choose the hard dealer to supply products, such products due to the supply of large quantities of manufacturers in the laboratory local dealers are responsible for the supply and after-sales issues. Through such channels, the use of dealer sales, you can get better price discounts. In addition, when it comes to after-sales repairs, larger distributors usually have local spare parts depots and are able to resolve instrument failures more quickly. When purchasing higher priced instruments, it is common to contact the manufacturer directly to purchase them, eliminating the need for unnecessary middlemen. For the purchase of expensive imported instruments, often scientific research public welfare and other institutions with tax-exempt qualifications, will generally entrust the professional instrument import and export company to handle the relevant procedures to improve efficiency.
In the purchase of instruments, should also pay attention to their service life and precautions, make the appropriate records, put into use before the test or calibration should be carried out. For large-scale test equipment, their maintenance may have some trouble, in the purchase of these instruments and equipment, we should pay attention to their precautions, and send people to carry out the appropriate learning and training, to reduce the use of them in the future damage to them, to extend their service life. Some test equipment can not be placed together, for example, some equipment will be magnetic, and some measurement equipment for higher accuracy requirements, therefore, when placing equipment to pay attention to whether they affect each other. For the service life, the manager must have a clear record, which is of great significance to the accuracy of the test. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out regular inspection and maintenance of test equipment, as well as the establishment of the use of files and manuals.
Actively utilize the policy preferences issued by the local Science and Technology Commission and the Science and Technology Bureau for the introduction of advanced equipment, and apply for tax exemption for the purchase of instruments from the local customs authorities for qualified scientific research institutes, so as to reduce the cost of purchasing advanced imported instruments.
2. Reasonable configuration of the laboratory process layout
Laboratory construction includes: the renewal of testing instruments and equipment, in the renewal of equipment, has been universally attached importance to the maintenance process found in the environment and the use of space on the investment can not be ignored. Summer weather is humid, the instrument is easy to mold and damage, especially optical instruments in the configuration at the same time, need to be placed in a constant temperature and humidity laboratory or to be purchased dehumidifier, air conditioning machine, etc. as a basic instrument to reduce air humidity, reduce maintenance and management costs. In addition, in the maintenance often found in a laboratory stacked a large number of instruments, do not pay attention to the importance of interference between the instruments. In addition, affected by the layout of the house, the laboratory space allocation is unreasonable, some laboratories have limited space, had to put a certain test item test instruments and pools, precision electronic instruments in a laboratory, which can easily lead to serious corrosion of electronic instruments. Some laboratories originally have sewer lines, more humid, placed in the electronic balance and other test equipment, the balance of the accuracy of the impact is too great; and then some laboratories will be used in the electromechanical equipment lined up, the instrumentation between the "intimate contact", without considering interference and heat dissipation. Therefore, the equipment should be placed in the placement of comprehensive consideration of the placement of space, in order to prevent the impact of the equipment and the environment to reduce maintenance costs.
Safety, efficiency, comfort is the ideal laboratory environment of the three elements of the construction of the laboratory, not only pure construction of the laboratory and the purchase of reasonable instruments and equipment, but also to take into account the overall planning of the laboratory, a reasonable layout and graphic design, as well as water supply, power supply, ventilation, safety measures, material transfer and other equipment and basic conditions. Precision instruments can be considered towards the north to avoid the sun, and can save air-conditioning cooling capacity. Precision instruments should be placed perpendicular to the windows on the north side to prevent shadows or glare; the operating table is built on the east side; chemicals should be placed on the west side to avoid direct sunlight. There are seismic requirements of the instrument such as, mechanics room, balance room, precision instruments room, generally can be built to place the operating platform. Precision instruments should reduce vibration, dust and other interference. Laboratory testing room should be arranged to facilitate the operation of the tester, easy and quick to fill out the original records.
3. Strengthen the operator's hands-on training
Instrumentation failures generally have three reasons, operator misuse, poor storage environment and poor product quality of the instrument, from the author's experience, the actual situation in the operation of the equipment user misuse caused by the failure of the main, the remaining two for the controllable factors. Therefore, the training of the operator's hands-on ability is an important factor in reducing instrument failure. In order to improve the operator's hands-on ability, should be organized by the laboratory manager of the instrument supplier's after-sales engineers or maintenance management personnel for the operation of the hands-on training before. Before doing the test on the main parts of the instrumentation, a careful and detailed inspection, careful observation and hands-on operation of the instrumentation itself, the connectors are not plugged, loose, wear and tear, etc., to remove the key components of the instrumentation on the dirt, dust, corrosion, leakage, etc., to prevent failures. Secondly, the operator must master the instrument with the random manual and a variety of technical information and data content, and carefully operate according to the requirements once. Professional engineers on the operator should be trained to use the instrument, the use of the instrument and the use of precautions, the structural composition of the instrument to explain in detail, in order to prevent malfunction due to misoperation caused by the instrument failure.
4. Sound instrumentation technology files
①Archive establishment and custody
Equipment administrator should assist the data manager to establish the equipment file, in the equipment administrator handled by the pre-acquisition of research data, purchase contracts, equipment acceptance and random instructions and other information should be transferred to the archives management department in a timely manner, to ensure that the file of the procedures are complete. Do a good job of corresponding management and sound analysis of the file, in order to better use of these devices, to extend their service life. Therefore, after the completion of each test, after cleaning the test equipment, we should make the appropriate records. Such a practice is not only a kind of conservation of equipment, in the future to find the cause of the problem also provides a convenient. After the establishment of the file, the need for managers to manage the categories, to facilitate the future search for relevant information.
② Archives should have the content
Large precision instruments, technical files, including project demonstration materials, manuals, operating procedures, accessories, daily operation of the instrument. In order to protect the normal operation of large instruments and equipment should first do a good job of instrumentation file management. Large instruments in the purchase, installation, acceptance for normal use, the relevant materials into the archives, the establishment of the instrument files mainly include technical files, instrument use records, maintenance records, which is to ensure the efficient operation of the instrument as well as the basis for technological transformation and other aspects. In order to ensure that the instrument is in the best technical condition, each time the instrument use details also need to be registered in the special book, record the user, the use of content, the number of hours of power on the machine, the use of the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, damage and causes, etc., the test data will be retained in the archives, only a strict and good management of the archives, to ensure that the instrumentation rate of intact, and to enhance the effectiveness of the use of the. File borrowing must have a written record, the responsibility of the person, so as to avoid loss.
3 equipment files should be maintenance records
The maintenance and repair of each should be archived text records, such as maintenance of equipment found in the problem, maintenance of equipment failure phenomenon, the solution idea, and the final diagnosis and treatment. Emphasis on the electrical and mechanical principle of the equipment drawings of the study, the call frequently drawings, need to be coated with film processing, to ensure that it is clean and can be seen, not by the field maintenance of oil pollution. Each instrument and equipment must also be equipped with instrument repair and maintenance records and instrument use records, an instrument when there has been what failure, repair, maintenance records in the instrument to make a good record for the normal operation of the instrument later and routine maintenance to provide detailed archival information.
5. Maintenance team construction
To ensure the normal operation of the test equipment, not only to have sufficient maintenance funds, but also to ensure the timeliness of equipment maintenance, relying on the manufacturer to repair, but also costly and time-consuming, therefore, the unit should gradually cultivate their own maintenance team, regular maintenance of equipment, equipment each year the competent department should be based on the actual situation, the development of the whole year, instrumentation maintenance plan. Maintenance program, which not only saves money, but also ensures that the maintenance of real-time, so, based on the unit, the formation of sophisticated and efficient maintenance team, is to ensure the normal operation of the instrument is a necessary condition. Regular technical training for technicians and managers to improve maintenance skills and management level, through practice, and constantly accumulate maintenance experience.
6. Attention to the procurement of consumables and maintenance spare parts
Purchase of imported instruments with the consumables are often imported original consumables, taking into account to ensure the accuracy of the test data will not be affected by the premise, you can try to use the domestic consumables and spare parts to reduce the cost of testing. Such as atomic absorption using elemental lamps, analytical instruments for the use of thermal desorption instrument for the use of the feeder tube, the current performance of a stable alternative to domestic consumables, the price is much lower than the imported consumables. For frequently used maintenance spare parts, there should be spare parts, in order to reduce the problem when the time cost to buy.
The management and maintenance of laboratory equipment and instruments, not only can improve the standardization of laboratory equipment and instrumentation management, and further improve the effective use of laboratory equipment; but also strengthen the safety management of laboratory equipment and instruments, the successful completion of the test is an important role. The development of strict rules and regulations for the management and maintenance of laboratory equipment and instruments is of great significance to ensure the quality of the test [5]. Comprehensively improve the comprehensive quality of management personnel, strengthen the operator's sense of responsibility, sound instrument maintenance files, not only to solve the problem of high maintenance requirements, heavy tasks, time constraints, but also the detection of the test to save costs, improve the efficiency of the use of test instruments for the construction of a scientific, fair, accurate and efficient testing service platform to provide a strong guarantee.