Using Rudolph's ECS - Easy Clean Auto Sampler is simple; the operator brings the sample to the density meter, refractometer or polarimeter in any container that has an opening and a sample volume of 3 - 4 ml. A test tube or beaker is commonly used in a lab and sampling from a can or bottle is more common in industrial environments. The operator presses the fill button and waits a few seconds while the sample is taken from the sample vessel.
From that point, operation is completely automatic. The sample is measured and the data recorded. Depending on how the system is configured the data may also be printed, saved as an Excel file or transferred to a LIMS system.
Once measurement is complete, the sample is blown to a waste storage vessel using the built in air pump. The measuring cell is flushed with a solvent that will dissolve the sample, flushed again with a second solvent like acetone or alcohol that is fast drying and then blown with air to dry the complete system.
The dry and rinse times are programmable in "Method Set Up." Through a Windows interface, the operator is able to select the amount of time for each rinse and the amount of drying time for each unique sample.