AquaLab CX-2 Cleaning Comic

Thanks to AquaLabwater activity meterwe have a brighterfuture!Read on tofind outhow youtoo cancleanAquaLab!1For best performance ...set up a cleaning schedule basedon usage, every 2 weeks or 1800samples, etc. Verify performancedaily daily (or per shift) usingstandard salt solutions.When in doubt, clean it.

It was the black & white, post-war atomic age.Panoramic movies, television, and stereo soundwere infant ideas yet unleashed on anunsuspecting world.In new food labs, a growing concern for foodsafety, quality, and nutrition fueled a needfor machines only the future would bring.Welcome to Acme Foods, part of anew breed of black&white foodprocessors, soon to be producingmodern, Technicolor, foods.2Dr. Betty Smith, a young20-something quality controlexpert, works at one of America'sfinest food processors, Acme Foods.

Somewhere inthe FutureI saw the dangerousmomentswhen safe food hungin the balance.Agent X(Time travelerextraordinaire)Agent X places AquaLab onthe time transporter...As a TimeMachineOperator 2ndclass, I'lltransferAquaLab CX2wateractivitymeters backin time.Thanks to the AquaLab CX2I'll save humanity from microbes taintedfood causing poor nourishment, andtasteless comestibles.When I push this Buttonthe AquaLab will travelinto the past!3CLICK!

WARNINGIt says in the manualto check the filter inback first.Gently release plastic grill.Remove foam filter andwash it with soapy water.It looks Okay. Let's goto the next stepClean the filter on the backregularly. Don't let it plug up. Aplugged filter causestemperature errors.Unlike machinesof Betty and Bob'sera, AquaLab iseasy to service.See how amazedthey are at theconvenience.It says all weneed to cleanAquaLab'ssensors aresomekimwipes,tweezers,and distilledwater. Wehaveall that stuffalready!6I don't thinkKimwipes have beeninvented yet.Keep it clean.Never usepressurized orcanned air forcleaning. It willcoat your AquaLabwithcontamination.

In that case, use anylint free cloth.RING!See who's on the phonewhile I remove the 8screws holding onAquaLab's top and the 4screws inside the blockassembly.Hello?First I'll remove the fourscrews on each side...7

After I remove the 8 screwsI remove the top.Next I remove the 4 screwson the sensor block.Bob's obviouslyconfident now.He doesn't evencome unhingedwhen he hearsabout themysteriousphone call.That was headquarters. A mysteriousgovernment agency will be here shortly toperform a mysterious food inspection.8

Don't you hate it when that happens?What? Mysteriousinspections?No. I mean when you takesomething apart and it’scrammed full of gooey foodgunk.Bob! We'retalking seriousbusiness. This isa crisis.Gooey gunk is seriousbusiness. We need this AquaLabmachine to save millions ofdollars, and innocent victims,and most importantly- our jobs.You’re right.Let meunplug thefan assemblyand set it tothe side foryou.If you break a bladeoff the tiny internalfan located inside thesensor block, yourinstrument cannotreach equilibrium andmust be factoryrepaired. Just use alittle care whenhandling the fanassembly.9Lay fan toone side

"Thanks, Betty. I knew you'd see my logic.Next we clean the sensor mirror. Swab itwith gentle strokes.It says do not use aQ-tip duringcleaning. Glueresidues holding theQ-tip together canget on the mirroredsurface. What's a Q-tip anyway??Cleaning the mirrorClean the mirror.A dirty mirror is the main cause ofbad water activity readings. Thecontamination is sometimes invisibleto the naked eye; film, dust, oil, andeven a fingerprint can throw thingsoff. Clean all surfaces of the block. Itis critical for film and non-H2Osoluble substances to be removedwithout scratching or etching. Startwith distilled water and a KIM wipe.Don't use a foam Q-tip. They have aglue in them which leaves a toughresidue. Paper towel leaves tint andsizing material residue. Lint-free KIMwipes are critical for successfulmirror cleaning.After the mirror is cleanwe clean the temperaturesensor on the lower block10Close-up ofuunderside of block

If the sensor is quitesticky, it is usuallynecessary to clean thebottom of the sampletemperature sensorwith alcohol.Always clean the mirror,thermopile, and the opticalsensor. After you finishcleaning them to yoursatisfaction, clean themone more time. If waterdoesn't work, use 99%isopropyl alcohol.Meanwhile...A car pulls into theparking lot ofAcme Foods11Screech!

Outside two suits get out.SLAM!SLAM!Oh, no! It's thosemysterious inspectors insuits, trench coats, andpork pie hats. They’rearriving from themysterious governmentregulatory agency.Noproblem.All I haveto do iswash thedrawerin tapwaterandwe'redone.12

Removethedrawerand cleanwithwater.Be sure to hold the metal disk.It can fall out.If you own severalCX-2's and theyproduce differentwater activity readings(±0.003) then they allneed to be cleaned.Don't try to make themmatch withoutcleaning, it's a waste oftime.It's a 6 minutewalk from the parkinglot to our lab.Luckily,AquaLabmeasureswateractivityin lessthan 5minutes.13

AquaLab verifies ournew food product complies with newshelf life regulations.Right onschedule...Bam!Let's checkthis place out!Right Chief!14

Later...Everything'sA-OK!Until next time!Whew! We did it.Thanks toAquaLab! I'msure glad itwasn't hard toclean.15

Suddenly!What?!"Hey! Where did the AquaLabwater activity meter go?Zip!This AquaLab is oneof Decagon'semergency loaners. Icouldn't leave it withBob and Betty. Notuntil they're futureDecagon customers.Besides, it’s neededelsewhere, whereverthe danger of badfood taste threatens!Zap!16The End!

The text in thisbrochure was setwith Helvetica,Helvetica bold,Willow, andAmericanTypewriter. Theimages werecomposed inAdobe Photoshopand MacromediaFreehand.

Decagon Devices950 NE Nelson CtPullman WA 991633