- OBJECTIVE
- To lay down a procedure for operating and cleaning of analytical balance)
- SCOPE
- This SOP shall provide the Operating procedure of analytical balance of quality control department.
- RESPONSIBILITY
- Officer/ Executive – Quality Control
- ACCOUNTABILITY
- Head QC/QA
- PROCEDURE
- Description of balance:
- XS 204 DR is analytical class balance with a touch screen display terminal having 220 g full load capacity with 0.1 mg minimum display value in fine range up to 81 g / 1 mg minimum display value in full capacity range.
- XS 204DR balance is supplied with 4 inbuilt application modes (a) simple weighing b) statistics c) formulation d) density, which can be accessed by pressing the applications icon ( “—–”)
- Formulation and density modes are not of significant use in laboratory applications/ require special appliances for usage, hence the operation in these modes are not illustrated in this operating procedure.
- General weighing procedures:
- For powders / solids
- Method – I
- Place the receiver / butter paper in the center of balance pan and press “ ⇒ T ⇐ ”. Add the material to the receiver/ butter paper and record / print the weight (w1).
- Transfer the material weighed to the final flask or receiver.
- Reweigh the receiver / butter paper by placing it in same position.
- Record/ print the weight of the untransformed material (w2).
- Subtract the w2 from w1 ( w1-w2).
- The result is material actually transferred to the final flask/ receiver.
- Method – II
- Place the empty receiver / butter paper in the center of balance pan.
- Add the material to be weighed and record the reading (w1).
- Transfer the material to final flask / receiver.
- Reweigh the receiver or butter paper (w2)
- Subtract (w2) from (w1) (w1 – w2).
- The difference is the amount transferred to the final flask / receiver
- Method – III
- Place the receiver / butter paper in the center of balance pan and press “ ⇒ T ⇐ ”.
- Add the material to the receiver / butter paper and record the weight.
- Transfer the whole amount to the final receiver / flask and rinse the weighing receiver/ butter paper with the final solvent into the final flask/ receiver.
- For liquids (volatile and viscous)
- Place the suitable receiver / flask (for volatile solvents use flasks or containers with lid/ closure) and tare the empty receiver/ flask.
- Introduce the liquid using a small volume pipette or capillary pipette.
- Record / print after stable reading (for volatile solvents close the lid)
- Viscous liquids shall be introduced using a glass rod, which is gently touched the surface of liquid and then by to the sides of receiving vessel. Record / print after stable reading.
- Weighing Precautions:
- PRE STARTUP:
- Be sure to use a clean and dry spatula or other transfer device to avoid contamination of the article to be weighed.
- Do not use regular paper for weighing. Use weighing boats or tare an appropriate container.
- When weighing a sample or reagent, discard excess material that has been removed from the original container. Do not return material to its original container.
- “Lumps” are often caused by moisture or electrostatic charge and may not constitute a representative sample.
- Volatile liquids must be weighed in a closed container or with a trapping solvent.
- Samples that are extremely hygroscopic or lose water rapidly must be weighed in a closed container.
- Allow samples/containers to reach room temperature before weighing. Hot samples will generate an upward convection of warm air that will cause an inaccurate reading.
- Check the cleaning of the weighing balance especially pan & display terminal.
- Check the power supply of balance.
- Check the level of balance using built in level indicator.
- Clean up balance base / pan using soft brush.
- Operation in normal weighing mode:
- Switch on the main power supply to balance and printer.
- After initialization display terminal displays in 0.0000 g in normal weighing mode. Allow the balance for 30 min for stabilization.
- Press zero adjustment ‘⇒ 0 ⇐ ‘ on terminal before starting weighing process.
- Touch “Adjust.int” icon on the screen to enable internal adjustment.
- After internal adjustment completed, proceed with daily calibration as per calibration sop prior to routine work.
- After completion of calibration proceed with regular weighing procedure.
- Push the glass draft gently backward and place the butter paper / weighing bottle on to the balance pan center and close the glass draft.
- Follow the weighing method I, II or III above mentioned and for liquids follow the method described for the liquids. Before leaving balance the close the glass drafts properly and rezero the balance by pressing ‘ ⇒ 0 ⇐ ’.
- Clean up any spillage near by balance and on the balance-mounting base by soft brush.
- Enter the each weighing process in balance log book
- Statistical mode:
- Press standard applications icon (“—-”) on left side of the display terminal to switch to statistics mode.
- Terminal display shows statistical mode along with functional keys like 1.M+ Result 3.cl. Result 4. Cle. Last 5.ID 6. 1/10D 7. Disp
- [Note: Define information field as standard in setup for statistics (press set up (first icon on right hand side of display terminal) > Info. Field> Define> Std]
- Touch gently ID followed by Batch No to enter the batch no & product name details use Numeric/ Alphabetic screen displayed on terminal.
- Place a weighing bottle / petri plates on balance pan & press tare “ T ”.
- Open the glass drift place the unit dose under test in the bottle/ plate using forceps & close the drift glass.
- Press M+ after stabilizing the value & press tare to zero the reading (incase of any manual error press Cl. Last icon followed by tare).
- Repeat the weighing process for a series of dosage units mentioned in specifications.
- At the end press result icon to visualize statistical results.
- Print the results by pressing print icon.
- After completion of test clear the previous results by pressing cl. Result.
- Enter the weighing process and details in balance log book.
- If the system is not operated for more than 60 minutes, by default system goes in standby mode. To reactivate gently touch the on/ off bar.
- Note: when quality control operations are not planed by more than 24 hours, press and hold on/ off bar for few seconds until ‘OFF’ displayed on the display terminal and inbuilt display lights turnoff. Switch off main supply to balance and printer.
- If any malfunction of balance observed shall be reported and affix an under maintenance label.
- Forms and Records (Annexures)
- Not Applicable
- Distribution
- Master copy – Quality Assurance
- Controlled copies- Quality Assurance, Production, Quality Control.engineering
- History
Date Revision Number Reason for Revision – 00 New SOP
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