Bürkle
Disposable samplers | for the highest standards in sampling
Sampling for monitoring and analysis plays a large and important role for quality assurance in modern production processes. Very precise material analyses can be carried out using technical methods. However samples must first be taken professionally as taking samples incorrectly leads to inaccurate and therefore worthless analysis results. The purity of the sampler and devices used is a significant factor here. This is because the sample taken must not be affected by external factors as even the smallest external contaminations can falsify the examination result.
Disposable samplers are an alternative. These individually packaged plastic samplers are manufactured under clean room conditions and are even available optionally as sterilised samplers. Disposable samplers do not have to be cleaned before or after sampling as they are disposed of after use.
Reasons to use disposable samplers
- Cleaning reusable samplers is a demanding and often complicated task, with greasy, strongly adhesive or toxic substances. Sometimes the task is even impossible
- Work processes do not have to be interrupted by cleaning
- Cross contamination is completely eliminated
- The cleaning method does not need to be validated in audits
- Time and money are saved
The Bürkle single-use sampling range
To maintain the highest standards with regard to purity and sterility, Bürkle has developed a single-use sampler product line. These disposable samplers from the LaboPlast™ and SteriPlast™ brands are produced, mounted and individually packed in a class 7 clean room (10,000). The SteriPlast™ samplers are then sterilised with gamma rays. All products feature EU food approval and FDA approval.
Scoops, spoons and spatulas
Bürkle SteriPlast™ products – scoops, spatulas and spoons – are high-quality, ergonomically shaped disposable products that are specially designed and optimised for sampling purposes. They are produced, assembled and individually packed in Bürkle’s own cleanroom and then sterilised by gamma rays (min. 10 kGy).
Disposable samplers for foodstuff - blue and detectable
The shade of blue that is used does not occur in a natural form in foodstuff. Because of this, blue products or parts of them can be quickly found and easily identified in a visual check if they are ever mixed into production.
The detectable versions are not only coloured blue but also have a special additive in the material that makes them visible to metal detectors or X rays. These products can therefore be rejected with standard systems for checking for foreign objects, even though they are made of plastic.
DispoSampler
Bürkle disposable samplers – DispoSampler – are used to take samples of liquids, viscous media, powders and granulates. Target point samples can be taken, all-layer and cross-section samples, as well as small and large sample quantities.
Spoon spatula and Micro-spatula
The spoon spatula is a double spatula with a 0.5 ml spoon and a 17 mm spoon blade and the Micro-spatula is a double scoop spatula with rounded ends, contains 1.0 and 0.25 ml.
Specially designed for disposable use, resistant to chemicals and corrosion-proof.
Cleanroom manufactured, available either in a large package with 100 pieces or 100 pieces packaged individually and sterilised by gamma rays.
SteriPlast Kit
The SteriPlast™ Kit is the ideal combination for sampling where purity and sterility is essential.
All parts are sterilised by gamma rays and suitable for use with foodstuffs.
The sampling set SteriPlast™ Kit consists of ten sample spatulas or ten sample scoops and ten SteriBag Premium tamper-proof sample bags.
Pumps
Dangerous liquids must never be filled off by directly pouring them out. Even the use of a funnel does not provide the required degree of safety when bottling dangerous liquids
- Increased accident risk by slipping on dirty floors.
- Skin diseases or poisoning by spilt chemicals.
- Health hazard from harmful vapours.
Safety during bottling must be the number one priority – for your own personal protection!
This means that purchasing a suitable pump for filling off hazardous liquids is an investment in the safety and health of your employees which pays for itself in a very short time.
Choosing the right pump
Apart from the size and type of the container, the required pump capacity and the suitability of the pump for the particular medium are important considerations for choosing the right pump. The pump does not only have to be resistant to the medium to be bottled, but specific occupational safety and environmental protection regulations must also be considered.
Pump capacity
Electric pumps are the first choice for filling off large quantities at a fixed location. Their higher pumping capacity saves times and requires less manual effort. However, the purchase of an expensive electric barrel pump does not always pay for itself; there is often no on-site mains supply, e.g. in the open air, during assembly or in the equipment storage facility. Manual pumps are an interesting alternative to electric pumps for filling off small quantities due to their independence from a power supply and because they mean value for money.
Container size and container type
Pumps that work according to the excess pressure principle are suitable for filling off the required quantities from canisters and small drums up to a capacity of approx. 60 litres. Air is pumped into the container using a pumping ball or pumping piston. This creates excess pressure in the container and the liquid is transported out via the immersion tube.
Barrel pumps are suitable for larger barrels and open containers. They draw in the liquid and then eject it. This family of pumps is characterised by their robust construction with a good pumping capacity and simple handling. Different immersion tube lengths mean that the pumps fit all the usual commercially available containers. Low-mounted suction valves ensure that almost all the residual liquid is removed.
Materials
The most suitable pumps are robust industrial pumps made from top-quality materials such as polypropylene (PP) for acids and alkalis, or stainless steel V2A (1.4301) for flammable liquids. We always recommend the use of PTFE seals. Always check that the material is resistant to the medium to be pumped.
Bürkle offers a wide range of pumping devices for manually removing liquids from containers, canisters, drums and tanks.
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Samplers
When taking samples, a random test is taken from an overall quantity. These samples serve as the basis for the analysis regarding quality assurance. The correct procedure for taking spot samples is therefore a very important subject. Only with representative and authentic samples can reliable information about the quality, properties or composition of a particular material be provided.
Very precise material analyses can be carried out with the most up-to-date technology. However, the technology is no good if an error occurs when the sample is taken and this error continues through all phases of the analysis, with the consequence that the final result of the quality check is wrong.
Correct information about the properties of a material can only be provided if the sample is taken properly and treated in the same way as in the subsequent analysis. The basic point is that the properties and composition of the sample quantity correspond exactly with the material quantity that has to be evaluated.
Sampling equipment
Choosing the right sampling equipment depends on many different selection criteria. It depends on the material properties of the sampler as well as on the type of sampling, the container or the site where the material is located, and the frequency with which the sampling has to be carried out. In addition to individual requirements for sampling, all equipment should fulfil the basic principles explained below:
Sampler material
The equipment should be made of inert substances from which no material can come loose and which does not react with other substances and therefore cannot contaminate the sample. The inert substance depends on the medium to be sampled. As a general rule, samplers made of stainless steel and high-quality plastic such as PTFE are very suitable.
Cleaning the sampling equipment
It should be easy and quick to clean the equipment and – under certain conditions – to sterilise it. In the food industry, sterile-packed disposable samplers are recommended which can be disposed of after use.
Processing the samplers
Samplers must not have any grooves or crevices because residual material collects in such crevices and cannot be easily removed. This means that cross-contamination and memory effects can no longer be ruled out.
Surface of the equipment
The samplers‘ surfaces have to be especially smooth, for example, electro-polished stainless steel or PTFE. This prevents material from being deposited and simplifies cleaning. When selecting the appropriate sampling equipment, you must ensure that it is finished properly on the inside. Equipment with only a smooth external surface will not meet any quality standards.
Bürkle offers various samplers for bulk goods, liquids, viscous substances, soil, ice and meat with comprehensive accessories and a large range of disposable and sterile sampling equipment.
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LaboPlast™ from Bürkle - the quality brand for laboratories and science
LaboPlast™ is the Bürkle brand for high-quality plastic products that have been specially designed and developed to optimally meet the demanding and in part special requirements in laboratories, industry and science.
Here LaboPlast™ stands for the best quality, excellent craftsmanship and outstanding material properties.
Test the products and get to know and appreciate our LaboPlast™ product lines!
SteriPlast™ from Bürkle
Bürkle SteriPlast™ products are high-quality, ergonomically shaped disposable products that are specially designed and optimised for sampling purposes. They are produced, assembled and individually packed in Bürkle’s own clean room and then sterilised by gamma rays (min. 10 kGy).
The SteriPlast™ products thus meet all the requirements for absolutely sterile sampling with first class certification.
Bürkle offers a wide range of laboratory equipment and laboratory articles made of plastic, trays, volume measuring equipment, funnels, fittings, hose connectors, bottles, boxes, canisters, containers etc. for all requirements and applications in the laboratory, in industry and in science.
