How to prevent an overheated XRF?

Did you ever experience the following?

You are working with the XRF and are quite busy. Suddenly the machine shuts down and does not power up anymore. Meanwhile, your batch of samples is waiting to be analyzed.

What happened is that your XRF shut down because of overheating. This is a situation that you need to avoid. You can do so by keeping the following things in mind:

1) The XRF operates normally at temperatures of 5°C – 35°C. Do not operate the XRF if the room temperature exceeds the temperature of 35°C. Keep the XRF in an air-conditioned room if these high temperatures are common in your country.

2) Notice overheating before shutdown. If the ambient temperature is high and the XRF is intensively used, then the inner temperature of the device goes up. You notice this when you handle the metal sampling cups. They will feel much warmer than usual. If this is the case, then reduce the workload on the XRF and allow the machine to cool down.

3) Clean the dust filters every two weeks (dusty lab) or every month (clean lab). The XRF produces heat when it is active. When the filters are covered with dust it limits the airflow which can lead to cooling problems of the machine. When the needed airflow is too limited it can even lead to a shutdown of the whole system. Additionally, considerable dust may damage the electronical circuits within the device. Learn HERE more about cleaning the dust filters.

4) Placing the XRF is important. A minimum of 200 mm space behind the device is needed to allow sufficient air circulation. Do not place the XRF in a corner.

5) Keep the lab free from dust to prevent airflow limitations.  

And what if it shuts down anyway?
Then you unfortunately have to wait until the XRF fully cooled down. Check the filters and try to reduce the room temperature in the meantime. Do not try to start the XRF before it has cooled down completely.