GUIDANCE FOR FITTING WET CELL HALVES

TOGETHER ON THE MASTERSIZER 3000 HYDRO

DISPERSION UNITS

Introduction
In feedback from the field, it has become apparent that some customers are struggling to
robustly fit the Hydro wet cell halves together to ensure that no leaks occur.
This is a quick description to capture the “best practise” from Malvern in terms of how to
fit wet cell halves to ensure they don’t leak in use.
Note that this document does not concentrate on how best to fit the seals to the
windows, or the windows and cells to the metalwork, only on fitting the two cell halves
together.

Procedure
When the seals have been fitted to the windows, and the windows and seals fitted to the
metalwork of the cell halves, the method of joining the two cell halves can have an
impact on the likelihood of creating a good seal.
The general principle is that, as far as possible, the two cell halves should be combined
using a rotating action, rather than a sliding action.
If the two halves are brought together in a rotating action, and then clamped, then the
seals align and a good seal is formed. If the two halves are allowed to slip horizontally
across each other, then they can become misaligned, and the potential for a leak to
occur can increase.
Two procedures follow:
 The recommended procedure which should be followed,
 and a discouraged procedure that should be avoided as this method may give rise to
leaks. The discouraged procedure has been included simply to describe the risks of
performing a poor cell half connection.

Malvern Instruments Worldwide

1
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www.malvern.com/contact ©2013 Malvern Instruments Limited MRK1963-02
Recommended procedure
This method is the CORRECT way. Fitting the windows like this will give a good robust seal.

 Start with the cell on its side, seal facing upwards  With the removable cell half at an angle, push it into the
dovetail joint opposite the locking mechanism (to the left
as seen in the image)

 While keeping the removable cell half pushed into the  The cell half is now positioned such that only the
dovetail (towards the left of the image), lower the clamping lever needs to be actuated, and in doing so,
opposite side onto the locking surface the lever causes a minimum of horizontal movement.

 On actuating the lever, the removable cell half does not

obviously move

Technical note - MRK1963-02 2

Discouraged procedure
This method is the WRONG way. Fitting the windows like this should be avoided.

 Placing the removable cell half flat on top of the cell  As the locking lever is actuated, the removable cell half
leaves a gap between the removable cell half and the slides horizontally across the fixed cell half, this movement
dovetail- note the clear gap in the image can cause the seals to become misaligned- note how the
gap is closing

 Continuing the movement of the lever continues to push  Actuation of the lever then causes the removable cell half
the removable cell half horizontally to fully locate against the dovetail, and compression to
occur, although by now the seals can be misaligned

 On re-opening the cell, you can sometimes see the seal  This effect can occur on either the fixed or removable cell
having been pushed out of position halves

Technical note - MRK1963-02 3

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Malvern • Worcestershire • UK • WR14 1XZ
Tel: +44 (0)1684 892456
Fax: +44 (0)1684 892789
Malvern Instruments Worldwide
Sales and service centers in over 50 countries
for details visit www.malvern.com/contact
© Malvern Instruments Ltd 2013

more information at www.malvern.com

Technical note - MRK1963-02 4