Setting Up the Blue Press for Sealing High Volume Pans

The TA Instruments blue Sample Encapsulating Press (shown on the left) is used to seal samples in the DSC sample pans.  The procedure below describes the steps required to convert a press that is currently set up for nonhermetic or hermetic pan sealing to the setup required for high volume pan sealing. [When you first receive your press it arrives preconfigured for sealing nonhermetic (crimped) pans.]

NOTE:  The pans sealed with this press may be used in either a Q Series™ or 2900 series DSC instrument.

Refer to the figure below to identify the parts.

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1.  Remove the lower nonhermetic or hermetic die as follows:

1. Raise the cam lever handle, then loosen the thumbscrew on the column of the sample press, which locks the lower die in place.

2. Turn the press over so that the bottom is accessible.

3. Lower (loosen) the die holder by turning the base screw on the bottom of the press counterclockwise as seen in the figure below.

4. Return the press to its upright position, then lift the lower nonhermetic or hermetic die to remove it from the die holder.

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2. Place the lower high volume die (see figure to the right) into the die holder with the larger end facing up.

3. When changing from either hermetic or nonhermetic setup to high volume sealing:  Since the same upper die is used for both hermetic and nonhermetic pans, the procedure for converting to the upper high volume die is the same regardless of the current press setup. To change the upper die, slide the upper high volume die onto the extended portion of the upper hermetic/nonhermetic die and tighten the setscrew.

4. Adjust the position of the lower die relative to the upper die as follows:

1. Pull the sample press cam lever handle all the way down until it rests on the column.

2. Turn the press over so that the bottom is accessible.

3. Raise the lower die by turning the base screw clockwise until the lower die meets the upper die and the cam lever handle is horizontal.

4. Return the press to its upright position and tighten the thumbscrew on the column to lock the die holder in place.  

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