Hamilton Star Operating Humidity

Hamilton (Venus)
1

Hello,

I have a quick question about Hamilton Star Operating Humidity.

On this website, Hamilton states that the operating humidity is 30%-85% without condensation (
Microlab STAR Site Requirements)

On the main Hamilton website, the operating humidity is listed as 15%-85% without condensation (https://www.hamiltoncompany.com/automated-liquid-handling/compare-platforms)

Which range is accurate?

Thank you!

2

The operator’s manual states 15 to 85% (non-condensing) so I would go with that. I will let Marketing know about the discrepancy on the website.
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Please note that the STAR is for indoor use only. I know a lot of customers would like to take their STAR outdoors to get some fresh air from time to time, but this is not recommended.

8 Likes
3

This brings up an interesting point, if you are using a STAR in a higher altitude area are there any mitigations you recommend to customers? Colorado Springs is close to that altitude in sea level, for example.

4

From a liquid handling perspective, you would see the following general behavior:

  • As elevation increases, average dispense volume decreases (Altitude high → air density lower → spring force lower → dosage lower)
  • As temperature increases, average dispense volume decreases (Temperature high → air density lower → spring force lower → dosage lower)
  • As humidity increases, average dispense volumes increases (Humidity high → air density higher → spring force higher → dosage higher)

So these factors would affect the trueness of the pipetting and you would likely have to adjust the correction curve accordingly in the liquid class. I would not expect the precision to be affected.

5 Likes
5

Don’t forget about our favorite friend static electricity. Low humidity causes low volume dispense to be less accurate.

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