Agilent Technologies PlateLoc User manual

Original Instructions
This guide contains the following topics:
•“About this guide” on page 2
•“Safety information” on page 2
•“Getting started” on page 4
•“Sealing microplates” on page 12
•“Touchscreen menus and commands” on page 19
G5585B PlateLoc Thermal Microplate Sealer
Quick Guide

About this guide
2G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
About this guide
This guide summarizes the operator instructions in the PlateLoc Thermal Microplate
Sealer User Guide.
This guide assumes that the PlateLoc Sealer is installed correctly. For installation
details, see the PlateLoc Thermal Microplate Sealer User Guide.
Firmware version
This guide documents PlateLoc firmware version 6.2.0.
Where to find the user documentation
You can access the user guides for Agilent Automation Solutions products in the
following ways:
•Visit the online VWorks Knowledge Base at www.agilent.com/chem/askb.
If you are using the VWorks software, select Help > Knowledge Base or press F1 to
open the locally installed help system. Or, select Start > Agilent Technologies >
VWorks Knowledge Base from the Windows desktop.
•Download a pdf from www.agilent.com.
Contacting Agilent Technologies
Web: https://www.agilent.com
Contact page: https://www.agilent.com/en/contact-us/page
Documentation feedback: [email protected]
Safety information
Before using the PlateLoc Sealer
Make sure that you are properly trained in:
•General laboratory safety
•The correct and safe operation of the PlateLoc Sealer
•The correct and safe operation of lab automation systems or components used in
combination with the PlateLoc Sealer
If you are the person in your organization responsible for training others on the
PlateLoc Sealer and you have a safety question, contact Technical Support.
Safety standards
The PlateLoc Sealer complies with the applicable EU Directives and bears the CE mark.
See the Declaration of Conformity for compliance details.

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Safety information
G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
General precautions
For the general safety precautions, the intended product use statement, and the list of
safety labels, see the Automation Solutions Products General Safety Guide.
Chemical hazards
WARNING
To avoid potential injury, do not use chemicals that have low flash points in the
PlateLoc Sealer. Such chemicals include reagents that are used in radioactive
scintillation proximity assays (SPAs) and solvents, including alcohols.
High-temperature hazard
WARNING
The hot surfaces in the PlateLoc Sealer can cause a burn injury. Do not touch the
PlateLoc Sealer or pry open the door while it is in operation. Use care when
accessing the PlateLoc Sealer interior after the device is warmed up. Do not reach
into the PlateLoc Sealer when it is warmed up to a high temperature. Do not touch
the hot plate with your bare hands.
WARNING
A freshly sealed microplate might still be hot from the sealing process. To prevent
potential injury, use caution when removing a sealed microplate from the PlateLoc
Sealer.
Moving-parts hazards
The PlateLoc Sealer contains moving parts that can cause injury. Under normal
operating conditions, the PlateLoc Sealer is designed to protect you from the moving
parts. The door sensor is designed so that the seal cycle cannot start unless the door is
closed.
WARNING
Do not disable the door sensor or attempt to access the interior of the device through
any other openings. Exposure to the moving parts, such as the heated metal plate
(hot plate) or the seal-cutting blade can cause severe injuries.
PlateLoc

Getting started
4G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
Gas hazards
WARNING
Working with open, charged air lines can result in injury. Turn off the compressed air
line when disconnecting or reconnecting the PlateLoc Sealer. Contact your facilities
department or Agilent Technical Support with questions about setting up the air line.
WARNING
Gas-Purging PlateLoc only. Argon is an odorless, colorless, and nontoxic gas that
can cause rapid suffocation by displacing air. Use the Gas-Purging PlateLoc only in a
well-ventilated lab area. Turn off the argon gas source when the product is not in use.
Getting started
Turning on and turning off the power
Before turning on the PlateLoc Sealer, make sure:
•The lab requirements are met.
•You have properly installed the PlateLoc Sealer.
•You are trained in the proper operation of the PlateLoc Sealer.
The on/off switch is on the back of the PlateLoc Sealer.
To turn on the PlateLoc Sealer:
Press the on/off switch to the on position (I).
If you have not yet turned on the air, the touchscreen displays the Insufficient Air
Pressure error message. See “Turning on and turning off the air” on page 5. If you have
not yet connected the air supply to the PlateLoc Sealer, see the PlateLoc Thermal
Microplate Sealer User Guide.
To turn off the PlateLoc Sealer:
Press the on/off switch to the off position (o). The touchscreen turns off.
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Lower gripper to load seal
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Getting started
G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
Turning on and turning off the air
Before turning on the air, make sure:
•You have properly installed the PlateLoc Sealer.
•The air is turned on at the source (house, cylinder, or pump) and the air pressure
and flow rate meet the PlateLoc Sealer requirements.
•The PlateLoc Sealer is turned on.
The AIR ON/OFF switch is on the back of the PlateLoc Sealer.
To turn on the air:
Push the AIR ON/OFF switch to the ON position.
When you turn on the air, the PlateLoc Sealer door opens. If this is the first time you are
turning on the air, you must remove the packing foam inside the sealing chamber
before you can use the device.
To check that air is flowing into the device:
Check the pressure gauge on the back of the PlateLoc Sealer. If air is flowing into the
device, the gauge should show a non-zero pressure value.
If the gauge shows 0 psi, check the air tubing connections and the connections at the
source (house, cylinder, or pump).
IMPORTANT
The pressure reading on the back of the PlateLoc Sealer might be different from the
value shown on the touchscreen. The pressure gauge on the back of the PlateLoc
Sealer should be used to determine the presence of air flow only. To check the air
pressure inside of the device, view the air pressure information displayed on the
touchscreen.
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Getting started
6G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
Checking the internal air pressure
To check the internal air pressure:
On the touchscreen Home page, locate the Air Pressure readout. The regulated air
pressure should be approximately 0.599–0.62 MPa (87–90 psi).
To turn off the air:
Push the AIR ON/OFF switch to the OFF position.
Loading and unloading a roll of seal
Make sure you have the supplied seal-loading card.
To warm up or cool down the PlateLoc Sealer:
1On the touchscreen, press to display the Settings pages.
2Set the Seal Temp to a value from 30 to 40 °C.
Note: Press or to adjust the value down or up in 0.5 °C increments.
3Press Save to save the new Seal Temp value.

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Getting started
G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
4Press to return to the Home page. A status message appears at the top of the
page, indicating that the PlateLoc Sealer is warming up or cooling down to the new
set temperature.
5Wait for the PlateLoc Sealer to warm up or cool down to the set temperature.
The Home page displays the Ready message and the Run button is available when
the temperature is within the set range.
To assemble a roll of seal on the axle and hubs:
1Remove the seal roll (1), seal-roll hubs (2), and axle (3) from their packaging. See the
following figure.
2Screw one of the hubs onto the axle.
3Place the axle through the hole at the center of the seal roll. Make sure the hub fits
snugly against the roll.
4Screw the second hub onto the axle so that the roll is firmly secured between both
hubs.

Getting started
8G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
5Using scissors, cut off any wrinkled or torn material from the end of the seal so that
the end of the seal has a clean, straight edge.
CAUTION
The PlateLoc Sealer will not seal microplates properly if the seal is wrinkled or torn.
To mount the seal roll on the seal-roll supports:
1Orient the roll, and set the assembled seal roll onto the seal-roll supports (1) as
shown in the following figure. Notice that the end of the seal material rolls out from
under the roll.
2Pull the seal from under the cross-beam (2), as the following figure shows.
To insert the seal into the PlateLoc Sealer:
1On the back of the PlateLoc Sealer, push down the red recessed open-gripper
button until it clicks.
Pressing the button opens the seal gripper inside the device.
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Getting started
G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
2Remove the strip of paper that covers the adhesive on the end of the seal-loading
card.
3Follow the instructions on the card to:
aAttach the end of the seal to the card.
bInsert the card into the seal entry slot on the back of the PlateLoc Sealer.
cPush the card into the PlateLoc Sealer until it protrudes beyond the chamber
doorway at the front of the device.
dPull the card through the PlateLoc Sealer so that the end of the seal is past the
plate stage.
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remove loading card
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10 G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
4While maintaining the alignment of the seal with the plate stage, press the silver
close-gripper button on the back of the PlateLoc Sealer until it clicks. The red open-
gripper button pops back up.
Pressing the silver button closes the gripper and holds the seal in place inside the
device.
5Turn the seal roll to remove excess slack in the seal.
6Load a plate stage on the plate-stage support.
7Load a spare microplate on the plate stage.
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Getting started
G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
8Hold the seal-loading card at the touchscreen level, keeping the tension on the
card.
9On the touchscreen Home page , press Run. Continue to keep the tension on
the card as the seal feeds through the PlateLoc Sealer.
The purpose of this seal cycle is to cut the seal and prepare it for use. The seal is
not applied to the spare microplate.
10 If an error displays on the touchscreen, press Clear to clear the error. Press Run
again to make sure that the seal will apply to the spare microplate.
Unloading procedure
To unload a roll of seal:
1Power cycle the PlateLoc Sealer by turning off and turning on the device.
Power cycling resets the components inside the device and removes the hold on
the seal.
2On the back of the PlateLoc Sealer, push down the red recessed gripper-release
button until it clicks.
Pressing the button opens the seal gripper inside the device.
3Pull the seal out of the slot.
4Lift the seal roll off of the seal-roll supports.
5Unscrew one hub from the axle.
6Remove the roll from the axle.
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Sealing microplates
12 G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
Sealing microplates
Loading an insert and a microplate
Before you load an insert or microplate, make sure:
•The PlateLoc Sealer is turned on.
•The air is turned on and the door is open.
•The seal is properly loaded.
•Lab automation systems only. Communication between the controlling computer
and the PlateLoc Sealer is established.
•The sealing parameters are set correctly.
•The PlateLoc Sealer is warmed up or cooled down to the sealing temperature.
Standalone device procedure
To load a microplate and an insert in the standalone device:
1Place the removable plate stage (1a) on the plate-stage support (1b), as the
following figure shows.
2Optional. Place the insert (2) on the plate stage.
3Place the microplate (3) on the insert or plate stage. Make sure the microplate is
level and the microplate skirt is within the raised tabs on the plate stage.
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Sealing microplates
G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
Lab automation system procedure
If the PlateLoc Sealer is installed in a lab automation system, you need to load the
insert before you start the protocol run. During the run, the robot loads the microplates
automatically. You do not need to manually load each microplate.
Setting the sealing parameters
Before you set the sealing parameters, make sure:
•The PlateLoc Sealer is turned on.
•The air is turned on.
•The seal is properly loaded.
•Lab automation systems only. Communication between the controlling computer
and the PlateLoc Sealer is established.
Agilent recommends that you perform seal optimization tests to determine the optimal
seal time and temperature. For general optimization guidelines, see the PlateLoc
Thermal Microplate Sealer User Guide.
The seal time and temperature you specify depends on the type of microplate and the
type of seal you are using. For the most up-to-date starting point settings, see the Seal
Selection Guide. You can locate the guide in the Literature section of the PlateLoc
Sealer product page.
Standalone device procedure
To set the sealing parameters on the touchscreen:
1Press to display the Settings pages.
2In the Settings 1/5 page, set the following values:
•Seal Time. The duration (seconds) that the hot plate will be in contact with the
seal material and microplate.
•Seal Temp. The hot plate temperature (°C) when the seal cycle starts.
•Gas Purge Time. Gas-Purging PlateLocs only. The amount of time (seconds) the
microplate will be exposed to argon before the microplate is sealed.
Press or to change the value for the corresponding setting.
3Press Save to save the new settings.

Sealing microplates
14 G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
The touchscreen automatically returns to the Home page. Status messages
appear at the top of the Home page, such as, Warming up, Cooling down, or Ready.
You can also monitor the following:
•Seal Time displays the time remaining in the seal cycle.
•Seal Temp displays the current temperature. The text turns blue when the hot
plate temperature is within Set Temp run temperature range.
Note: The touchscreen readout displays the temperature as measured on
the opposite side of the hot plate sealing surface. The actual temperature
of the sealing surface may vary slightly.

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Sealing microplates
G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
Selecting and editing a saved method (touchscreen)
To select and edit a saved plate sealing method:
1On the touchscreen, press to display the Preset page.
2Press or to move the highlight to the desired Preset row, and then do one
of the following:
•To use the highlighted Preset without changing it, press Select. The selected
values are loaded to settings on the Home page.
Status messages appear at the top of the Home page, such as, Warming up,
Cooling down, or Ready.
•To edit the highlighted Preset, press Edit, and then proceed to step 3.
3In the Preset edit page, set the following:
•Seal Time. The duration (seconds) that the hot plate will be in contact with the
seal material and microplate.
•Seal Temp. The hot plate temperature (°C) when the seal cycle starts.
•Gas Purge Time. Gas-Purging PlateLocs only. The amount of time (seconds) the
microplate will be exposed to argon before the microplate is sealed.
Press or to change the value for the corresponding setting.
4Click Save to save the edits for the Preset.

Sealing microplates
16 G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
5To load the values for the edited Preset, highlight the corresponding Preset row on
the Preset page, and then press Select.
The Home page displays the selected preset. Status messages appear at the top of
the Home page, such as, Warming up, Cooling down, or Ready.
Lab automation system procedure
In the VWorks software, you set the sealing parameters when you set the Seal
(PlateLoc) task properties. For details, see the VWorks Automation Control User Guide.
If the PlateLoc Sealer is integrated with third-party software, see the PlateLoc Sealer
ActiveX version 13.0 User Guide.
Starting the seal cycle
Before you set the seal cycle, make sure:
•The PlateLoc Sealer is turned on.
•The air is turned on and the internal air pressure is 87–90 psi.
•The seal is properly loaded.
•Lab automation systems only. Communication between the controlling computer
and the PlateLoc Sealer is established.
•You have set the correct sealing parameters.
•Standalone PlateLoc Sealer only. The microplate is loaded.

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Sealing microplates
G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
Standalone device procedure
To use the touchscreen to start the seal cycle:
1If not already displayed, press to go to the Home page.
2Verify the following:
•The correct values are specified for Set Time and Set Temp.
•At the top of the page, the status bar displays Ready.
3Press Run. The microplate moves into the sealing chamber and the door closes.
The seal cycle begins. The status bar at the top of the touchscreen displays In
Progress.
Gas-Purging PlateLoc only. If the Gas Purge Time is greater than 0.0 seconds, the
argon fills the sealing chamber for the specified amount of time before the seal is
applied. The argon automatically turns off just before the seal is applied.
Note: If the Run button is unavailable, the PlateLoc Sealer is warming up or
cooling down. You cannot start the seal cycle until the PlateLoc Sealer is within
the run temperature range of the specified Set Temp.
Note: If an error occurs during the seal cycle, the cycle is aborted.
After the seal cycle is finished:
When the seal cycle is finished, the Status message changes to Ready. The door
opens. The microplate moves out of the sealing chamber.

Sealing microplates
18 G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
WARNING
Do not handle the microplate immediately after the seal cycle is finished. The sealed
microplate and the insert might be hot.
Wait a few seconds, and then remove the sealed microplate and insert from the plate
stage.
If you have finished using the PlateLoc Sealer:
1Turn off the PlateLoc Sealer.
2Turn off the air at the back of the PlateLoc Sealer or at the source (house, cylinder,
or pump).
Lab automation system procedure
You can start one or more seal cycles when you start the protocol run in the VWorks
software. For detailed instructions, see the VWorks Automation Control User Guide.
Stopping a seal cycle
Standalone device procedure
To use the touchscreen to stop a seal cycle:
On the Home page, press Stop.

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Touchscreen menus and commands
G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
To stop a seal cycle in an emergency:
If the Stop button on the touchscreen is not responding fast enough, turn off the
PlateLoc Sealer (1). The on/off switch is on the back of the device. Alternatively, you
can disconnect the power to the PlateLoc Sealer (2).
Lab automation system procedure
For instructions on how to stop a seal cycle from the VWorks software, see the VWorks
Automation Control User Guide.
Touchscreen menus and commands
Navigation pane
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Icon Description
Displays the Home page.
Displays the Settings pages, which enable you to adjust sealing
parameters and view information about the device.

Touchscreen menus and commands
20 G5585B PlateLocThermal Microplate Sealer Quick Guide
WARNING
Using the commands in the Service pages can expose you to potential injury and
cause equipment damage. The Service pages are for use by Agilent factory and
service personnel only.
Home page
Displays the Preset page, which enables you to select from a list of
saved plate-sealing methods.
Agilent factory and service personnel only.
Displays a keypad that authorized Agilent personnel use to display
the PlateLoc service pages to set up the device and troubleshoot
problems.
Icon Description
Control or indicator Description
Status bar Spans the top of the page and displays messages about the
PlateLoc status. Possible values are:
•Ready. The PlateLoc is within range of the specified Set
Temp and is ready for a run.
•Warming Up. The PlateLoc is in the process of warming
up to the specified Set Temp.
•Cooling Down. The PlateLoc is in the process of cooling
down to the specified Set Temp.
•In Progress. The PlateLoc is in the process of sealing a
microplate.
•Error. The PlateLoc has encountered an error during the
seal cycle.