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Smoking Robot VC 10 S-Type

The high end smoking robot for conventional and electronic cigarettes.


Cutting edge technologies make the VITROCELL® smoking machine VC 10® S-TYPE a perfect tool for evaluation of conventional and e-cigarettes.

This smoking machine features all special requirements for high-class research: compliance with ISO, Health Canada and square puff profile protocols as well as ease of handling, fast cleaning and high speed product change capabilities.

It is suitable for working with side- and mainstream smoke, and offers significant advantages over other smoking machines.

For the success of an experiment with mainstream tobacco smoke it is important that the distance between the smoke generation (cigarette holders) and the VITROCELL® cell exposure system is as short as possible in order to avoid aging and to guarantee a smoke composition matching the real-life situation.
The robot is designed to allow easy access to all tubes, filters and the syringe system. Additional analytical equipment relevant to the experiment can be installed without difficulty by the operator.
The computer system allows highly flexible programming of the smoking process. Changing from single cigarette smoke to serial smoke mode for a defined number of cigarettes is possible. All parameters of the smoking process like puff duration, puff volume, puff frequency and exhaust duration can be defined according to the needs of the experiment.
The data of the smoking process are logged into an Excel® sheet for further processing.
In particular the work with unfiltered mainstream smoke demands frequent cleaning of all parts of the robot which are in contact with the smoke. Cleaning must take place after each experiment in order to avoid any influence of residual products on the following experiment. Due to the easy access to all parts the cleaning can be done quickly and efficiently.
The robot can be integrated with and connected to other lab systems, e. g. analytical or automation systems.
The robot meets the requirements of ISO 3308:2012 which assures a compatibility with data generated for quality assurance purposes on other smoking machines.
The robot meets the requirements for 55 ml/30 sec puff frequency requirements.
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The robot is built to the highest standards using reliable and durable components. Precision of the process is ensured by a stepper motor for smoking port rotation and linear drive motor for the pump as well as sensor-controlled and pneumatically-driven components. Compliance with CE standards.
All VC 10® robots are designed to be very service-friendy and have a secure internet-based remote servicing module.

Special features of the VITROCELL VC 10 S-TYPE Smoking Robot

  • Platform concept with docking stations
  • Large magazine for 300 cigarettes enabling long test runs
  • New smoking head with small dead volume and integrated butt ejector
  • Quick-lock holder system for all types of conventional and e-cigarettes
  • Machine-controlled button actuator for e-cigarettes
  • Heated smoke path system
  • New multiple 5-port exhaust system
  • Scalable to up to 3 syringe drives
  • Entire product change cleaning in < 10 min (with a few prepared exchange parts)

VC 10 S-TYPE operation for e-cigarettes

Quick-lock holder system with e-cigarette support crown

The holders can be quickly exchanged for cleaning and the support crown holds heavier e-cigarettes safely.

Special holder system for e-cigarettes

Secure and tight connection of any puff-actuated device.

VC 10 S-TYPE for Heated Tobacco Products (HTP)

For automated and continuous puffing of Heated Tobacco Products

Now continuous smoking and selective guidance of the aerosol to max. 6 exhaust lines are possible.

Up to 10 devices can be installed on the support rim with individual button actuators.

The system is available for all commercial HTP devices.

Features:

  • Automated device activation
  • Suitable for all commercial HTP devices
  • Continuous puffing for up to 1 hour according to ISO and custom regimes
  • Puffing to 1, 2, 3 or 4 exhaust lines (6 with triple piston drive)
  • Time-saving, automated process
  • Compatible with all VITROCELL® Exposure Systems

VC 10 S-TYPE Vapestarter for Button-activated devices

Innovative solution for smoking machines: automatic button activation of e-cigarettes

Button activated e-cigarettes put the user of smoking machines into a problem: should one press the button every 30 or 60 seconds manually? The automated solution to press the button in a precise manner is the VITROCELL® Vapestarter. The device can be connected to any VITROCELL® smoking machine. The trigger function is controlled by the software of the smoke generator. The system consists of Vapestart Controller, e-cigarette holder and different Vapestarter units. The Vapestarter units are tailor-made to fit tank products having different diameters as well as square shapes.

Features:

  • Integration into software of VC 1, VC 1 S-TYPE, VC 10® and VC 10® S-TYPE Smoking Machines
  • Vapestarters available for all sizes of tank products
  • Inclination angle from 0-90°
  • Quick-change mechanism for easy exchange of test products
  • Also available as standalone version
  • Operation by compressed air

VC 10 S-TYPE operation for conventional cigarettes

Magazine

The magazine stores up to 300 cigarettes and has a machine-controlled feeding and aligning system.

Automatic leak detector

There is the option to activate the leak detector prior to each experiment. The detector confirms the tightness of the system including cigarette holders and pump. The results are logged in the study files.

Loading unit

Damage-free loading of the cigarettes into the cigarette holders takes place fully automatically. The cigarette holders are equipped with labyrinth seals as required by ISO 3308:2012.

Ignition and smoking

Lighter

Safe and contact-free lighting of the cigarettes. Designed for maintenance-free operation.

Stepper motor for rotation of port holder

The rotation of the port holder is controlled by a stepper motor with highest precision.

Cambridge filter

The Cambridge filter can be mounted easily into the system for analytical purposes.

Heated smoke path

The smoke path can be heated and temperature controlled to avoid eventual condensation.

Smoking and butt extraction

Hood with sidestream smoke ducts

 The integrated fan evacuates the sidestream smoke. The air flow at the cigarette holders is adjusted by the fan speed.

Butt length sensor

 The IR-sensor can be adjusted to a fraction of a millimeter and transmits reliable signals to the pump and butt extractor. If the critical butt length is reached, the pump stops immediately. Alternatively, it is also possible to work with a defined number of puffs.

Butt ejector

 The cigarette butts are removed from the holder by ejection. The ashtray is kept permanently clean with a brush.

Large butt reservoir

 The butts are forwarded into a large reservoir.

Linear motor for syringe drive

Syringe drive

The syringe pump is controlled with high precision by a strong linear motor. Due to the special design, the syringe can be dismantled for cleaning and refitted again in a very short time.

The machine can be scaled up to 3 syringe drives to increase the puff frequency.

Unique 5-port exhaust system

5 individual machine-controlled exhaust lines direct the smoke to 5 dilution systems.

Software and Controls

Electrical control box

The control box houses the controls for the stepper motors, sensors and pneumatic valves. The whole process is controlled by Beckhoff software in conjunction with Microsoft Windows 10®. This setup offers extensive possibilities for integration with common Microsoft Office® applications and the exchange of data with Excel®-sheets.

Smoking parameters

> puff volume: up to 200 mL
> puff frequency: 4 – 250 s
> puff duration: 0.1 – 15 s
> puff exhaust duration: 0.5 – 15 s
> number of cigarettes per run: 300
> number of puffs: 1-250
> smoking modes: single, cycle, serial
> profiles: bell, square, human
> Single, cycle and serial mode
> Pre-loading mode
> Cycle mode with system purging after each cycle

Technical Data

  • Dimensions electrical control box: 790 x 300 x 600 mm (L x W x H); 31 x 12 x 24 inches
  • Dimensions smoking platform: 940 x 690 x 670/694* mm (L x W x H) / (height without hood); 37 x 28 x 27/28 inches
  • Power supply: 1 x 230 V, 50/60 Hz , 16 A
  • Compressed air: Operating pressure 6 bar (87 psi); system pressure 10 bar (145 psi)
  • Remote service module: Included / Internet access mandatory
*platform opened

Videos

Smoking Machine VC 10 S-TYPE for Heat-not-Burn Tobacco Devices

VITROCELL VC 10 S-TYPE – Smoking Machine

Unique Double Pump System of the VITROCELL Smoking Machine VC 10 S-TYPE for 4 Dilution Systems

Unique Double Pump System of the VITROCELL Smoking Machine VC 10 S-TYPE for 5 Dilution Systems

Unique triple pump system of the VITROCELL Smoking Machine VC 10 S-TYPE for 6 dilution systems

Downloads

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Smoking Robot VC 10 S-Type

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