11KC-20A airborne particle counterAirborne particle counters monitor particles sus-pended in the air and can simultaneously measure particle counts across five size ranges in real-time. This model handles air flows of 30 L/min for rapid measurements of the work environment.The funnel-shaped component on the top of the particle counter is known as an isokinetic sampling probe. It serves as the air intake with a suction force of 30 L/min, capable of capturing all types of particles present in air, including those larger than 100 µm.What is the KC-20A?Suzuki: Standard airborne particle count-ers are instruments used to measure particles ranging from 0.1 µm to 5 µm—for example, in cleanrooms that require a high degree of cleanliness. However, some customers requested airborne par-ticle counters that could measure larger particles. The KC-20A was developed in response to such requests. This model can measure coarse particles in real-time across five size ranges: 10 µm, 20 µm, 30 µm, 50 µm, and 100 µm or larger.What were the specific customer requests?Suzuki: Most requests came from auto-mobile manufacturers who wanted to use airborne particle counters in their body painting process. Coarse particles larger than 10 µm are visible to the naked eye when dropped onto a piece of black paper. If painted over without being noticed, they would create visible bumps on the surface. When such bumps are found on a car body, they must repair the defect by removing the defect paint layer and repainting the entire surface. To improve yield rates, they required a particle counter capable of measuring large particles.Nagai: Automotive spray painting occurs in clean environments, but drying often takes place in ordinary conditions. As a result, it is affected by ambient conditions such as the presence of pollen (30 µm to 35 µm) or yellow sand (0.2 µm to 20 µm) in the air, especially on windy days. Particles of this size do not remain suspended in the air; they settle. On days when the KC-20A detects high particle counts, operators can take preventive measures, such as allowing time for dust to settle before proceeding with the painting process.What are the advantages of the KC-20A?Nagai: I would highlight the lack of com-peting products with such strong suc-tion. Currently, the KC-20A is the only particle counter capable of measuring coarse particles with an air intake rate of 30 L/min. Conversely, the disadvantages of the KC-20A are its weight and the noise produced during operation. Since large particles are heavy, they require a higher rate of air flow and stronger suc-tion power for accurate measurement. That is why the KC-20A is equipped with a large pump, which results in increased noise levels.Suzuki: I think its advantage is the capaci-ty to measure particles in five sizes ranges simultaneously, as mentioned above. This lets users predict particle distributions in the air. For example, if the number of particles present in a factory’s air is high overall, including those over 100 µm, it’s very likely that something is wrong with the facility. But if only the number of particles in the 30 µm size range is elevated, the cause is probably pollen. How is it used?Nagai: Particle counters are typically placed at the same level or slightly below the target workspace. The KC-20A can be placed in a fixed position at these heights or it may be placed on a cart and moved around to the target area for measurements. The measurement settings are highly flexible. Users can set the KC-20A to perform measurements every hour for one minute, or to conduct automatic measurements via a PC using the RS-232C interface, which is provided as a standard feature.How is it being used at actual sites?Nagai: Automobile manufacturers also use the KC-20A on their parts manufac-turing lines. A steel company has adopted it for monitoring environmental hygiene conditions in surrounding areas. Film manufacturers and printed circuit board manufacturers also use the KC-20A.Suzuki: One of the more recent examples is its adoption in corporate data centers where servers and other equipment are managed. Data centers have exhaust ducts to release the air for cooling pur-poses. Dust and other particles may enter through the ducts. This dust can cause short circuits in board connectors or cooling fan malfunctions, so these par-ticles are monitored and managed using the KC-20A.What possibilities do you think lie ahead for the KC-20A?Nagai: Particles in the 10 µm to 100 µm size range, which can be measured by the KC-20A, often have an impact on human health. These particles include pollen and yellow sand. It would be great to see wid-er use of the KC-20A in the medical field."Suzuki: Air conditioning manufacturers are using the KC-20A to verify their pol-len control measures. We’d like to see it play a more active role in measurement of particles in health-related fields. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us. We have demo units available to rent out for trial operations.There actually was a predecessor model to the KC-20A, the KC-20, marketed in 1989, but it could only present results in a single size range. The KC-20A is an improved model developed in response to customer needs. It is capable of simul-taneously displaying the results of coarse particle measurement in five size ranges in real-time.When a measurement is initiated, particles are measured simultaneously in five size ranges. The results are displayed instantly. The results are pre-sented in two columns, with the left-hand column showing cumulative counts and the right-hand column showing the number of particles detected for each of the five size ranges. The easy-to-read LCD screen can also display results as counts per unit volume.
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