CAT Scientific is the North America distributor for Ingenieurbüro CAT in Germany, which manufactures micro jet turbine engines as well as laboratory grade processing equipment.
What’s the connection? A micro jet turbine engine turns at very high rotor speeds (over 100k RPM). The speed of the rotor controls the thrust of the engine. Even at idle, it turns 35k RPM. To be able to control the speed of the engine a microcontroller must evaluate many outside influences and compensate for changes very quickly (within micro seconds) to keep it stable and precisely on the set thrust. To do this, CAT developed a proprietary software algorithm based loosely on what is known as a PID loop (Proportional, Integral, and Differential). It is the best controller in the micro jet engine business. The same engineers used these software algorithms to control the set points of our CAT Hotplate stirrer line, making them the most precise on the market. That is why when you set the desired temperature it will not overshoot or undershoot like many other hotplate stirrers. The same applies to the stir bar motor, no dislodging of the stir bar while processing distillate.
CAT Scientific made a cover for the CAT KM16.7D two liter round bottom flask hotplate stirrer for processing distillate. With the KM16.7D there’s no need for a separate analog stirring controller or a temperature controller, they’re integrated in the device.
We’ve made several offers to have companies test our device; all had zero interest except Joe Oakes formally from Skunk Pharm Research. He’s been using the device for the past nine months and says no other 2 liter short path hotplate stirrer is as precise controlling set points, and the stir bar doesn’t dislodge while processing. You may want to ask Joe Oakes yourself how the device performs, joeoakes@oregonmedicalgrowers.com
With respect I offer a technical correction. I engineered as a control systems engineer multiple machines involving motion control and such. The definition cited for PID is slightly incorrect though close. PID stands for Proportional, Integral, Derivative.
Those terms are actually shortened terms. Each has the word “error” attached to it. Each is part of an equation to tell the power driving the load ultimately (heater, motor, cylinder, etc.) how much energy to put into correcting the error. Proportional means how far away from target you are currently. Integral means how long have you been in error. Derivative is how fast the error is changing. From these three known things an equation can control a dynamic load pretty well once the right numbers get plugged into each term.
Some PID loops get very complex and actually add an Integral factor to the Derivative which is sort of an attempt to further predict loads by adding a velocity factor for machinery that absolutely must maintain precise position, speed, torque, heat, or power (like a robotic surgery device).
Thanks! We thought for sure the cover would make the device overheat and automatically shut down.
We have yet to find a heating mantel, hotplate stirrer on the market that’s as precise as CAT’S hotplate stirrer line. Our software, Shake N Stir Control gives the user the ability to automate set points, (probe temp) stir bar motor, safety temperature (device will power down if probe temperature rises above set safety temperature) and records the entire process.
CAT makes a 1,200 watt hotplate stirrer, the M36 which we were going to make fit a 5 liter round bottom flask and cover, however given the weak response we’ve gotten from the distillate community for our 2 liter device, it’s probably never going to happen.
The factory in Germany just shelved the 5 liter hotplate stirrer because lack of interest! They were going to make the 5 liter device fit a 5 liter round bottom flask for short path distillation. Since 2016 we’ve made multiple offers to have our 2 liter hotplate stirrer for short path distillation evaluated by Lab Society, Summit Research, Open Source Steel, Extractor Depot, among others. They all told us to get lost! Joe Oakes formerly from Skunk Pharm Research is the only one who took us up on our offer.
CAT makes the best heating systems in the world for solution temperature control and we can prove it, yet the processors in the cannabis industry just laugh at us. The few that use our devices refuse to talk about them. Maybe in the future we can get the factory to revive the 5 liter heating system.
I believe the rant might have been inspired by my phone call to CAT with the desire to have a larger hotplate produced to accommodate a 5- 10L RBF. What his boss fails to realize is that we dont use 2L mantles. Based on low sales has killed their desire to push forward to what we actually would buy. I would think that he will be linked to this post to see the feedback. The product is amazing and i would start carrying them for my team bugout bag.
