1、 Daily maintenance (daily/after each use)

1. Instrument surface cleaning

Dip a soft dust-free cloth into a small amount of anhydrous ethanol or isopropanol, gently wipe the instrument casing, operation panel, and sample chamber exterior to remove dust, fingerprints, and sample residue, avoid using corrosive cleaning agents, and prevent damage to the casing coating and electronic components.

After cleaning, ensure that there is no liquid residue on the surface of the instrument to avoid liquid infiltration into the interface or internal circuit.

2. Sample warehouse cleaning

After use, promptly remove the sample holder and residual samples, use a clean brush or blowing balloon to remove dust and debris from the sample chamber. If any liquid splashes, immediately use absorbent paper to absorb it, and then wipe it dry with anhydrous ethanol to prevent residual samples from corroding the inner wall of the sample chamber or contaminating optical components.

Check whether there are stains or scratches on the mirrors and windows in the sample chamber. If there are slight stains, use specialized optical cleaning paper dipped in a small amount of optical cleaner to gently wipe (avoid touching the optical surface directly with your hands).

3. Accessories organization and storage

Clean the sample tank, ATR accessories, liquid tank and other accessories, dry them according to the material requirements, and then store them in a special packaging box to avoid collision, contamination or moisture.

Organize the instrument connection cables to ensure a secure interface connection and avoid cable pulling that may cause the interface to become loose or damaged.

4. Instrument shutdown specifications

Follow the steps in the instrument operation manual to shut down normally. First, turn off the spectrometer host, wait for the internal components to stop running, then turn off the computer and supporting equipment, and finally cut off the main power supply.

If not used for a long time (more than 24 hours), the gas cylinder valve should be closed and residual gas in the pipeline should be released.

2、 Regular maintenance (weekly/monthly/quarterly)

1. Weekly maintenance

Check the cooling system of the instrument to ensure that the fan is running properly and the heat dissipation port is not blocked. If there is dust accumulation, gently clean the heat dissipation grille with a balloon or vacuum cleaner.

Calibrate the baseline stability of the instrument and perform baseline scanning according to the operating manual. If the baseline drift is too large (beyond the specified range of the instrument), promptly investigate the cause.

2. Monthly maintenance

Check the key components of the optical system, such as interferometers, light sources, detectors, etc., and use the instrument's built-in self-test program to test the optical performance. If a decrease in energy value or abnormal interferogram is found, contact after-sales or professional personnel for maintenance in a timely manner.

Clean the crystal surface of the ATR attachment. For diamond ATR crystals, wipe them with anhydrous ethanol, rinse with deionized water, and finally blow dry with nitrogen to avoid sample residue affecting detection sensitivity.

Check the gas supply system (if equipped with instruments), such as nitrogen cylinder pressure, pipeline sealing, replace aging sealing rings or pipelines, ensure the purity of the carrier gas (usually requiring nitrogen purity ≥ 99.999%), and prevent impurity gas from contaminating optical components.

3. Quarterly maintenance

Perform comprehensive performance calibration on the instrument, including wavelength accuracy, peak position repeatability, resolution, and other parameters. Use standard reference materials for verification. If the calibration results do not meet the standards, adjust according to the manual or contact professional after-sales service for calibration.

Check the filters inside the instrument. If the filters are damp, discolored, or clogged, replace them in a timely manner to ensure that the air inside the instrument is dry and clean.

Lubricate the movable parts of the instrument and apply a small amount of specialized lubricating oil to avoid component wear and jamming.

3、 Specialized care for key components

1. Light source components

The commonly used light source for Thermo Fisher FTIR spectrometer is infrared light source, which has a limited lifespan and requires regular inspection of the light source intensity. When the energy value continues to decrease and cannot be restored by cleaning the optical components, the light source should be replaced in a timely manner (replacement should be carried out by professionals to avoid touching the surface of the light source).

After replacing the light source, it is necessary to recalibrate the optical system to ensure stable output of the light source.

2. Interferometer

The interferometer is the core component of the FTIR spectrometer and needs to be kept absolutely dry and clean inside to avoid vibration and collision. Regularly check the sealing of the interferometer. If aging sealant is found, replace it promptly to prevent moisture from entering and causing component damage.

Do not disassemble the interferometer by yourself. If there is an abnormal interference pattern, immediately stop the machine and contact after-sales maintenance.

3. Detector

The detector is sensitive to environmental humidity and temperature, and it is necessary to ensure that the operating environment of the instrument meets the requirements (usually humidity ≤ 60%, temperature 1825 ℃).

Regularly check the cooling system of the detector. If it is cooled by liquid nitrogen, replenish it in a timely manner to ensure the cooling effect; If it is electronic refrigeration, check the operating status of the refrigeration module to avoid overheating of the detector and affecting its detection performance.

4. Optical window and reflector

Regularly clean the optical window panels with specialized optical cleaning tools, following the principle of unidirectional wiping from the center to the edge to avoid scratches caused by back and forth wiping.

If there are serious scratches or coating peeling on the window or reflector, replace it in a timely manner to avoid affecting the quality of the spectral signal.

4、 Operating environment control

1. Temperature and humidity control

The instrument should be placed in a laboratory with constant temperature and humidity, controlled at 1825 ℃ and humidity ≤ 60%, to avoid severe temperature fluctuations and high humidity environments, and to prevent condensation of optical components and damage to electronic components due to moisture.

Equipped with air conditioning and dehumidifier, regularly maintain environmental control equipment to ensure its normal operation.

2. Dust and vibration protection

The instrument should be placed away from the dust source and equipped with a dust cover if necessary (for use outside of operation).

Place on a stable experimental platform, avoiding proximity to vibration sources. The experimental platform should have sufficient load-bearing capacity to prevent optical components from shifting due to instrument vibration.

3. Power supply guarantee

Equip the instrument with a dedicated regulated power supply to avoid the impact of grid voltage fluctuations on the instrument circuit. The power supply should be well grounded to prevent electrostatic interference.

Avoid sharing the same circuit with high-power devices to prevent current overload.

5、 Fault prevention and emergency response

1. Regularly backup data and maintain software

Weekly backup of instrument detection data, calibration parameters, and software configuration files to prevent data loss; Regularly update instrument control software and drivers, and fix software vulnerabilities.

Avoid installing unrelated software on the instrument control computer to prevent virus infection or software conflicts.

2. Common fault prevention

If there are abnormal spectral peak shapes or excessive baseline drift, priority should be given to checking the cleanliness of the sample chamber, contamination of optical components, and environmental temperature and humidity. After ruling out basic problems, further investigation should be carried out.

If the instrument cannot be started, check the power connection and fuse status. If the fuse is blown, replace it with a fuse of the same specification and try again. If it still cannot be started, contact after-sales service.

3. Emergency response

In case of emergencies, immediately cut off the main power and gas supply, take corresponding emergency measures, and contact the after-sales team in a timely manner. It is prohibited to disassemble and repair the machine by oneself.

6、 Precautions

1. Maintenance personnel need to undergo professional training, be familiar with the structure and operating specifications of the instrument, strictly follow the operation manual, and avoid instrument damage caused by improper operation.

2. All maintenance records must be archived in detail for easy traceability and troubleshooting in the future.

3. In accordance with Thermo Fisher's warranty policy, regular maintenance can extend the warranty period of the instrument. If the instrument is still within the warranty period, major repairs or component replacements should be contacted with after-sales service to avoid affecting warranty rights through self operation.