Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ's:

Q: Why should I send my unit for maintenance service?

A: If you need the highest possible accuracy over the entire operational life of your measuring device.

Konica Minolta preventive maintenance service assures that the instrument is maintained in perfect condition and performs always within the specified tolerances set by the manufacturer. The preventive maintenance service includes cleaning; necessary adjustments as well as certification of the instruments in form of a document including all conditions and measurement results.

Q: How often should my instrument be sent for maintenance service?

A: Only authorised Konica Minolta service stations can provide maintenance service including adjustment to manufacturer specifications of Konica Minolta instruments.

Q: Who can provide service on my instrument?

A: Only authorised Konica Minolta service stations can provide maintenance service of Konica Minolta instruments.

Q: Where do I have to send the instrument for servicing?

A: Please refer to the list of authorised service stations or the Konica Minolta Sensing distributor in your country or area.

Q: What do I have to send in for servicing?

A: Please send all important accessories such as white calibration plate, Target masks, AC adapter and data cable. These accessories will enable our service facilities to check the instruments in the same way you use them. The white calibration plate is an especially important part of a complete measurement system as well as the used target masks. Please take special notice for those.

In addition, for the administrative process please send in your instrument with an information of the referenced contact person and order number or maintenance contract.

Q: How to pack my instrument for sending to service station?

A: Whenever possible, use the original packaging of the instrument. If that is not available, please make sure that enough space around the instrument is filled with Styrofoam or other filling materials to prevent damage during transport

Q: Does Konica Minolta calibrate or repair instruments of other brands?

A: No, Konica Minolta service facilities exclusively provide maintenance service and calibrations for Konica Minolta instruments.

Q: What is the lifetime of a white calibration plate?

A: It is rather difficult to specify such lifetime as it strongly depends on the environmental conditions. A calibration plate which is used in a laboratory under stable environmental conditions of course has a longer lifetime than the same plate used in production facility. Respectively, Konica Minolta recommends an annual calibration interval for the white plate and the instrument.

Q: How can I clean my white calibration plate?

A: Cleaning the white calibration plates is possible with dry cleaning papers (take care not to scratch the surface) or with clear water. Never use any lens cleaning liquids or cloths as these can contain optical brighteners which can be applied on the plate and will result in wrong measurement values.

Q: What is the life time of the Xenon lamp?

A: Typically, 500.000 flashes, but this differs with the model. In addition the environmental conditions have some influence on the lifetime. During maintenance services Konica Minolta will by default check the condition of the xenon lamp and replace it when necessary.

Q: My software does not communicate with the instrument

A: Please check that both hardware and software have the same communication settings (for example same baud rate) Please check if the correct data cable is used. There are different cables on the market; some of them have different wiring whilst others have different screws for fixing the connector. In addition, low cost cables are more sensitive to noise, especially when using cable lengths of more than 2 meters. Konica Minolta strongly recommends using only original cables supplied by Konica Minolta.
Some software requires "English" style regional setting for decimal and list separator. Try to use "." as decimal symbol, "," as digit grouping symbol and "," as list separator. Not only must the number format be changed, but also the currency format. Therefore please also try to change the currency settings in case of software communication problem.


Q: What is the difference between factory calibration and daily instrument calibration?

A: Both factory instrument calibration and daily instrument calibration are important to maintaining consistent and reliable readings from your colour measurement instrument. The daily calibration (Black/White) is setting the range where the instrument performs. The factory calibration checks and adjusts the overall performance of the instrument.

Both calibrations must be current and are necessary to the ensure the instruments highest performance. ‘You can’t have one without the other.

Q: What is daily instrument calibration?

A: Daily calibration is a procedure that is designed for the instrument operator to bring the instrument to a known state utilising a factory supplied reference standard of traceable values.

The procedure for daily calibration is simple and straightforward. Two measurements are taken with the instrument, one measurement of a ceramic white standard with traceable values, and one measurement of absolute black.

The measurement of the white ceramic standard must always be performed with the standard that was assigned to the respective instrument. Each white standard is serialized and therefore easily paired with the correct instrument. The absolute black measurement, referred to as a ‘zero calibration’ or ‘black trap measurement’ can be performed by utilising a special attachment for the instrument which absorbs all light (black trap, or zero calibration box), or by taking a measurement with nothing in front of the instruments measurement port for at least 1m (open port black calibration). In either scenario the end result is the same in that no light will be reflected back into the instrument and therefore the measurement result will be of an absolute black.

Both the white standard reading and the absolute black reading are utilised by the instruments onboard processor to set the instrument to a known state of calibration.

Q: How often should daily calibration be performed by the operator of the instrument?

A: Daily calibration of colour measurement devices should be performed in the same environment and conditions as the measurements with the device will be taken. The instrument and its calibration standard should be given sufficient time to acclimatize to the environment where calibration and measurement will occur. Typically with stationary instruments a minimum interval that daily calibration should be performed is every 8 hours or every shift. However there are various cases where daily calibration should be performed more often such as:

• If the environmental conditions of temperature and humidity change. The calibration process allows the operating environment to be
• taken into account to provide consistent results.
• If the measurement mode of the instrument is changed, for example specular component, reflectance, transmittance, etc…
• If the aperture size of the instrument is changed.
• If you have any questions on calibration interval please consult the user’s manual of the instrument or with Konica Minolta’s team of application engineers, they can recommend the optimum calibration interval based on your specific measurement requirements. Keep in mind, daily calibration only takes a matter of seconds, so when in doubt, re-calibrate!

There are several important considerations when performing daily calibration of colour measurement devices, they can be summarized as:

• Ensure the white calibration tile is free from scratches, dirt, or fingerprints. Any debris or abnormality can affect the calibration of the device in question.
• Ensure the white calibration tile is seated correctly to the instruments measurement aperture. Any angular misalignment can cause variation in the measurement of the calibration standard and introduce error.
• Ensure you are utilizing the correct white calibration standard for your device.
• For black calibration utilizing a zero calibration box ensure that the zero calibration box, or black trap, is free from dust and debris.
• For black calibration utilizing an open port calibration, ensure that there is no objects in front of the instruments measurement port less than three feet, and do not place the measurement port facing toward a light source.
  
  

Q: What is factory calibration and why is it required to perform this annually?

A: Factory calibration, also referred to as annual calibration, is a much more comprehensive testing and re-calibration of an instrument. Factory calibration is the process of adjusting the accuracy of the instrument in comparison to a master instrument and standards which meet known national or international traceable standards. Daily calibration and factory calibration share the same goal, making sure your instrument is reading accurately and repeatable. The two go hand in hand and neither can replace the other.

Every new Konica Minolta Sensing instrument is ship with its factory calibration assured. This baseline factory calibration is what ensures your daily calibrations can be completed correctly and accurately. Your daily calibrations are tied to the accuracy of the instruments factory calibration. To ensure instruments will function correctly over time it is necessary that all colour measurement instruments receive factory calibration on an annual basis.