Katálysis official logoLCTECH — a Velaris brand
Analytical capacity • routine planning

Capacity calculator for
dioxin and PCB preparation.

Plan the preparation needed for your analytical capacity, with standardized tasks, documentation and clearly estimated operator time.

Optional X-TRACTIONDEXTech Heat / PureD-EVA under vacuum1 to 4 GC-MS instrumentsNo registration required

Simulation through instrumental acquisition, with optional X-TRACTION extraction. Includes queues, breaks, configurable quality controls and column-set consumption. It does not constitute method validation or an analytical report.

DEXTech Heat original
DEXTech Heat
DEXTech Pure original
DEXTech Pure
D-EVA with original rotor
D-EVA
Simulate your routine, check the assumptions and print your configuration. Your data stays in this browser until you choose to contact us.
175 samples per week ≈ 700 per four-week month. The examples assume ready LCTECH methods. The 10-sample example highlights partial batches; manual times remain blank until entered by the laboratory.

Time estimates assume ready-to-use methods

Times are routine estimates based on ready-to-use methods. For DEXTech and D-EVA, the baseline uses LCTECH methods already configured on the equipment. For optional X-TRACTION, the AN0046 published reference or the laboratory-adjusted and confirmed time is used. Method development, initial programming and method validation are not included.

With experience and adjustments validated for the matrix and application, methods can be optimized and times reduced further. This potential improvement is neither guaranteed nor automatically applied to the estimate.

When using a laboratory-specific method or modified parameters, confirm the times under the laboratory's conditions.

1 Scope, matrix and demand

2 Your GC-MS instruments and the full injection cycle
Enter the time from the start of one injection to the start of the next. Cooling or washes already included in the cycle will not be counted twice.
All entered GC-MS instruments are assumed compatible with the selected fractions. Dedicated instruments and column or method changes require additional technical assessment.
3 Clean-up on DEXTech Heat / Pure

Each DEXTech Heat/Pure processes one preparation per cycle in this model. Separate units may run in parallel; columns per set do not represent simultaneous samples.

Ready-to-use columns with automated conditioning and rinsing. Active work does not include column packing. Washing of reusable glassware is not assumed to be eliminated. [1]
DCM-free ≠ exempt from Brazilian Federal Police controls. Ethyl acetate and dichloromethane are listed in List II of Brazilian Ordinance MJSP 204/2022. Substitution does not automatically remove applicable obligations. Ethyl acetate is flammable; changing solvents requires review of safety, concentration time and performance. [5, 6]
4 Vacuum concentration with D-EVA
Separate references. Capacity up to 53 DF / 23 PCB fractions: catalogue [1]. AN0034 [2]: 40–45 min DF and 30–35 min PCB, with a different documented DF capacity. The 45 min time does not establish performance for a full 53-position rotor. This scenario uses vacuum only; AN0034 experiments included an N₂ finishing step.
12 min handling per batch, full or partial: 3 min loading (including reference), 2 min checking/start and 7 min unloading. Rotor change: +3 min. Emptying: +1 min per occurrence. Times supplied by Renato, configurable in the model, not manufacturer-guaranteed maxima.
Empty the trap before changing the evaporation method. AN0034, p. 6, relates this instruction to different vapour pressures, not only waste separation. The calculation includes emptying at method changes and does not run two methods simultaneously in one chamber. [2]
5 Currencies, costs and analyst schedules

Currencies and conversion

Choose currencies before entering hourly costs. Changing the input currency does not convert entered numbers; review the values. The report converts costs and the manual comparison to the selected currency.

Katálysis reference: 1 min for transfer and 3–4 min total per vial. The example uses 1 min of preparation + 3 min of GC-MS work. Adjust to laboratory practice.

Preparation team

Manual tasks cannot cross breaks or overlap another task for the same analyst. Automatic cycles may continue; tasks requiring staff wait for availability. Shifts represent different teams. Review suggested times after changing the number of shifts.

6 Quality controls and review
The prefilled values are an editable example, not a MAPA rule. The MAPA 2011 manual describes blank and fortified matrix controls per batch; a current specific injection frequency for dioxins has not been established here. EPA 1613B section 15.1 describes checks per 12 h analytical shift in HRGC/HRMS, not automatic certification for GC-MS/MS. Use the plan applicable to your laboratory. [3, 4]

The simulation covers 28 days and reports the final week, carrying queues across days. The first vial and acquisition are timed from startup. Reference instrument capacity is a planning limit; actual simulated output accounts for finite resources.

7 Optional comparison with the manual workflow

Compare hands-on clean-up and concentration work for the same number of preparations. Use times measured in your laboratory; manual time fields start blank.

Simulating queues, equipment and analyst tasks…

Sources, assumptions and limitations

Documentary references and work times supplied by Katálysis are identified separately. The optional manual comparison uses laboratory-provided times and equivalent scope. It is not experimental validation or a promise of a released analytical report.