The procedure for flushing the tubing assembly, Duke Valve™, delivery syringe, and needle with ethanol · keeping the oil delivery path free of residual oil and THC crystallization between runs.
Download the printable procedure for the bench, or source the replacement components referenced throughout this document.
Watch the full cleaning cycle demonstrated on the bench before working through the written steps below.
Review every warning before handling solvent or the delivery components. These conditions protect both the operator and the machine.
The Oil Delivery System components should be cleaned promptly after use · do not allow the product to cool inside the assembly. The components can be disassembled and cleaned individually, or kept as an assembly to draw ethanol through the tubing, Duke Valve™, delivery syringe, and needle respectively. To most quickly and effectively clean the dispense system components, use the procedure below.
Remove the Delivery System Components from the machine. Leave the Delivery Syringe, Duke Valve, Tubing Assembly, and Needle connected. (Disconnect the reservoir.)
Flush the reservoir thoroughly with ethanol and set it aside to air dry.
Prepare two clean beakers side by side. Fill one beaker with ethanol and leave the other empty for spent ethanol. Figure 1 provides a visual for how to set this up.
Submerge the inlet end of the Tubing Assembly into the clean ethanol beaker and point the needle into the adjacent empty beaker.
Manually pump the delivery syringe. This cycles ethanol through the delivery system components, removing any residual oil.
Cycle the Delivery Syringe as needed until the ethanol dispensed from the needle is free of oil.
Draw air through the assembly by removing the inlet tubing from the ethanol and once again pumping the Delivery Syringe. Leave the needle pointed into the spent-ethanol beaker to catch any solvent dispensed during this step. The idea is to remove as much ethanol as possible.
Remove the needle and screw a Luer Cap in its place.
Charge the syringe with clean ethanol, then attach it to the normal position on the Duke Valve.
Gently insert the supplied pin into the reservoir-side of the Duke Valve until it bottoms out, as in Figure 2. This forces open the check valve.
Holding the check valve open with the pin, quickly flush ethanol from the Dispense Syringe out of the reservoir-side arm. Do this a few times · this dislodges any particulate or THC crystals lingering after the initial flush.
Do the same for the bottom by connecting the Dispense Syringe to the needle-end of the Duke Valve via the Luer Butterfly Adapter, as seen in Figure 2.
Gently insert the supplied pin through the top fitting where the Dispense Syringe normally sits, and force open the check valve.
Holding the check valve open with the pin, quickly flush ethanol through the Duke Valve. Do this a few times, as described above.
Disconnect the Delivery Syringe, Tubing Assembly, and Needle and allow them to dry on a clean surface. Do not soak the delivery system components · with the exception of the Duke Valve · in any ethanol, to avoid unnecessary wear.
Soak the Duke Valve in ethanol for at least 1–2 hours to break apart any lingering THC crystals remaining in the assembly.