Steroglass Flash2: One Platform for Multisector Automated Titration
Why Automated Titration Matters for Australian Labs
Australian laboratories in wine, food and beverage, water and environmental testing, and chemical production are under steady pressure. Export markets expect tight process control, domestic regulators expect traceable data, and many labs are trying to do more work with the same or fewer people.
Manual titration still works, but it is slow, operator-dependent and difficult to standardise between shifts, sites and seasons. Reading burettes, judging endpoints by eye and handwriting results into logbooks all add variation and admin load. When labs run hundreds of wine, dairy or water samples per week, that variation can turn into repeat work, release delays and stressful audits.
The Steroglass Flash2 automatic titrator is designed as a compact, multisector platform that automates these routine titrations, improves reproducibility and creates digital records that stand up in NATA, ISO/IEC 17025 and food safety audits.
What is Steroglass Flash2 Automatic Titrator?
The Steroglass Flash2 is a fifth-generation automatic titration system that replaces manual glass burettes and colour-change endpoints with an automated, sensor-based process. It is built to perform routine titrations across oenological, food, environmental and chemical matrices on a single platform.
Flash2 is a compact benchtop titrator with a 7-inch high-brightness touchscreen. The interface guides users step-by-step through method selection, sample information, titration, result review and data export. This is a shift from “remember the method and write it down” to “follow the on-screen recipe”, which suits mixed-experience teams and seasonal lab staff.
The system can be configured with one or two precision burettes and up to three peristaltic pumps for auxiliary reagents. An AS Plus autosampler (14, 18 or 30 positions, depending on beaker size) can be added for batch workflows, so the same automatic titrator can handle both single urgent samples and production runs.
Flash2 is designed as a true multisector titrator. On one instrument, laboratories can run wine analysis pH, titratable acidity and free/total SO₂; dairy acidity and chlorides; acidity and peroxides in edible oils; vitamin C in juices and sauces; alkalinity and hardness in water; and acid–base and redox titrations for chemical and galvanic baths.
Key Features and Specifications of Steroglass Flash2
Compact, Multisector Platform
Flash2 measures approximately 25.5 × 20.5 × 44 cm and weighs around 10 kg, so it fits comfortably on a standard lab bench next to a balance or pH meter. In shared laboratories, contract facilities and winery labs that already host a mix of instruments, this footprint helps avoid yet another trolley or crowded corner.
The compact housing still supports up to two burettes and multiple peristaltic pumps, giving enough flexibility to run acid–base, redox and complexometric titrations across food, water, wine and chemical samples on a single system. Instead of buying different titrators for wine, dairy and process water, Australian labs can standardise on one automatic titration system with methods configured for each matrix.
Automation and Throughput
Flash2 automates all main titration steps: dosing titrant via precision burettes, dispensing auxiliary reagents with peristaltic pumps, stirring, monitoring electrode responses and detecting endpoints. The instrument records the titration curve in real time, calculates results and stores them in an internal database.
According to Steroglass, automated sampling, degassing and auto-levelling systems mean Flash2 can cut analysis and sample preparation time by up to 90% compared with manual methods. When combined with the autosampler (14, 18 or 30 positions), labs can load a batch, start the run and focus on other work while the titrator processes each sample in sequence. For high-throughput contract labs and busy winery labs during vintage, this batch style reduces manual pipetting and burette reading. Fewer manual steps mean fewer transcription errors, fewer repeats and faster release decisions for production.
Data Handling, GLP Compliance and Connectivity
Flash2 is designed with GLP-style operation in mind. The instrument can store up to 30 user-editable methods and around 300 sets of results, calibrations and titrant data, along with titration curves. User accounts support an administrator plus up to eight secondary users, providing basic access control for regulated environments.
Results can be exported via USB as CSV files, printed or transferred to a PC using Flash2Data software. From there, data can be integrated into LIMS or QA databases to support NATA-accredited operations and GMP or ISO/IEC 17025 requirements.
This replaces handwritten logbooks and spreadsheets with traceable electronic records, helping laboratories reduce transcription errors and prepare for audits with less manual collation.
How Steroglass Flash2 Supports Key Australian Industries
Flash2 is built as a multisector titrator, so the same instrument can sit in a winery lab, a regional dairy plant, a council water lab or a chemical works. Below are examples of how the platform fits into typical Australian workflows.
Wine and Oenology
In winery labs, Flash2 automates routine wine analysis pH, titratable acidity and free/total SO₂ across harvest, fermentation, maturation and bottling. These parameters drive taste, mouthfeel and preservation, and they are central to decisions on acid additions, sulphur dosing and blending.
With wine exports worth around $1.9 billion and about 60% of production shipped overseas, consistent titration data helps maintain brand and country reputation in crowded export markets. Automated titration also supports larger wineries and groups that operate multiple sites, as the same methods can run on identical instruments in different regions.
A mid-sized Australian winery, for example, could use Flash2 with an autosampler to run morning and afternoon batches during vintage: musts and ferments in the morning, and barrel or tank samples in the afternoon. The instrument handles dosing and endpoint detection while staff focus on interpreting trends and advising winemakers.
Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Flash2 supports a wide range of food and beverage quality control tests. In dairy, titrations for acidity and chlorides help check milk freshness, monitor processing and control salt levels in cheese and other products. In juices, sauces and preserves, acidity and vitamin C titrations protect shelf life, taste and label claims. Edible oils can be checked for acidity and peroxide values to monitor oxidation and storage stability.
These capabilities line up with the scale of Australian food and beverage manufacturing, where around 87% of firms are SMEs and the sector generated about $31.8 billion GVA in 2022–23, with almost $36 billion in exports. With 14.8 million tonnes of food and non-alcoholic beverages sold in 2022–23, even small efficiency gains in routine QA can free staff to work on process improvement and incident investigation rather than repeating manual titrations.
Water and Environmental Testing
Water and environmental labs must show that drinking water, process water and wastewater meet guideline values for pH, alkalinity, hardness and related parameters. Flash2 methods can cover titrimetric alkalinity and hardness testing alongside pH and conductivity, supporting compliance with Australian drinking water and environmental guidelines while providing traceable digital records.
For regional councils or industrial sites that run modest sample numbers, the compact footprint means Flash2 can share a bench with other water quality instruments rather than needing a dedicated titration bench.
Chemical and Galvanic Industries
In chemical manufacturing and galvanic or electroplating plants, Flash2 can handle acid–base titrations, TAN/TBN measurements and titrations for hydrogen peroxide, active chlorine, alkali and other bath components. Keeping bath composition within tight ranges helps maintain coating quality, avoid corrosion and reduce rework.
Automated titration is especially helpful where baths are aggressive or hot. Flash2’s automation reduces direct contact with reagents, supporting safer operation and more consistent process monitoring.
Manual vs Automated Titration – Benefits of Steroglass Flash2
How does Steroglass Flash2 improve accuracy and reproducibility?
Manual titration relies on the operator’s judgement to detect endpoints, read burettes and record values. Even experienced analysts can differ slightly in how they see a colour change or handle a busy bench. Those small differences add up across batches, shifts and sites.
Flash2 standardises dosing and endpoint detection by using precision burettes, electrodes and automated algorithms rather than subjective colour changes. Distributors describe the system as providing fast, accurate and repeatable titrations across food, wine, pharmaceutical and chemical matrices, which helps multi-site organisations align methods and acceptance criteria.
How does Steroglass Flash2 save time and reduce risk?
Steroglass reports that Flash2 can reduce analysis and sample preparation time by up to 90% compared with manual titration, thanks to automated sampling, degassing and levelling systems. This reduction in manual workload lowers overtime pressure during peak periods such as vintage or seasonal production and helps keep turnaround targets realistic without constant “all hands on deck” titration sessions.
Less manual handling of strong acids, bases and oxidants improves safety, and more efficient reagent use with no single-use plastic burettes or tips reduces waste. With fewer manual steps, the risk of sample swaps, transcription errors or missed logbook entries also drops, supporting cleaner audit trails.
Choosing and Deploying Flash2 in Your Lab
Assessing Samples, Methods and Configuration
Before selecting a configuration, it helps to map out how your laboratory currently uses titration:
List all routine titrations (wine, dairy, sauces, oils, water, chemical baths and others).
Estimate weekly and seasonal sample volumes for each test.
Identify which tests run singly and which run in batches.
Note reporting requirements, such as certificates for customers, release reports for production or records for auditors.
Labs with a small menu of tests and moderate sample numbers may be well served by a single-burette Flash2 with one or two pumps. Sites with high throughput or more complex methods (for example, where two titrants are needed) often benefit from a dual-burette setup.
Next, assess whether an autosampler is justified. As a rough guide, if staff are regularly queuing more than 10–15 samples per run or working extended hours during peak periods, an autosampler with 14, 18 or 30 positions can significantly reduce manual handling time.
A simple checklist for internal discussions could include:
Sample types and matrices (wine, dairy, sauces, oils, water, chemical baths)
Required parameters (pH, TA, SO₂, chlorides, alkalinity, hardness, TAN/TBN and others)
Typical and peak sample volumes per week
Desired turnaround times
Data and reporting needs (LIMS, ERP, certificates, audit reports)
Calibration, Maintenance and Compliance in Australia
An automatic titrator is only as reliable as its sensors, balances and volumetric systems. Routine calibration of pH electrodes, temperature probes, balances and volumetric hardware is key to maintaining traceable measurements.
For many labs, combining Flash2 installation with a broader calibration review (including reference buffers, thermometers and balances) makes sense, so the full measurement chain is documented when the system goes live.
Why Partner with CISCAL for Steroglass Flash2 in Australia?
CISCAL is more than an equipment reseller. The team supports clients through instrument selection, method setup, installation, operator training and ongoing calibration and service.
For Steroglass Flash2 users, this can include:
Helping scope the right configuration (burettes, pumps, autosampler and accessories) for your mix of wine, food, water and chemical analyses.
Integrating Flash2 into existing QA systems and data workflows, including LIMS or certificate templates.
Providing on-site installation and training so staff are confident in running routine and validation methods.
Delivering NATA-accredited calibration and preventive maintenance for supporting equipment, with documentation ready for audits.
Offering access to tools such as CIS CAL SMART for asset management and certificate storage, where applicable, so QA teams can access calibration records quickly during audits.
Working with a local calibration and service partner reduces the load on internal QA, engineering and maintenance teams and supports long-term reliability of the titration system.
Steroglass Flash2 multisector titration
Steroglass Flash2 brings multisector titration – for wine, food and beverage, water and chemical industries – onto a single compact, automatic platform. It streamlines manual titration steps, improves reproducibility, provides GLP-style data handling and supports audit-ready operation with digital records and LIMS connectivity.