AUTOCLAVE – DEFINITION AND APPLICATION AREAS
Autoclave (Greek/Latin: self-sealing): A gas-tight, sealable pressure vessel, used for the thermal treatment of substances in the overpressure range. Autoclaves are used for sterilizing, curing building materials, for vulcanising tires and belts and for pressing fiber composites. As a result, they are used in medical and food technology, biology, the glass and aviation industries, as well as in brickworks and vulcanising plants.
Autoclaves are based on the functional principle of “Papin’s pot”, developed by the French physicist Denis Papin in 1674/79 and patented in 1681. Autoclaves are available for small volume applications but there are also large-scale units for large production quantities. The substances are thermally treated in batches (batch operation) because of the typical closure with respect to the surrounding atmosphere. The pressure vessels are also normally equipped with quick-release closures that enable the pressure vessel to be opened and closed much more quickly than with flanged pressure vessel openings. Source: Wikipedia
The right autoclave for your needs?
Benefit from our experience with our autoclaves all over the world! From small autoclaves from 40 liters to large autoclaves up to 1580 liters, we are offering a large range of laboratory autoclaves! Our sales and service team will assist you to achieve your sterilization and processing needs! Systec, your partner for autoclaves and laboratory sterilizers – made in Germany!
Laboratory autoclaves
Maintaining infection control and a sterile work environment is a top priority for a modern laboratory or research facility. This makes autoclaves indispensable. They ensure that unwanted and harmful microorganisms are destroyed. Usually, autoclaves with a steam sterilization function are used in laboratories. These employ the intense heat of the steam to build up pressure within the device and so kill bacterial spores by denaturing and flocculating their cell proteins through hydrolysis.
Our high quality and long lasting autoclaves are ideal for a wide range of applications in the modern laboratory!
Autoclaves: options and accessories
As numerous as the fields of application for autoclaves are, so varied are the available autoclaves and their options. Although autoclaves are built with the same basic features, they do vary in shape, size and functionality, while adhering to the same manufacturing rules and standards of performance and core safety. Major laboratories and production facilities certainly place different demands on autoclaves than highly specialised research facilities or small labs with all-round applications do. Consequently, the decision to purchase must be preceded by a detailed needs analysis that takes current and future demands on the autoclave into account. Besides spatial and ergonomic aspects, such as simple, careful operation and economic efficiency, as well as safe, precise and above all reproducible and validatable sterilization, some other important factors need to be considered.
How to select the right autoclave?
Amongst other things, important criteria for choosing a suitable autoclave include: What needs to be sterilized? Which external dimensions should the autoclave have? How large a volume should the vessel have? Here, a distinction has to be made between horizontal and vertical autoclaves or pass-through autoclaves. Which other features and options should the autoclave have? All the criteria mentioned (and others) have a great influence on the operation of the autoclaves and on the workflow in modern laboratories.
Autoclaves and Technology
Our serial autoclaves are equipped for a sterilization temperature up to 140°C and a steam pressure up to 4 bar. These devices are the first laboratory autoclaves of their type suitable for higher temperatures at higher pressures. The standard pressure vessel is designed for up to 5 bar /150°C. With the optional temperature and pressure range extension, the control, monitoring and safety components are also adapted to the higher pressure and temperature range. This option can also be retrofitted later. The sterilization chamber is made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel 1.4571 (V4A) AISI 316, electropolished and easy to clean. The device features a type-tested safety valve for pressure relief when limit values are exceeded. The stable supporting frame construction and the housing panels are also made of stainless steel. Thanks to the highly effective and high-quality insulation made of Hanno-Tect, there is no risk of particle separation, which is why our autoclaves are particularly suitable for the use under clean room conditions. Our doube-door pass-through autoclaves are ideal for the use in Bio-Safety Level (BSL) facilities by ensuring a hermetically sealed barrier between sterile and non-sterile areas.
Systec provides autoclaves for safe, accurate, reproducible and validatable sterilization of liquids, solids and waste to satisfy the needs of biopharma, food, chemical, microbiology and life science laboratories.
Find our article about “Sterilization of liquids, solids, waste in disposal bags and hazardous biological substances” with our autoclaves here.
Save COVID-19 Research with Systec Autoclaves
Our laboratory autoclaves are ideal for sterilization of contaminated waste, instruments, culture media or laboratory equipment to prevent the accidental spread of the coronavirus. We are offering the ideal autoclaves for safe and validatable sterilization with accurate documentation.
