The latest Logiclave™ type vertical closing autoclave from ESTS claims to reduce running and maintenance costs by up to £60,000 over an average 10 year operating period. The secret to achieving this figure is low maintenance, high reliability and low energy consumption. This is largely made possible by the use of an innovative flash steam generator and a combination of Bürkert Type 2000 angle seat steam valves and rotary ball valves.
ESTS has been manufacturing commercial autoclaves for over 10 years and has a large choice of models available. Most are employed to sterilise items such as porous loads, fabrics, utensils, glassware, fluids and plastics for both laboratory and medical use.
The latest model however is billed as a ‘game changer’ by the designers due to its ability to deliver a substantial reduction in overall energy usage and operating costs.
The latest and largest of the compact vertical closing, rectangular chamber machines; the Logiclave™ LAB300 has just been launched with the company’s revolutionary flash steam generator on board. The unit comprises fourteen Bürkert valves, some of which have been adapted to reduce inventory and purchase costs as well as withstand the high temperatures associated with repeated steam sterilisation.
The LAB300 uses pulsed vacuum / pressure cycles to replace the air in the chamber with steam in order to achieve sterilising conditions. When the cycle starts the first of the Bürkert valves, a stainless steel bodied Type 2000 pneumatically operated angle seat valve, opens as an exhaust and then closes when the machine reaches a vacuum set point of 100 millibar within the chamber. When it reaches this level, steam is injected via another Bürkert angle seat steam valve.
The specification of the valves in this instance is very important in order to achieve high reliability over an extended operating life with frequent and arduous operating cycles. The steam supply valve is a high temperature unit that has been specified by process valve supplier Control Stream to include PPS material to ensure a longer seal life in the actuator.
The valve body selection was also important to provide a compact solution; the bodies of Bürkert’s latest generation of angle seat valves are considerably smaller than other older designs and helped to ensure a compact, but reliable final product.
A number of the angle seat valves were also supplied with a male thread which is a specification developed for Control Steam as a first for this application. This reduced inventory purchase costs for the machine builder by reducing the number of joints and connectors required to construct the piping circuit. Essentially a benefit just to the OEM, it does however add to the overall cost competitiveness of the machine.
The flash steam generator in the LAB300 is used to create steam on-demand. This is far more efficient than a more conventional pressure vessel boiler arrangement that heats a volume of water to produce steam and then maintains it throughout the day, constantly using energy to battle insulation losses.
The ESTS exclusive design employs ceramic heating elements cast into a solid aluminium heater matrix. The unit attains operational temperature in a matter of seconds and converts water into steam on an on-demand basis, rather than maintaining a pressure vessel reservoir. An average usage cycle consumes just 10kWh which ESTS estimates will provide a 50% reduction in energy costs.
In order to guarantee savings in the total cost of ownership, the valves that control the fluid and steam in and out of the heater have been adapted to cope with the high temperatures.
There are two actuated ball valves being used – one to control water flow into the header tank and another to drain the flash steam generator of any residual fluid; this has an extension piece to keep the heat transfer to a minimum to protect the actuator which inherently has a lower temperature protection rating than an angle seat valve.
The lack of a conventionally heated pressure vessel boiler in the machine is a crucial aspect in the reduced maintenance cost calculations, as they are subject to comprehensive legal service and inspection procedures.
The physical cost of these checks amounts to over £1,000 on a bi-annual basis, plus the cost of two days of operational downtime. Experience also shows that immersed elements either in chamber or when fitted to conventional electrically heated steam boilers are prone to failure with typical costs associated with replacement at well over £1,000.
Colin Hartop, one the team responsible for the design of the Logiclave™ comments, ‘If you combine the cost reduction in servicing with the reduced energy costs and reduced downtime – just in terms of scheduled maintenance – there is a huge potential saving in the total cost of ownership between a Logiclave™ and a conventional autoclave of similar capacity. Our estimates put it conservatively at around £60,000 over a typical 10 year operating life.
‘The Logiclave™ also reaches operating temperatures considerably quicker than a conventional autoclave, which has to heat an entire vessel full of fluid before it produces steam.
You then have to leave it on, which is inefficient, or keep starting it up again which increases costs and extends cycle times considerably.’
‘We are only able to deliver these figures because we use quality valve products from a supplier that can be flexible about our needs, which is why we chose Control Stream as our preferred supplier and we standardised on Burkert valves. The precision of operation is critical to achieving total life cost savings with this machine so performance is equally as important as durability.’
Kirsty Anderson
Bürkert Fluid Control Systems
Fluid Control Centre, 1 Bridge End, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1QY, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1285 648720 Fax: +44 (0)1285 648721
Web: www.burkert.co.uk
Email: kirsty.andeson@burkert.com
Burkert Fluid Control Systems
- 01285648720
- sales.uk@burkert.com
- http://www.burkert.com/
- Fluid Control Centre 1 Bridge End Gloucestershire Cirencester GL7 1QY GB
About us
Bürkert is present in thirtyfive countries around the world. We also work with a large network of distributors and partners, which means we are as close as possible to our customers. This global presence ensures full service and support to all of our customers in every country around the world. Research is the lifeblood of our company.
At Bürkert, we are never satisfied with the status quo and are continually seeking new technologies and solutions for our customers. Every year, our people develop new and highly advanced products and solutions, ranging from integrated process measurement and control units to the most sophisticated systems used in pharmaceutical research. To be a market leader, we are also an R&D leader.
Therefore, our investment in research & development is one of the highest in our industry. In our research centres in Germany and France, 150 people are committed to working for a common future for our company and our customers. We are committed to offering our expertise wherever it is needed, anywhere in the world. This global presence ensures that our advances in fluid control technology are also global.
What we do in a nutshell
Manufacture of process equipment. One of the few manufacturers to provide solutions for the complete control loop.
Where we supply to
UK Ireland, Europe
Industries we supply to
Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Water and Wastewater
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