Planning for an Autoclave Installation

When sourcing expensive and sophisticated equipment such as a laboratory or research grade autoclave it is essential to ask the right questions, get the right answers and to understand the real purpose of the autoclave, being sure the autoclave has the right specification to perform effectively and efficiently, especially if ultimate proof to a certifying body is procedural.  Having made that initial product selection lab managers need to consider the suitability of the final location and the installation process.
A correctly installed autoclave can prove extremely energy efficient and provide many years of reliable sterilising whatever the medium and industrial sector – biology, education, food and pharmaceutical.  Careful planning for installation of that new laboratory autoclave as a precursor to actual purchase and making the right equipment choice can results in lowering operational costs.

Potential Problems

It is not unknown for some suppliers to leave their equipment at the bottom of the stairs if there is no easy access route - leaving the problem of getting the autoclave where it is meant to be down to the buyer.  For difficult access situations a small number of manufacturers are able to produce their autoclave designs as a modular build, the unit carefully re-assembled and fully tests on site by their service engineers on-site.

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What to Consider

Most laboratory autoclaves generally live in splendid isolation in the corner of lab - until they stop working. It is a little late then to discover that service engineers, although adaptable, may not fit into a 50mm access gap whilst your laboratory gradually grinds to a halt.
It is often the case that little thought is given to the services and space required for the installation of such equipment or to the removal of equipment with a shorter life-span than the building.
Also, greater sophistication of laboratory autoclaves with venting and vacuum systems, coupled with an increased awareness of possible bio-hazards means that in most cases it is no longer sensible to plan the position of an autoclave without considering drainage and water supplies.

10 Key points to consider: >>Download the full article<<

Choice of Steam Generation

a. Heating elements in the chamber - this requires either manual water fill or uses autofill in which case a water feed and auto-drain will be required.
b. Built in electrically heated steam generator - Electrical heaters are fitted into a separate chamber directly attached to the main autoclave vessel.  As with the ‘in chamber’ system, steam generation is controlled by the autoclave temperature controller.  
c. Built in electrically heated high pressure ‘on demand’ type generator – this maintains a high-pressure steam supply available on demand and is generally comparable in performance with an external steam supply or a ‘standalone’ steam generator. For a busy laboratory with a constant flow of medium for the autoclave this set-up would be ideal.
d. Steam Heated from an external steam source - where organisations have their own steam room and providing it is sufficient close to the autoclave installation it could prove as the steam source. An autoclave requires good quality dry steam to function correctly and whilst connection to an already available steam source sounds ideal unfortunately some in-house supplies can be unreliable.  
Compressed air - if required for door seals and control valves on some autoclaves and for air ballasting systems. Is there sufficient pressure and capacity?  

Pre Sales Advice Could Save £’s

If there should be a problem with any of these issues it is not necessarily the end of the world.