Air Flow Cabinet Manufacturer

Air Flow Cabinet: An Ultimate FAQ Guide

Millions of particulate agents are constantly floating in the air. These agents are mainly responsible for the contamination of our surroundings and the tasks we are performing.

It is because particulate agents may have microbes (fungi, bacteria, viruses, etc.), that can replicate and hinder the quality of controlled processes being carried out.

For this reason, an Air Flow Cabinet is a must-have for any lab unit or controlled environment for smooth conduction of the controlled processes.

It maintains the cleanliness of the environment, equipment, and specimen to comply with the hygienic standards necessary for working in labs and clean rooms.

It filters the contaminated air and recirculates it within the working area to protect the sample from pathogens and maintain high sterile conditions for the process conduction.

Read more about the features, applications, components, and other details of the Air Flow Cabinet in this buying guide below.

Air Flow Cabinet Testing

What is an Air Flow Cabinet?

An Air Flow Cabinet is ISO Class 5 equipment that works in positive pressure conditions to offer a clean work area for providing a particulate-free environment for controlled applications.

It offers maximum product protection by offering a clean and sterile environment using a primary filter (also called pre-filter) and the main filter (ULPA or HEPA filter).

It features steel construction with epoxy powder coating for avoiding rusting and corrosion problems during the process conduction.

You can also get negative-pressure models with 304L stainless steel construction customized depending upon the requirements of your applications.

It is basically divided into two main types: the horizontal and the vertical units, available in different models and varieties.

An Air Flow Cabinet is not the same as a biological safety cabinet because it only protects the products from contamination, whereas a safety cabinet protects the user also.

Sunnyda Air Flow Cabinet

What are the Main Features of an Air Flow Cabinet?

The major and extraordinary features of an Air Flow Cabinet that can increase your process productivity are:

Cold-Rolled Steel Construction:

Cold-rolled steel external structure with epoxy powder coating for high corrosion resistance to aggressive chemical attacks.

AISI 304L Stainless Steel Construction:

AISI 304L stainless steel external construction can also be asked on demand for higher cleanability.

Epoxy Coated Rear Wall:

For passing the cleanability test, the rear wall is designed according to the standard conformations and is then layered with epoxy coating.

AISI 304L Stainless Steel Work Surface:

AISI 304L stainless steel is used for constructing the work surface to prevent rust.

Front Window With Safety Glass:

In the front window, safety glass is available (with stratified hinged properties) to provide easy access to the large equipment.

To keep the window glass open during the maintenance and sanitization processes, gas springs are also installed in it

Efficient Filtration:

For high filtration efficiency (as high as 99.995 percent), ULPA or HEPA filter is fitted in it.

High Pre-Filtration Efficiency:

The inlet efficiency of the G3 pre-filter is 80≤AM≤90 according to the EN 779 and UNI10339 standards.

Standard Operation Conditions:

ISO: EN 14644-1 compliant operation conditions.

Motor Blower:

A direct-coupled motor is installed in this equipment with efficient electronic speed control for the maintenance of constant airflow (at a rate of 0.45 m/sec).

This motor blower also compensates for the clogged filter and can control a high water plenum pressure (which is 40 mm).

Servicing Port Side Glass:

There are ports in the side glass of the Air Flow Cabinet for easy and convenient servicing.

A Rear-Lit LCD and a User-Friendly Practical Keyboard:

This LCD and the keyboard inform the user about technical information related to the operation by data-keeping. This covers information relevant to airflow velocity, inside and outside temperature, total hours of operation, the residual lifetime of UV lamp and ULPA/HEPA filter, and their saturation level.

Fluorescent Lighting:

Air Flow Cabinet also has fluorescent lighting tubes for improving the operator’s visibility.

DOP DEHS Inlet Port:

This port is for testing the filter (ULPA/HEPA).

Removable and Magnetic UV Sterilizing Lamp:

There are two switch-off timing counters (with variable time scale) installed in the magnetic sterilization removable lamp.

Air Flow Cabinet Major Features

What are the Technical Specifications of an Air Flow Cabinet?

The technical specifications of different Air Flow Cabinet Models include:

Model No. 1:

• Overall Dimension (W × H × D) mm: 1045 x 1500 x 760
• Useful Dimensions (W × H × D) mm: 893 x 755 x 609
• Working Aperture: 250
• Net Weight (kg): 180
• Noise Level dB (A): <60
• Power Supply: 1Ph+E-230V 50Hz
• Power Consumption (kW): 0,90

Model No. 2:

• Overall Dimension (W × H × D) mm: 1350 x 1500 x 760
• Useful Dimensions (W × H × D) mm: 1198 x 755 x 609
• Working Aperture: 250
• Net Weight (kg): 192
• Noise Level dB (A): <60
• Power Supply: 1Ph+E-230V 50Hz
• Power Consumption (kW): 0,90

Model No. 3:

• Overall Dimension (W × H × D) mm: 1655 x 1500 x 760
• Useful Dimensions (W × H × D) mm: 1503 x 755 x 609
• Working Aperture: 250
• Net Weight (kg): 274
• Noise Level dB (A): <60
• Power Supply: 1Ph+E-230V 50Hz
• Power Consumption (kW): 1,40

Model No. 4:

• Overall Dimension (W × H × D) mm: 1960 x 1500 x 760
• Useful Dimensions (W × H × D) mm: 1808 x 755 x 609
• Working Aperture: 250
• Net Weight (kg): 325
• Noise Level dB (A): <60
• Power Supply: 1Ph+E-230V 50Hz
• Power Consumption (kW): 1,40

Air Flow Cabinet Standard Size

What are the Operating Principles of an Air Flow Cabinet?

The operating principles of an Air Flow Cabinet include:

• The inside movement of the environmental air from the top area with the help of a G3 pre-filter.
• Downward movement of the air and its filtration by H14 ULPA/HEPA filter.
• Creation of vertical or horizontal airflow patterns by filtration of air into the working area under positive pressure conditions.
• Exhaustion of almost half of the air volume into the outside environment.
• Re-circulation of the remaining air volume by slots installed at the lower area of the back panel.

What are the Applications of the Air Flow Cabinet?

An Air Flow Cabinet is installed in multiple industries where it is essential to generate a sterile and clean environment that is free from contaminating particulates.

Some processes where this equipment can be used are explained as:

PCR:

It provides sterile air which is involved in the completion of PCR tests and procedures.

The purpose of these cabinets is to provide protection to the procedures and items present in this working area against harmful and contaminated particles.

But the major thing to consider is that Air Flow Cabinet is only suitable for protecting your items, not for the protection of the users.

Wet Processing:

In case you want to use your cabinet for wet processing, it is essential to get it in polypropylene construction material instead of a normal metal design. Also, sinks in your unit are required for wet processing applications.

Cell Culturing:

Air Flow Cabinet supplies a clean and contained working environment suitable for performing sensitive procedures such as cell culture.

So, if you want to perform different cell culturing techniques for plants or fungi which are safe for the operator, you can use this cabinet.

Medicine Preparation:

A major feature of the pharmaceutical industry is a clean environment where the drug can be treated for the preparation of safe and effective medicines, and such a contained environment can be established using Air Flow Cabinet.

Air Flow Cabinet Applications

What is the Purpose of Antimicrobial Coating on the Flow Cabinet?

The antibacterial coating on an Air Flow Cabinet has the following purposes:

• Prevention of surface microbial contamination.
• Inhibition of long-term growth of microbes of the surface.
• Maintenance of particulate-free working conditions.

What is the Difference Between Horizontal and Vertical Air Flow Cabinet?

The difference between a Horizontal and a Vertical Air Flow Cabinet is given below in detail:

Horizontal Air Flow Cabinet:

As the name says, it is involved in the horizontal direction of the HEPA-filtered air, starting from the back of the cabinet to the front area throughout the work area.

From the airflow workers settle downstream which increases their chances of potential exposure to the contaminants.

This is why these cabinet models are not suitable to be used for applications requiring the involvement of highly toxic chemicals or infectious biological materials.

Horizontal Air Flow Cabinet offers a high level of protection to lab samples and materials from airborne particles because the hands and gloves of the workers are directed downstream from the flow of the air current.

It also decreases the work surface turbulence and is most suitable for applications involving the use of smaller equipment as larger equipment cause airflow disruption.

Vertical Air Flow Cabinet:

It aligns the direction of air (after passing through the HEPA filter) towards the workbench from where it moves out through the front opening or the work surface holes.

This downward airflow direction is safe for the laboratory environment and the workers and is used in applications like drug preparation, parts assembly, media preparation, or electronic device inspection. It also comes with low turbulence features due to its vertical design and configuration.

In a vertical airflow cabinet, the filter is installed on the top offering more workspace to the user and is suitable for applications requiring larger equipment.

Vertical Air Flow Cabinet

How is the Vertical Better than Horizontal Air Flow Cabinet?

A Vertical Air Flow Cabinet is better than a Horizontal Air Flow Cabinet in the following ways;

Less Turbulence Production:

You can efficiently perform your operation on the work surface of the Vertical Air Flow Cabinet model because of its low turbulence production.

More Work Space:

A larger workspace allows easy and convenient handling of the application equipment and samples. Due to the top location of the filter installed a vertical model provides you with more room to carry out the performance.

Large Equipment Usage:

A vertical unit is preferable when dealing with large equipment and materials.

How is the Advanced Air Flow Cabinet Better than Standard Air Flow Cabinet?

An Advanced Air Flow Cabinet is better than a standard cabinet because of improved features and controls.

Some major information related to both these cabinets has been mentioned below:

Standard Air Flow Cabinet:

It has a clean and simple design and provides the following sterilization features:

• Accurate in-house developed system for measuring the airspeed.
• Pre-Installed UV light to help with the sterilization process.
• Automatic airflow compensation.
• A combination of a recirculating system and a pre-filter for efficiently recycling clean air and improving HEPA filter life.

Advanced Air Flow Cabinet:

It comes with improved construction quality and updated automated features including:

• A window blind with motor control.
• A UV-light safety switch when the front shutter-blind is not closed.

Standard Air Flow Cabinets

What are the Airflow Directions in the Air Flow Cabinet?

The direction of the airflow in the horizontal laminar flow cabinet includes taking the air from outside the cabinet for filtration and then directing the filtered air from the backside of the unit in the direction of the operator’s face.

This is why you must not use this when your processes involve hazardous or toxic materials that if struck on the user’s face, can prove to be harmful.

In the vertical laminar flow cabinet, the air is filtered from the outer portion of the cabinet. The air is then recirculated and filtered from inside the cabinet. In this configuration, the filtered air travels down from the top.

This downward flow is advantageous in providing protection to the operator as well as the product, which is possible due to efficient air recirculation in the entire working space. The most preferred equipment for plant tissue culturing procedures is the Horizontal Air Flow Cabinet.

This directs the airflow over the working surface and also throws out all the contaminants from the controlled environment. These procedures don’t involve the usage of toxic or hazardous materials, so horizontal configuration is suitable.

But in case hazardous materials are involved, you should use the vertical configuration, which will be costly but will surely protect your operator.

What is the Use of Microprocessor Controllers in an Air Flow Cabinet?

Microprocessor controllers are featured with updated integrated management methods of all major functions related to filtration and ventilation.

The main features of the microprocessor controller of the Air Flow Cabinet include:

• Self-regulation of the entire ventilation and filtration system components
• Declining pressure drop compensation
• Power balance restoration
• Combined use of certified low-pressure drop filters and AC motor blower
• Optimization of power consumption
• Reduction in C02 release into the environment
• Display of the airflow status
• Running the UV countdown timer
• Calculating the total running hours of the UV light and the system

Air Flow Cabinet Microprocessor Controller

What are Some Useful Accessories for your Air Flow Cabinet?

Some useful accessories that you should consider for your Air Flow Cabinet include:

• A UV lamp having aluminum night door closure
• An epoxy coated base stand along with castors
• An Extra service connection for efficient electric power supply
• A tap with vacuum or compressed air
• A self-operating regulator along with a digital anemometer
• An automatic or a manual UV cycle
• Digital display, UV timer, and an hour counter
• A Magnehelic differential pressure gauge

You can also install some additional audio or video alarms for smooth usage, that keep you updated with the:

• Incorrect or exceeding airflow velocity
• Opened or improperly shut the front window
• Clogged ULPA/HEPA filter
• Completion of UV lamp life-cycle
• Malfunctioning of the fan-motor
• Power failure

What is the Construction of Air Flow Cabinet?

The construction of an Air Flow Cabinet involves careful attachment of several components, which include:

The Cabinet:

• It follows a stainless steel construction with fewer or no joints or gaps for maximum prevention of the spore collection.
• Its main purpose is to keep the inside airflow environment insulated and keep it protected from the outside contaminated environment.
• On the front side, a glass shield is also installed which can be opened completely (or has only two holes, in some models) for the entry of the user’s hand into the cabinet.

A Working Station:

• Inside the Air Flow Cabinet, a flat working station is present, where you can perform your tasks.
• You should place the equipment required for your application on this working station e.g. loops, culture plates, and burner.
• This working station also has a stainless steel construction to avoid rusting

A Blower or a Fan:

• Under the filter pad, a fan is installed which is mainly responsible for sucking on the air and moving it throughout the cabinet area.
• It also sends the air to the HEPA filter to ensure that any leftover contaminants are trapped when moving through the filter.

A UV Lamp:

• A germicidal UV lamp is also installed in some models for sterilizing the cabinet inside and the materials before starting the performance.
• You should turn this lamp on at least 15 minutes prior to the operation to ensure that you are not exposed to UV rays.

A Fluorescent Lamp:

• A fluorescent lamp is also available to help improve the visibility of the user during the performance.

Air Flow Cabinet Construction

What are the Electrical Connection Details of an Air Flow Cabinet?

The electrical connections of an Air Flow Cabinet are helpful in building functional circuits for controlling the:

• Circuit breaker and On/Off switch for blowers
• Circuit breaker and On/Off switch for duplex outlets
• On/Off switch for fluorescent light
• On/Off switch for UV light
• On/Off control for Filter clogging alarm

Why is HEPA Filter Important in your Air Flow Cabinet?

The HEPA filter is important because of the following factors:

• It helps in making the environment more sterile and clean for the operation.
• This filter is also responsible for the trapping of particulate agents present in the pre-filtered air e.g. dust, bacteria, and fungi particles.
• The sterility of the environment then lowers the chances of contamination and the associated risks.

Air Flow Cabinet HEPA Filters

Is Pre-Filter Present in Every Air Flow Cabinet?

Yes, a pre-filter is present in every Air Flow Cabinet and is responsible for performing the following functions:

• Serving as the passageway from the top into the cabinet.
• Prevents quick obstruction of the ULPA/HEPA filters from large particles.
• Lowering the frequency of filter replacements.
• Extending the life of main filters and maintaining their efficiency.

Air Flow Cabinet Prefilter

What are the Benefits of Stainless Steel Designing of an Air Flow Cabinet?

The extraordinary benefits of stainless steel designing of an Air Flow Cabinet are:

High Corrosion and Stain Resistance:

Stainless steel offers high corrosion and stain resistance which prevents rust build-up. It is also easy to clean and disinfect.

High Strength-to-Weight Ratio:

The strength-to-weight ratio of the stainless steel is significantly high due to which less thick stainless steel bars have the same strength as compared to a thicker non-stainless steel bar.

High Heat and Chemical Resistance:

Stainless steel can highly resist severe heat and chemical damage than other steel varieties.

As a result, it is useful to be used in applications requiring high-temperature exposure and chemical usage.

Low Cost:

The best thing about stainless steel is that it is very affordable as compared to conventional steel variants. This saves you a lot of money when thinking on a larger scale.

Why is the Centrifugal Fan With External Rotor Motor in an Air Flow Cabinet Better than Normal Fan with Standard Motor?

A centrifugal fan with an external rotor motor in an Air Flow Cabinet is better than a normal fan with a standard motor because of the following reasons:

• It is permanently lubricated and follows external rotor configurations.
• The requirement of a motor shaft is eliminated and the profile is narrowed by the integrated blades.
• Highly compact-designed, energy-efficient, and flat profile motors are installed for smooth operation.
• The motor cooling is optimized by a completely integrated assembly.
• Balanced and unitized rotating parts are installed for quiet, smooth, and vibration-free operation.

How to Sterilize your Air Flow Cabinet?

For ensuring proper sterilization and credibility of your process, follow these steps:

• Before turning on your Air Flow Cabinet, make sure to thoroughly check that there is nothing likely to be harmed by the UV radiations, placed inside the cabinet area.
• In the next step close the glass shield properly and turn on the UV light. Note the time and keep the UV light on for at least 15-20 minutes. This will help in sterilizing the surface of the working area.
• Turn off the UV light now and allow the cabinet to rest for at least 10 minutes before you turn it on.
• 5 minutes before starting your application process, turn on the airflow.
• Open the glass shield now and turn on the fluorescent light, side by side during the process.
• For added protection, you can also use disinfectants to sterilize your work area. Usually, 70% ethanol is used as a common disinfectant.
• After the completion of your task, make sure to carefully switch off the fluorescent lamp and airflow and properly close the glass shield.

What are Some Maintenance Instructions for your Air Flow Cabinet?

For the proper maintenance follow these instructions to increase the lifespan of your Air Flow Cabinet:

• Ask any professional independent contractor to carry out the annual certification of your cabinet.
• Disinfect it after every shift to lower the chances of contamination.
• Replace the pre-filter every month.
• Weekly complete air quality sampling for sterile compounding at least once a month.

Conclusion

An Air Flow Cabinet is an extremely helpful lab and clean room equipment in protecting the materials and samples used in controlled processes from harmful contaminants.

Depending on the requirements of your application you can easily decide whether a vertical airflow model is better for you or a horizontal one. Make sure to carefully go through your application demands to save yourself from spending extra money on an incompatible Air Flow Cabinet, a non-fitting size, and unwanted features.

From the day you receive your cabinet, make sure to take care of its regular maintenance and proper servicing to avoid future problems.

100% Quality Tested Air Flow Cabinet