UNIQUE DOOR DESIGNS
By offering three different door configurations, we can insure that the best use of facility space is attained.
ETC’s standard steam sterilizers come with a choice of three distinct door designs:
Vertical Rising Door Design
This design is ideal for new construction, when space use can be planned. It requires less square footage than other designs, with significantly smaller pit size.
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ETC’s vertical rising door (VRD) design consists of a solid 316L S/S inner plate and external carbon steel structural I-beam with outer channels to form the door. The door is positioned behind heavy-duty retaining blocks that guide the door. The VRD design utilizes two direct drive hydraulic cylinders, to raise and lower the door and is provided with built in safety links, flow control valves and a dual-action mechanical pump (for the event of an emergency).
Once the door is lowered into position, compressed air is applied behind the gasket, pushing it against a machined sealing surface on the doorplate, to create the seal. The gasket-retaining groove consists of a solid stainless steel block that has been welded to the end of the autoclave, milled flat, and then a precision-groove machined into it. This ensures that a true retaining groove is provided for the door seal.
For door unsealing, a vacuum is drawn behind the gasket, pulling it back into the groove, and away from the door-sealing surface. The door gasket is a round silicone rubber extrusion. The door is retained on two vertical sides with the locking mechanisms clearly visible, in accordance with the ASME Code. Two proximity safety strips are mounted on the inner and outer edges of the door bottom to stop the door if an obstruction is encountered.
Download the Vertical Rising Door Spec Sheet
Horizontal Sliding Door
This design is recommended for facilities without space limitations.
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ETC’s horizontal sterilizer door configuration consists of a solid 316L S/S inner plate and external carbon steel structural I-beams with outer channels. The door is suspended, via slide assemblies, from a heavy-duty supporting gantry positioned above the door. The gantry spans the entire travel of the door, and is supported at the outermost area with a vertical support beam.
The door is moved to the closed and open positions via a direct drive pneumatic cylinder, and requires a small amount of air pressure (< 20 psig). A safety strip is mounted on the leading edge to stop the door if an obstruction is encountered. Once the door is moved into position behind the retaining blocks, compressed air is applied behind the gasket, pushing it against a machined sealing surface on the doorplate, to create the seal. The gasket-retaining groove consists of a solid stainless steel block that has been welded to the end of the autoclave, milled flat, and then a precision groove machined into it. This ensures that a true retaining groove is provided for the door seal. For door unsealing, a vacuum is drawn behind the gasket, pulling it back into the groove, and away from the door-sealing surface. The door gasket is a round silicone rubber extrusion.
The door is retained on two vertical sides with the locking mechanisms clearly visible, in accordance with the ASME Code. This design has been used on chamber cross sections as large as 153” W x 84”H.
Download the Horizontal Sliding Door Spec Sheet
Hinged Door Design
Ideal for BSL 3-4 applications, the mechanically actuated gasket is unaffected by loss of power. It’s also a good choice for areas where mounting space is limited, or an existing hinged door autoclave is being replaced.
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This design consists of a solid 316L S/S inner plate and external carbon steel structural I-beams with outer channels. A heavy-duty hinge, hinge pin and hinge bearing blocks make opening and closing the door an easy task.
Two hydraulic cylinders are used for locking and unlocking, while a lift/lower cylinder aids in positioning the door. Once the door is lowered onto the doorstops and a positioning mechanism (redundant safety) is activated, the door can be locked. The locking cylinders provide the means for a roller latching assembly to mechanically engage heavy-duty door blocks to move the door inward for gasket compression. The door is locked and retained on two vertical sides, and are clearly visible in accordance with the ASME Code. Once locked, all utilities could be lost and the door would remain in a locked & retained position.
Each door is provided with a minimum of four vacuum stops to prevent over-compression of the door seal during deep vacuum excursions. The door assembly is insulated with mineral wool and covered with an 18-gauge 304L stainless steel sheathing. This design has been used on chamber cross sections as large as 109”W x 109”L.
Download the Hinged Door Spec Sheet
