Equinox™
The perfect balance of unique performance and dependability
Built on the BetterBuilt legacy of innovation, EQUINOX by Allentown sets a new standard for cage and rack washing solutions. Designed to balance exceptional performance, operational efficiency, and sustainability, EQUINOX is tailored to meet the rigorous demands of today’s animal research facilities.
- Effectively washes and dries various sizes of animal housing, bottles, IVC racks, and other cage items.
- Steam or electric heating.
- Single or interlocked double doors for pass-through applications.
- Shallow pit, modular and compact design for flexible installations.
- Independent wash and rinse circuits ensure load integrity.
- Multi-chemical cycle for all caging types.
- High daily throughput – 6 min cycle including drying.
- Energy efficient cycles with low water consumption.
- Optimal cycle performance for AK KAB compliant cleaning of cages.
- Touchscreen HMI control for wide-ranging programming.
- Advanced troubleshooting with Activ P&ID and Activ PM.
- Full glass door for visual inspection and communication.
- Colored LED chamber lighting.
The Equinox™
Features
General Design
- Pit mounted allowing smooth transition between the floor and chamber during loading/unloading.
- High-quality 304 or 316 stainless steel chamber with smooth edges and corners, removing areas where dirt could accumulate and allow bacterial growth.
- Door(s) with inflatable gasket grants the rack washer complete sealing of the chamber in SPF facilities to perform additional functionality such as: thermal disinfection with steam, chemical sterilization, and gaseous decontamination.
- Interior horizontally mounted bar for door protection.
- Washer floor composed by section can be easily removed to reach the bottom of the washing chamber for general cleaning/maintenance.
- Adjustable loading guide rails to protect the walls of the chamber and place presentation rack in appropriate position.
Washing System and Integrity
- 10 rows of oscillating adjustable spray arms – 5 on each side to directly address each row of presentation racks.
- Simultaneous (both sides at the same time) & Alternating spray arms oscillating dependent on load requirements.
- 160 dedicated high pressure spray wash and rinse nozzles provide unmatched cage coverage for efficient removal of debris and chemical residue.
- Powerful dedicated rinse pump to provide comprehensive removal of detergent residues and delivery of high temperature final rinse phase.
- High-powered wash and rinse pumps provide high pressure contact at each phase.
- Auto-start system to have a ready-to use washer when starting the day, saving time for operators.
- Integrated vapor exhaust fan for removal of condensate and assisting drying.
- 2 Level filtration, specifically designed for animal caging and soiling conditions, protects the wash circuits, pumps and prevents the blocking of spray nozzles.
- Inline automatic self-cleaning filter.
HMI
- User-friendly, multi-language, 7” color touch screen(s) using Omron PLC, which provides simple controls for operators and grants full visibility and monitoring of cycles.
- Comprehensive monitoring of cycle phase, time, temperature, chemical dosing, water quantity, drying.
- Complete cycle parameter customisation.
- 16 fully adjustable cycle programs.
- Advanced Alarm and Data Logging.
- Compact Flashcard port for historical back-up.
Maintenance
- Built-in advanced diagnosis.
- Activ PM – statistics mode to forecast a Preventative Maintenance Schedule.
- Ethernet connection to allow for remote diagnosis.
- General components are non-proprietary and are available from local suppliers or the factory.
- Standard 10-year guarantee on washer chamber and tanks.
Safety and Protection
- Emergency e-stop button on loading & unloading sides and man-on-board safety cable, each side of the internal chamber.
- LED light to illuminate the chamber and changes colour dependent on the cycle stage.
- Air intake from the clean/unloading side environment, offers no contamination of load upon cycle completion.
Ergonomy
- Inline automatic self-cleaning filter, readily accessible for quick and easy routine maintenance.
- Easy removable spray arms to facilitate routine maintenance, no tool required.
- Spray nozzles in stainless steel for extended life, ease of cleaning and chemical resilience.
Detergent
- Storage of the chemical detergents with spill trays accessible via lockable door.
- Integrated detergent dosage units for washing detergent and rinse aid/neutralizer.
Specifications
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General:
- Pit mounted.
- Cabinets and doors are all stainless steel 304 construction, fully welded and polished to a satin finish.
- Pumps, flanges, pipe connections, and spray nozzles are constructed of type 304 stainless steel for compatibility with all types of detergents.
- Stainless steel 316 pumps.
- Insulated double wall cabinet and door(s).
- Inflatable door gasket replaceable without removing the door.
- Double panel tempered glass sealed in a gasket.
- Automatic tank level control.
- Temperature probes.
- Low level detergent sensors.
- Pressure transducers.
- Noise level 60 – 64 dBa.
- Non proprietary metric parts.
- CE declaration.
- 220V and 415V.
- Overall dimensions: W 2537 x D 2438 x H 2405 (mm).
- Usable Chamber size: W 1219 x D 2286 x H 2235 (mm).
- Door size: W 1219 x H 2235 mm.
More Details
Optional functionalities
- Chamber in stainless steel 316.
- 1 or 2 additional 170L non-heated wash tanks.
- Floor tilt ramp.
- Stainless steel trim for soiled, clean or both.
- Guaranteed temperature during the wash cycle by means of a microprocessor control system.
- Forced air drying for a level 1 AK KAB drying finish on cages.
- Steam injection for thermal disinfection cycle (steam heated model).
- Heat recovery.
- Decontamination cycle:
- Hybrid or external H2O2 generator: “inlet, outlet and communications connection via dry contact for the generator to interact with the rack washer HMI”.
- IP65 rated power outlet within chamber.
- Sampling point (gland) on either load or unload door.
- Drain cooling and PH neutralization system: separate tank within the service area which allow cooling water and/or neutralising chemicals prior to sending waste water to drain.
- Exterior horizontally mounted door bar.
- Second touch screen (clean) side, for 2-door washer.
- Touch screen guard.
- Thermal printer with cover.
- Light tower.
- Audible buzzer.
Project Management
Allentown guarantees a turnkey offering thanks to using dedicated Project Managers. The PM will be a key part of our offering to manage the integration of high-value equipment into complex infrastructures that require meticulous planning, coordination and alignment with customer needs.
You will gain critical benefits from this service:
- Streamlined Communication facilitating clear and consistent communication between the customer, design offices/architects and contractor.
- Efficient Project Road Map Implementation and Execution breaking down complex tasks into manageable phases, defining timelines, milestones, and resource needs.
- Risk Management by identifying potential risks early in the project to proactively implement mitigation strategies.
- Customisation to meet the client’s specific needs and facility infrastructure.
- Quality Assurance ensuring requirements are met accurately and that the equipment functions as expected before delivery and installation.
- Improved Customer Experience and Satisfaction helping deliver a seamless, predictable experience, by handling the complexity behind the scenes and keeping clients informed and involved at key stages.
- Post-Installation Support and Training Coordination: once equipment is installed, project managers will coordinate training sessions and provide support as needed, ensuring a smooth handover.
Loading systems and accessories
- Range of presentations racks and baskets to ensure all load items can be located and secured to allow effective washing.
- Full size or baby rodent cage presentation racks.
- Customised/Dedicated presentation racks for large animal caging systems.
- Bottle washing cart.
- Bottle crates.
- Generic baskets to wash accessories such as enrichments and sipper tubes or watering valves.
- IVC manifold connection.
- AutoWatering manifold washing.