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Happy New Year! To help get 2020 off to a fantastic start, we have a special offer on our smaller LyoDry Laboratory Scale Freeze Dryers. From 1st Jan 2020 until 31st March 2020, LyoDry Laboratory Scale Freeze Dryers purchased during this time will receive a 10% discount off the list price. The promotion applies (only) to new lab scale Freeze Dryers, which includes the following models: LyoDry Compact Benchtop, LyoDry Benchtop Pro, LyoDry Midi and LyoDry Midi Pro Freeze Dryer. The discount applies not only to the freeze dryer condensers, but also to the freeze drying accessories which are purchased with the condenser e.g. the drying chamber, tray accessory and/or manifold and the vacuum pump. To take advantage of this offer, please Contact Us for a quotation and/or any further information. Email enquiries@mechatechsystems.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1454 414723 and mention code LSPROMO20Q1.

Our offices will close on Tuesday 24th December, re-opening on Thursday 2nd January 2020. How has another whole year of designing, manufacturing and maintaining LyoDry Freeze Dryers and High Vacuum Systems whizzed by already? Despite external shenanigans (let's not get political, nor mention the 'B' word), we are happy to report that 2019 has proved another good year for MechaTech Systems. LyoDry Freeze Dryers and High Vacuum Systems (vacuum dryers, vacuum degassing systems and Hyscan II hydrogen in Aluminium analyser) continue to sell far and wide in the UK and overseas. Many new and existing customers have been taking advantage of our dedicated vacuum service department. Our engineers travel up and down the country to carry out scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and repairs to vacuum systems, freeze dryers and vacuum pumps. And our despatch department is constantly occupied arranging collections and returns of equipment for in-house repairs and service. The office is kept equally busy typing up Service Reports for our customers. We've received some excellent feedback! A sixth BioDry Production Scale Vacuum Dryer was delivered to our microbiology diagnostics customer... ...and we are soon to upgrade their other BioDry Vacuum Dryers, by installing new dry vacuum pumps to replace their existing oil pumps. Drystar 80 pumps provide a clean, robust and cost effective alternative to traditional oil-sealed pumps. This will not only suit our customer's clean application requirements better, but will also greatly reduce their scheduled maintenance costs. Throughout 2019, we have conducted vacuum drying trials for a number of customers in a variety of different fields, including nuclear decommissioning and pharmaceutical. Trials enable customers to decide how effective the vacuum drying process is for their specific application and can lead to long terms solutions such as the innovation award-winning Advanced Vacuum Drying System, for in-box drying of nuclear waste. New products and developments this year include a brand new Drechsel bottle carrier for use with our S35 Gas Sampling Systems... ...and further developments to our LyoDry Benchtop Pro and LyoDry Midi Pro Freeze Dryers include an upgrade to the colour touch screen interface, so that it's even more user friendly, and real time and historical trending are obvious at a glance. Keep reading for a sneak preview of our special laboratory freeze dryers promotion in the New Year. In October, our China agent, Beijing Michem, showcased our latest LyoDry Benchtop Pro freeze dryer at the 18th Beijing Conference and Exhibition on Instrument Analysis. Meanwhile, our Spares Department continues to supply vacuum spares and freeze drying spares across the UK and internationally. As OEMS ourselves, we supply only genuine spares at competitive prices and they're often available from stock. All in all, it's been a jolly busy year and, like you, we're looking forward to cracking open the mince pies and putting our feet up festively! Our offices will close on 24th December, re-opening on 2nd January 2020. What's happening in 2020? Watch this space for details of a special promotion of LyoDry Laboratory Freeze Dryers, including our benchtop and Midi range with accessories and vacuum pump, from 1st January. More info coming soon! Very many thanks to all of our customers and suppliers for your continued business. All of the MechaTech team wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Need a new laboratory freeze dryer in a hurry? The LyoDry Midi Freeze Dryer, -55 °C laboratory freeze dryer is currently available from stock. LSMC55 LyoDry Midi Freeze Dryer has an 18Kg ice condenser capacity and a -55°C condenser temperature. The Acrylic Chamber and SS Tray Accessory, with 6 x (removable) trays, provides up to 0.38m² total drying area. LyoDry Midi has visible ice build up and enables faster batch processing with hot gas defrost. Fitted with an integral Edwards RV12 Vacuum Pump, which is easily accessible for servicing via a recess below the condenser. Featuring a clear, bright LCD display, visible even from a distance, simple commands allow the operator to view vacuum units in millibar, Torr or pascal; and temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit. System status is obvious, even at a glance. The vacuum pump is controlled on-screen, and the user is prompted to do this when the condenser reaches temperature. LyoDry Midi is suitable for a wide range of freeze drying duties including pharma, food and beverage, botanical, geological and archaeological applications. It was originally designed to directly replace the Edwards EF12 Supermodulyo®  freeze dryer, but today incorporates the latest freeze drying technologies. And it's currently available from stock. Read more about LyoDry Midi Freeze Dryer: https://www.mechatechsystems.co.uk/lyodry-midi-freeze-dryer Contact us for further information and a quotation: https://www.mechatechsystems.co.uk/contact

Freeze Dryers are highly specialised equipment, used for preserving a wide variety of product types, as diverse as pharmaceutical products, foods, soil samples, flowers and archaeological artefacts. If you are thinking about purchasing a freeze dryer, either for the first time or as an upgrade to your existing freeze dryer, you may find it helpful to consider the following points: Trials Have you carried out freeze drying trials of your product? Trials will help to determine how your product reacts to the freeze-drying process. For example, how long it takes to freeze dry a batch, how much ice your product generates – before investing in capital equipment. Trials can be accomplished either by using a company that offers contract freeze-drying, or by hiring equipment and carrying out your own trials. MechaTech Systems offer benchtop freeze dryers for monthly rental. Budget What can you afford? Freeze Dryers are expensive – fact! Prices do vary according to quality and manufacturer, but a good quality, 5Kg (ice condenser capacity). -55°C benchtop freeze dryer in the UK, including chamber and vacuum pump is likely to start at around £10,000. For pilot and production scale freeze dryers, prices vary from tens to hundreds of thousand pounds, usually determined by the condenser and chamber size, and temperature and control requirements. Temperature What Condenser Temperature do you need? A freeze dryer typically has a condenser temperature of -50°C as a starting point. This is suitable for many product types, but not all. Your product may have a lower freezing point (eutectic point), in which case you will need a lower condenser temperature. MechaTech Systems currently offer freeze dryers with condenser temperatures of either -55 °C or -85°C What Chamber Temperature do you need? Many small lab freeze dryers, such as the LyoDry Compact Benchtop Freeze Dryer, or LyoDry Benchtop Pro are modular: this means that you can choose the drying chamber – often an acrylic chamber, perhaps with a tray accessory – or a manifold or chamber with ports for flask drying. In this instance, pre-freezing in the chamber is not an option, so your product must be pre-frozen either in a suitable freezer, or snap frozen in liquid nitrogen. Heating your product, if appropriate, may speed up the freeze-drying process. For this purpose, the LSAD6H Heated Chamber from MechaTech Systems has a temperature controller and heater mats. Larger, pilot-scale freeze dryers, such as the LyoDry Heritage or the LyoDry Grande do offer integral, temperature-controlled chambers or shelves. You can both pre-freeze and heat the product. MechaTech’s chamber freeze dryers are typically available with chamber temperatures ranging from -60°C or -40°C,  to +60°C. Capacity What Condenser Capacity do you need? This will be determined by how much ice will your product generates before the condenser needs to be defrosted, and then what batch size do you wish to process. This is particularly important if you have a very wet product, which is likely to generate more ice. For example, the LyoDry Compact benchtop freeze dryer has an ice condenser capacity of 5Kg, before defrost is required. The LHS60 LyoDry Heritage has an ice condenser capacity of 60Kg before defrost is required. If you don’t know how much ice your product generates, trials will help you to determine this. What Chamber capacity do you need? i.e. How much space do you need for the product you wish to freeze dry per batch. Smaller, R&D freeze dryers, such as the LyoDry Compact, are often modular, so you can choose which chamber/drying accessory you need. This might be an Acrylic Chamber, for bulk samples, often with a tray accessory, for freeze drying multiple samples. Or a manifold accessory, for attaching flasks. Or a combination of both so that you have different options available, for example the LSDCV 8-port lidded acrylic chamber. See Freeze Dryer Accessories for LyoDry Freeze Dryer accessory options. Pilot scale and production freeze dryers usually have an integral chamber, with a set number of shelves offering a total chamber capacity. For example, the pilot-scale LyoDry Maxi Freeze Dryer is available with either 3, 4 or 5 shelves, each measuring 360mm W x 480mm D, up to a total of 0.86m2 drying space. Solvents What solvents are involved in the process? Usually, the only solvent present in the freeze-drying process is water. In which case, any  chamber is suitable. However, some organic solvents can cause an acrylic chamber to corrode, especially if a high concentration of corrosive solvent is present,. In this instance, a stainless steel chamber is a better option. You may also need to protect the vacuum pump with a chemical trap and sorbent. Control What level of control automation do you need? Entry level, laboratory freeze dryers will usually have a basic digital controller and display, showing temperature, vacuum level and readiness. The operator needs to follow certain steps, such as pressing the ‘Pump On’ button to switch on the vacuum pump, when the freeze dryer display indicates that it has reached the correct pre-cooled temperature. For more closely controlled laboratory freeze drying on a small scale, the LyoDry Benchtop Pro and LyoDry Midi Pro offer touch screen control, data logging, trends, pressure control, USB and ethernet comms. Pilot and production freeze dryers, such as the LyoDry Heritage, Maxi and Grande, have more comprehensive controllers, usually a touch screen PLC, with pre-programmable, freeze drying ‘recipes’. These provide product protection and require only minimal operator intervention. They often include process and product temperatures variables, and real-time systems status and fault indicators. They also have comprehensive alarm management systems, and the option of remote view via an external computer. If you’re freeze drying in vials, some pilot and production freeze dryers, such as the LyoDry Maxi and Grande, also offer automatic stoppering of vials. Space and Logistics Last, but not least, where will your freeze dryer be installed? A benchtop freeze dryer can sit on a lab bench, or a purpose-built trolley on castors so that it can be moved around the lab. MechaTech Systems also manufacture the LyoDry Midi modular freeze dryer, which offers a larger condenser capacity (18Kg) than the benchtop freeze dryer (5Kg), but is specially designed be positioned next to a typical laboratory bench. The LyoDry Maxi has a built-in chamber on top, so needs height, but is specially designed to fit through a standard laboratory doorway. The LyoDry Production Freeze Dryer, however, is a through-the-wall design – so only the chamber doorway and operator control are accessible in the clean room, whilst the mechanical parts such as the vacuum pump and condenser are in a separate room. To summarise: Have you carried out trials? What can you afford? What condenser temperature and chamber temperature do you need? What condenser capacity and chamber capacity do you need? What solvents are you using and what is their level of concentration? What level of control do you need? How much space do you have? MechaTech Systems manufacture LyoDry Freeze Dryers, from our Bristol, UK facility. MechaTech can provide advice, quotations and also practical help in the form of rental benchtop freeze dryers for carrying out trials of your product. For further information, please contact us:  enquiries@mechatechsystems.co.uk / +44 (0) 1454 414723 or visit https://www.mechatechsystems.co.uk/freeze-dryers.

We recently delivered a sixth BioDry Production Scale Vacuum Dryer to our UK microbiology diagnostics customer. The BioDry Vacuum Dryer is a fully automated, production scale Vacuum Dryer for industrial vacuum drying at low temperatures in a controlled and reproducible way. With up to 42 temperature controlled shelves, a total drying area of 16.8m2 is accessed via two outward opening hinged doors for easy loading and unloading of samples. Special features include touch screen control with data analysis and end point determination, eliminating under-drying or wasteful over-drying. A separate plant room makes this an ideal clean room solution. MechaTech Systems Ltd, have a combined experience of over fifty years in the design, manufacture and maintenance of Vacuum Dryers and Vacuum Drying Systems. Read more and/or contact us for further information: https://www.mechatechsystems.co.uk/biodry-vacuum-dryer https://www.mechatechsystems.co.uk/about https://www.mechatechsystems.co.uk/contact

Our esteemed Chinese distributors, BeiJing Michem Instruments Co.,Ltd., will be showcasing our LyoDry Freeze Dryers and Hyscan II Hydrogen in Aluminium Analyser at the 18th Beijing Conference and Exhibition on Instrument Analysis (BCEIA) this month. BCEIA is a highly specialized and well respected international analytical instruments conference and exhibition in China. Beijing Michem Instruments Co Ltd will be taking the opportunity to introduce our latest LyoDry Benchtop Pro Freeze Dryer, which includes all the features of our best selling LyoDry Compact Benchtop Freeze Dryer, with enhanced functionality. LyoDry Benchtop Pro features wide, touch screen, colour control with data logging and pressure control, enabling closely controlled lyophilization on a small, affordable scale. With condenser temperatures of either -55°C or -85°C, a fully stainless steel cabinet and a wide array of drying chamber options, LyoDry Benchtop Pro is ideal for most freeze drying applications, including pharma, food and laboratory samples, for drying in bulk, flasks, vials or ampoules. LyoDry Freeze Dryers are UK designed and manufactured by MechaTech Systems Ltd, and distributed in China by Beijing Michem Instruments Co Ltd. Visit Beijing Michem Instruments Co Ltd on Booth No. 42056 at BCEIA, 23rd – 26th October. More about LyoDry Benchtop Pro: https://www.mechatechsystems.co.uk/benchtop-pro-freeze-dryer More about MechaTech Systems Ltd: https://www.mechatechsystems.co.uk/ More about Beijing Michem Instruments Co Ltd : http://www.bjmichem.com

We are pleased to introduce the latest accessory for S35 Gas Sampling Systems – a Drechsel bottle carrier for transportation of up to 6 x 250ml Drechsel bottles. The purpose-built Drechsel bottle carrier with lid is specially designed to locate and accommodate 6 x 250ml Drechsel bottles with diffusers and associated tubes. It is manufactured in brushed stainless steel with 4 x over centre clamps used to secure the lid to the carrier. Plastic locator discs are fitted to the inside of the carrier to locate the bases of the Drechsel bottles. A silicone seal between the lid and the carrier provides added protection, and a carrying handle adds extra convenience. Find out more about the Drechsel Bottle Carrier and S35 Gas Sampling Systems: https://www.mechatechsystems.co.uk/s35-gas-sampling Or Contact Us for any further information and a quotation: https://www.mechatechsystems.co.uk/contact