Equinox™
The perfect balance of innovative washing features, 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.
The Equinox delivers outstanding washing performance in 7-minute cycles: 180-second wash phase, 30-second dripping phase, 30-second high temp rinse, and 180-second exhaust phase. Water consumption for each cycle is approximately 45 Liters (12 gallons), and consumes about 90ml (3oz) of detergent.
- 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.