
MAINTENANCE
23
6 MAINTENANCE
6.1 General cleaning of the centrifuge
Before cleaning the centrifuge, users are advised to wear safety gloves to minimise
the risk of irritation. For general cleaning, water mixed with a mild detergent is
sufficient. Do not use any corrosive substances or abrasive cloths to clean the
centrifuge. Do not use alkaline solutions, flammable solvents or agents containing
abrasive particles.
MSE recommends either Terminex 2 or Virkon for optimum disinfection of the
centrifuge.
6.2 Cleaning of the accessories
It is recommended that rotors are regularly cleaned to ensure optimum performance
and prolong their life. This should be done with a non-corrosive cleaning agent
(between 6 and 8pH). When cleaning the rotor please pay particular attention to the
holes of the rotor.
If cracks appear in the rotor, the rotor should be replaced immediately. Rotors have
to withstand high stresses of centrifugal force and therefore any slight damage would
be made worse during operation and inadvertently cause damage to the machine.
All accessories used in the centrifuge, such as sample containers, should be clean
and free of debris. The sample containers should also be dry before use in the
centrifuge.
6.3 Sterilisation and disinfection of the bowl and accessories
When sterilising the bowl and rotors, users should take into account the material of
these items and be sure that the chemicals in the cleaning agents will not react with
them. Furthermore, when autoclaving the rotors, users should consider the
temperature resistance of the material used in construction. The optimum
temperature for autoclaving rotors used in this centrifuge is between 121ºC and
124º C. When autoclaving users should also make sure not to exceed 215 kPa (2.15
bar) of pressure. The recommended time for autoclaving is 15 minutes.
The user is responsible for proper disinfections of the centrifuge, particularly if some
harmful material is spilled inside or outside of the centrifuge. During above
mentioned works you must always wear safety gloves.