Recommended Autoclave Maintenance Schedule

TEC’s Recommended Maintenance Schedule for all Autoclave systems.

Recommended Autoclave Maintenance Schedule

Door System
Clean lower 1/3 of locking ring	Weekly
Inspect door seal for fit in groove of the door	Weekly
Inspect door seal for nicks, gouges or embedded debris	Weekly
Inspect sliding surfaces & wedges for excessive wear & alignment	Weekly
Inspect for operation, clean and lube lock ring & shell flange (SS30)	Monthly
Check hydraulic pump reservoir fluid level	Every 2 Months
Lubricate door wedges surfaces with SS30	Every 3 Months
Inspect heat seal & replace if required	Every 6 Months
Clean and apply protectant to door seal	Every 6 Months
Strip wedges & flanges of lubricant and re-lube with SS30	Once a Year
Inspect hydraulic lines, fittings and cylinder packing for leaks	Once a Year
Check wear plates for gouging: indicates door out of alignment	Once a Year
Door Mechanism Operation
Inspect Camroll assembly	Once a Year
Inspect door interlock cylinder & micro-switch for proper operation	Monthly
Perform a nondestructive examination (NDE) on the lugs, wedges and closure	Once a Year
Pressure Vessel Safety
Check and verify all pressure safety interlocks are functioning as designed	Every 6 Months
Back flush pressure sense line	Every 6 Months
Activate Person-In-Clave Alarm & confirm operation	Every 6 Months
Calibrate or replace relief valves	Once a Year
Replace rupture disks	Once a Year
Check and calibrate pressure in autoclave switch & interlocks	Once a Year
Vessel Inspection
Inspect vessel and nozzles for cracking, surface pitting	Every 6 Months
Inspect vessel for high surface operating temperature	Every 6 Months
Perform a magnetic particle test of vessel and nozzles	Every 3 Years
Inspect vessel for minimum thickness	Every 5 Years
Fan and Drive System
Remove housing, check all bolts, piping & electrical connections	Once a Year
Inspect and grease fan shaft, seal & drive bearing	Once a Year
Inspect and drain bell housing	Weekly
Inspect connection of fan wheel & motor shaft, tighten as required	Once a Year
Inspect sheave guards, belt guards and motor seal linkage	Once a Year
Electrically Heated Vessels
Check functionality and operation of contactors and SCR	Once a Year
Check functionality and operation over-temperature controller	Once a Year
Inspect all wires in MCC and clave leading to and from the heater	Once a Year
Check all contactors, starters, & circuit breakers for proper operation	Once a Year
Check all connections for tightness, including power source line	Once a Year
Gas Fired Vessels
Check combustion chamber over-temperature controller	Once a Year
Replace spark plug, adjust pilot and adjust low & high fire	Once a Year
Check the high & low gas pressure switches	Once a Year
Check gas supply, double block, proof of closure switches, and bleed valves	Once a Year
Check the low combustion air pressure switch	Once a Year
Check the UV flame scanner, simulate alarms and flame indicators	Once a Year
Inspect operating condition and cleanliness of blowers	Once a Year
Inspect condition and cleanliness of gas train and internals	Once a Year
Inspect combustion heating coil for leakage	Once a Year
Oxygen Analyzer
Calibrate analyzer & check operation	Every 6 Months
Vacuum System
Inspect pump packing	Every 6 Months
Vent receiver tank and drain condensation	Monthly
Pneumatic Systems
Test clean and range adjust all I/P transducers	Every 6 Months
Inspect and range adjust all pneumatic control valves	Every 6 Months
Drain & adjust all instruments and valve air regulators	Every 2 Months
Autoclave Interior
Clean debris from inside of vessel	Weekly
Check the sheet metal screws for tightness and clean sheet metal	Every 3 Months
Check bolts for tightness	Once a Year
Cooling System
Inspect and replace worn fan belts	Every 6 Months
Inspect cooling valve for leakage	Every 6 Months
Drain tank and refill	Once a Year
Motor Control Center
Check contactors, starters, & circuit breakers	Once a Year
Verify that all contactors are tight, including the incoming power	Once a Year
Part Monitoring Sensors
Calibrate all vacuum transducers	Once a Year
Check vacuum system fittings for tightness and leaks	Every 6 Months
Check system PID tuning and adjust if required	Every 6 Months

About Thermal Equipment Co.

Over 55 Years of Autoclave Experience

TEC supplies any size aerospace quality Autoclave Systems - everything from a smaller lab-size system, to a 30 foot diameter system. No matter the size, each of our Autoclave systems goes through the same rigorous custom engineering process - resulting in a high-quality Autoclave that is built to your unique specifications.