Western States works closely with customers to build chemical and pharmaceutical-grade centrifuges. We custom-design each unit to match the customer’s applications of centrifuges, whether it is needed for product research, sample creation, or any scale production. Our high-speed centrifuges are designed to meet customer process, operator, electrical, cleaning, maintenance, and commercial requirement standards. Our filtration centrifuges have been used to process lactose, nickel sulfate, dye stock, coal, fish oil fatty acids, caffeine, resins, vitamins, silicon carbide, acetaminophen, potato starch, coffee, silver, proteins, macromolecules, and citric acids to name just a few!
Read on to discover which type of centrifuge is best suited for your production requirements.
Filtering Centrifuges
Filtering Centrifuges are the most versatile and cost-effective method for separating solids and liquids. As common application centrifuges, they can process a wide range of viscosities and solids content and are capable of isolating and removing most unbound moisture and sedimentation without thermal processing. Baskets run with screens, filter paper, or filter bags and can be used to separate liquid from particles or crystals that are at least 10 microns in size or denser particles.
Laboratory and Testing Units
Customers use these units to see if their material is suitable for centrifugal separation and to create small samples of their product:
SLC 5000
The SLC 5000 is a lab-size (sized for testing, research, and sample production) machine that is suitable for pharmaceutical use fully constructed from stainless steel, and meets cGMP requirements. It features a fully viewable processing area, portability, powerful and adjustable basket rotational speed, and 2,130 gravities of separation force. The SLC-5000 will leave you with clarified liquid, dry solid cake, and greater control of the separation environment This machine can greatly reduce the time and labor needed for solid-liquid separation. Weighing in at just over 100 pounds, these laboratory centrifuges are perfect for small laboratories and single-operator use.
Pilot Plant Machines
Certain Western States machines are also suitable for pilot plant use in a pre-commercial environment for small-volume production: The STM-2000 and the STM-3000.
STM-2000
The STM-2000 Centrifuge is a portable, self-contained, benchtop microcentrifuge that is suitable for small batch processing. The portability of the STM-2000 allows it to be easily transported to the process area when needed and then stored out of the way when not in use. It can be configured as a filtering or a decanting centrifuge. It’s suitable for customers who are both testing materials for purification and generating product samples for their own customers. The STM-2000 Centrifuge is a low-cost benchtop centrifuge solution for processes that require only small quantities of material and/or are done infrequently where a full-size installation is not practical.
This machine is 99% accurate for scale-up to our larger machines so the results will be consistent once the product goes into production.
Production Scale Units
We offer centrifuges for use in decanting applications for particles that are less than 10 microns in size. These machines are offered with a solid bowl or a perforated basket. Material is added to the basket and then it is flooded with liquid. The material settles on the bottom of the machine while the liquid pours over the top.
STM-3000
The STM 3000 Top-Unloading Vertical Basket Centrifuge is the ideal solution for small-scale processing. The STM-3000 comes standard with an easy, full opening, gas spring assisted curb top to access and remove filter screens and bags; as well as visual inspection of the centrifuge chamber. With a welded stainless steel base and heavy-duty casters, the STM-3000 is designed for easy sanitary clean-up and maneuvering.
Quadramatic Series (068, 120, 210, 250, 320, 520)
When operated as a filtering centrifuge, Quadramatic centrifuges can remove most, if not all of the unbound moisture without the need for thermal processing to deliver a cost-effective and dependable method of separating solids and liquids for medium to full-scale production. The Quadramatics are vertical, bottom-discharging centrifuges that generate up to 2,000 gravities of force.
Centrifuge Machines for Many Applications
Our team of process, mechanical, and electrical engineers has the technological know-how and adaptability to create cutting-edge centrifuges and automation systems specifically tailored to each customer’s requirements. We can meet FDA and USDA requirements when manufacturing our equipment while working closely with you to custom design any centrifuge to fit your application and requirements.
Fill out and submit our Centrifuge Application Questionnaire with as much detail as possible so we can determine which centrifuges work for your proposed applications. If you are interested in learning more about our centrifuge designs and applications, please fill out our Contact Us form or call us today at 513-863-4758.
