TIPS ON BUYING A FREEZE DRYER
Isn't a New Freeze Dryer More Preferable
to a Used One ?
Sure. But consider the fact that a new Freeze
Dryer often costs 400% more than the same model used, and
your product drying protocol may never need the features incorporated
in a new lyophilizer. Understand that Freeze Dryer manufacturers
have to design these units to meet a wide variety of drying
performance and applications. Your product may never need
any of the features for which you have paid. It just doesn't
make sense to purchase a Bentley to be used as a taxi. The
less you spend in capital acquisitions, the quicker you get
to black ink.
It's a fact. Over 80% of Freeze Drying is employed with a
single product, or with products that do not require the full
capability of the drying equipment. If acquisition cost is
important, you should consider a used freeze dryer over new.
The plain truth is that basic Freeze Dryer design
has changed very little in over thirty years. A refurbished
or remanufactured used dryer offers the advantage of new Warranted
components and Instrumentation, without paying for those design
features that have remained unchanged over the years.
In evaluating a Freeze Dryer purchase, consider
this. More than 70% of Contract Freeze Drying firms, producing
a variety of products worldwide, purchased used Freeze Dryers
for their drying production.
What About Freeze Dryer Service ?
The plain truth is that the service calls on
a Freeze Dryer are six times greater than other types of equipment
which incorporate refrigeration components. The reasons for
this are many, most of which have nothing to do with poor
design or inferior components. The process of Freeze Drying
is simple, but the equipment is complex. A number of design
considerations like vacuum, very low temperatures, ancillary
components not in general production, make the end result
as different as a Ferrari from a Hyundai. These components
are exposed to operational conditions never seen in other
applications. The general result is reduced running life and
more service calls.
Most Freeze Dryers in weekly use will need service,
for repair or preventative maintenance, at least four times
a year. For production Freeze Dryers, this number will often
double or triple. Many Pharmaceutical firms, with multiple
Freeze Dryers, will employ a Freeze Drying Service Technician
full time, often with a crew dedicated solely to Freeze Dryer
maintenance.
These service calls can be expensive. Most companies
who offer Freeze Dryer Service will charge from $90 to $125
per hour, plus travel mileage and expenses. A typical call,
generally lasting a day will often exceed $1000, when the
costs of replacement components are added.
These statistics are for new Freeze Dryers,
after the One Year Warranty period.
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