Freeze dryer control system combines user-friendliness & advanced functionality

SP Industries, Inc. has announced the availability of the new generation VirTis Wizard 2.0 Controller that provides comprehensive control functionality and user-friendliness exceeding that of any other embedded microprocessor control system. With complete recipe management and full alarming, it provides full process automation for the VirTis freeze dryer line, including AdVantage, Genesis, and Ultra Lyophilisers.

Wizard 2.0 handles single or multiple refrigeration compressor applications and boasts a huge array of options. Its powerful microprocessor is fast enough to accommodate multiple temperature thermocouples, while providing instantaneous alarming for out-of-designed-cycle conditions.

With the new generation Controller you can select any of 16 recipes and a new, large centre-stage LCD display precisely plots the profile of the directed shelf temperature, while providing a cycle progress bar graph. The display continually scans all configured transducers. If an alarm occurs, the display indicates the out-of-tolerance condition.

To minimise warming during the condenser and vacuum phases, the Wizard 2.0 Controller can be configured in a special freeze assist mode. Once configured, the control can keep the product at the obtained freeze temperature until primary drying conditions are achieved.

The Wizard 2.0 configuration and validatable software uniquely allows the freeze-drying cycle to be either shelf-driven or product-driven, depending on which best suits your application. In the product-driven mode, Wizard 2.0 uses the product temperature average to determine if freeze conditions have been achieved and when to advance from primary to secondary drying. When shelf-driven, the Wizard 2.0 directs drying through a shelf temperature profile. Product temperature probes can be utilised to monitor cycle conditions.

Designed to safeguard your investment, users desiring more functionality in future can add on the powerful Wizard Workstation. This option includes a user-friendly recipe manager that easily reads and downloads recipes by name; an interactive synoptic screen; and a historical trending package that works with Windows®98, nT or 2000, ME or XP.