1. Optimised sterilisation cycle
In real Steriflow production cycles (using the example of sterilising whole raw beetroot in soft packaging 55–65 mm thick) the duration of a full cycle is 70–75 min:
- Heating from 20°C to 121°C — ~10 min
- Holding at 121°C — 30–35 min
- Cooling down to 30°C — ~20 min
These figures are confirmed by the practice of Steriflow customers in various countries and demonstrate a balanced process without the risk of overcooking the product or losing colour or structure.
2. Heating speed and efficiency
The heating time is determined by the consistency of the product, and not by the type of autoclave. But it is important to understand the key difference between the technologies:
✔ In steam autoclaves the heating does not take place with “pure steam”
The operation of steam autoclaves requires counter-pressure, which is created by air in the chamber. Air is a poor heat conductor, so heating is reduced.
Example:
- A steam-air mixture at 120°C and 2 bar provides about 4000 kcal/cm² of thermal energy.
- System the Steriflow water cascade — about 9000 kcal/cm².
The water cascade transfers heat far more efficiently.
✔ The additional chamber purging time matters
Steam autoclaves need 2–3 minutes to remove the air and fill with steam.
This time lengthens the cycle, but does not heat the product.
3. More efficient cooling
Cooling is one of the most critical stages, which affects:
- colour retention,
- consistency,
- microbiological stability,
- energy consumption.
Steriflow advantages in the cooling phase:
- The water cascade provides an intensive, uniform flow of cooling water.
- Steam autoclaves use nozzles, which create a weaker “spot” flow and additional resistance.
- Steriflow has free flow delivery through a distribution grid, which significantly speeds up and evens out the process.
Result:
Faster cooling → a shorter cycle → lower energy consumption → a more consistent product.
4. Additional design advantages of Steriflow
✔ Full condensate recovery
Thanks to the use of a heat exchanger:
- there are no steam losses in the chamber;
- there is no “contaminated” condensate;
- steam consumption is substantially reduced;
- the overall cost price of sterilisation is reduced.
In steam autoclaves with direct injection the condensate is lost completely.
✔ Possibility of partial loading
Steriflow allows:
- operation with an incomplete number of baskets,
- flexible switching between batches,
- smaller minimum production volumes.
For steam autoclaves this is almost impossible:
it requires strict positioning of the baskets, in order to ensure the correct distribution of the steam-air mixture.
✔ Additional engineering features
These can be disclosed during a meeting:
- the design of the pipe circuits,
- pressure control modes,
- operation of the MPI system,
- CIP management,
- real-time temperature stabilisation,
- uniformity of spraying at all points of the chamber.
