Autoclaves, Sterilizers & Shakers Lab Equipment Manufacturer, Supplier and Exporter in India

Around seventy items are listed here, coded ASS-0001 upward across seven pages, and the range is much wider than the category name. Besides autoclaves, sterilisers and shakers it carries fume hoods, laminar air flow cabinets and biological safety cabinets, water and paraffin baths, ovens and furnaces, a carbon dioxide incubator, bottle coolers and a cold room. Two sections below matter more than any specification. An autoclave is a pressure vessel with its own legal obligations. And a fume hood, a laminar flow cabinet and a biological safety cabinet do opposite jobs, and using the wrong one is how people get hurt.

Fume hood, laminar flow cabinet, safety cabinet: they are not alternatives

Three codes here look similar and are opposites. Get this right before anything else.

• A fume hood (ASS-0007) protects the operator. It draws room air in across the work and exhausts it away, so vapours and dust go away from the person. It gives the product no protection at all.
• A vertical laminar air flow cabinet (ASS-0006) protects the product. It blows filtered air down over the work and out towards the operator, which keeps the sample clean and means anything hazardous, infectious or dusty in the cabinet is blown at the person using it. A laminar flow cabinet must never be used with hazardous or infectious material. It is for sterile media, plant tissue culture, electronics assembly and similar clean work only.
• A biological safety cabinet (ASS-0008) protects both, and it is the one to specify for infectious work. Ask the class, since that is what decides what may be handled in it, whether it is ducted to outside or recirculates through a filter, the filter grade, and whether an installation test and airflow validation certificate are provided. Ask the retest interval and who performs it locally, because a safety cabinet that has not been tested is not a safety cabinet.

For all three, ask the face velocity or airflow figure and how it is indicated to the operator, the working aperture, whether an alarm sounds on airflow failure, the filter change interval and cost, and what the exhaust arrangement requires of your building. A cabinet quoted without its installation requirements is not yet a usable quotation.

Autoclaves and steam sterilisers: a pressure vessel with obligations

Several codes here are steam sterilisers in cylindrical, rectangular, portable and table-top forms, with a biomedical waste steriliser alongside. Before comparing capacities, settle:

• The working and test pressure, the safety valve and its set pressure, and the pressure gauge. Ask for the test certificate for the actual vessel, not a model statement.
• A door interlock that makes it impossible to open the door while the chamber is under pressure. This is the protection that matters most and it should not be optional on any size. Ask how it works and confirm it on arrival.
• Whether the vessel requires statutory registration or periodic inspection where you are, who performs it, and at what interval and cost. That is a question for your own authority rather than the supplier, and it is cheaper to answer before the purchase order.
• How air is removed from the chamber. A gravity-displacement autoclave relies on steam pushing air out and cannot reliably sterilise wrapped packs or porous loads; a pre-vacuum machine pulls the air out first and can. Ask which this is, because it decides what the machine is fit for, and no capacity figure substitutes for that answer.
• Validation. A cycle that reached pressure is not proof of sterilisation. Ask what chemical indicators and biological spore indicators are recommended and available, and build a routine check into the laboratory procedure. For the biomedical waste steriliser (ASS-0031) ask additionally what validation and record-keeping your local waste rules require, since that waste stream is regulated.

Four operating rules belong in the written procedure: never open the door until the gauge reads zero and the load has cooled, because bottled liquids at sterilising temperature are superheated and will boil over violently when the pressure drops; never autoclave a sealed container, which becomes a bomb, so caps are loosened and vented closures used; never autoclave flammables or bleach; and load so that steam can reach everything, since a tightly packed chamber leaves cold pockets that never sterilise. Ask whether baskets, trays and a load-stacking guide are supplied.

Ovens, furnaces and baths

For the laboratory and industrial ovens and the furnace, ask the temperature range, the uniformity across the working space and the stability at setpoint, which together are what a drying or ashing method actually depends on, and whether there is an independent over-temperature cut-out separate from the controller. Ask the inner chamber material, the shelf arrangement and whether the unit is forced-convection or natural, since the two dry at quite different rates and a method written for one does not transfer to the other. For the furnace, ask the element type, the expected element life and replacement cost, and the heat-up and cool-down times, which decide how many runs a day are possible.

One rule worth posting on an oven: nothing wet with a flammable solvent goes into a drying oven. Solvent vapour accumulating in a closed heated box is an explosion risk, and the right answer is to let the solvent evaporate in a fume cupboard first or to use a vacuum oven designed for it.

For the water baths (ASS-0035, ASS-0037) ask the temperature range, uniformity, whether there is a lid and a low-water cut-out, and the material of the tank; distilled water rather than tap water keeps the tank clean, which is a running cost rather than a specification. For the paraffin bath (ASS-0036) ask the temperature range and note that molten paraffin burns and sticks to skin, so the bath wants a lid and a brief for anyone using it.

The carbon dioxide incubator and the cold room need room-level thought

The carbon dioxide incubator (ASS-0061) is fed from a gas cylinder, and carbon dioxide displaces air without smell or warning. In a small or poorly ventilated room that is an asphyxiation risk, so ask the consumption, plan the cylinder storage and restraint, consider a cylinder outside the room with a line in, and fit a carbon dioxide monitor and alarm where the room is small. Ask also how the gas concentration is measured and calibrated inside the incubator, and the humidity arrangement and how it is kept from contaminating.

The cold room (ASS-0066) is a walk-in space and brings the one hazard people forget: somebody shut inside. Specify an internal door release that works with the door latched, an internal light, and an alarm or call point inside the room, and ask whether all three are included. Then ask the temperature range and stability, the insulation and floor construction, the defrost arrangement, the condensing unit position and its noise, and whether installation and commissioning are in the price, because a cold room is building work rather than a delivery.

Shakers, stirrers and hot plates

For the incubator shaker (ASS-0001) and the wrist-action shaker (ASS-0030), ask the speed range and whether it is displayed, the orbit or stroke, the platform size and what clamps or racks are available for your flask sizes, the maximum load at the top speed rather than at rest, and for the incubator shaker the temperature range and uniformity and whether it is refrigerated. For magnetic stirrers (ASS-0002), ask the maximum volume stirred, whether the plate is heated and to what temperature, and the chemical resistance of the top plate. For the hot plate (ASS-0003), ask the surface temperature range and uniformity, and remember the point made under Mantles and Soxhlet Apparatus: an exposed hot plate is the wrong heat source for a volatile flammable solvent.

Also worth confirming

Three items in this listing duplicate products in other categories on this site, a heating mantle, a Kjeldahl dry bath and a water still, so ask which product you are being quoted and which is current. Some names are abbreviated rather than written out, one spells cylindrical as "cyclindrical", one spells carbon dioxide as three words, and one carries a trailing digit that is not explained, so quote the code. Ask also for the installation requirements as a document, the supply voltage, frequency, phase and plug type for your country, the service arrangement and spares locally, and the warranty. Any temperature, pressure or capacity figure quoted is confirmed in writing on the quotation; ask for the test conditions behind it.

Related ranges on this site

The water these autoclaves and baths consume is under Water Distillations and Stills. Gel work that needs the shakers and the dry bath is under TLC and Electrophoresis Apparatus, solvent extraction and mantles under Mantles and Soxhlet Apparatus, acid digestion under Kjeldahl Digestion and Distillation Unit, weighing under Lab Balances and Scales, and water analysis under Conductivity and Dissolved Oxygen Meters and TDS Meter, Photocolorimeter and Flame Photometer.

Request a quote

Say what you are sterilising or handling, because that decides the machine. For example a horizontal autoclave at the chamber size you need, with the air-removal method stated, the door interlock confirmed, the vessel test certificate supplied and the local inspection position established; or, for infectious work, a biological safety cabinet with its class, filter grade and installation test certificate stated rather than a laminar flow cabinet. Contact Ray Export for specifications, prices and lead times.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need a fume hood, a laminar flow cabinet or a biological safety cabinet?

It depends who or what needs protecting. A fume hood (ASS-0007) draws room air across the work and exhausts it, protecting the operator from vapours and dust, but gives the product no protection. A vertical laminar air flow cabinet (ASS-0006) blows filtered air down over the work and out towards the operator, protecting the sample; it must never be used with hazardous or infectious material and suits sterile media, plant tissue culture and clean assembly. A biological safety cabinet (ASS-0008) protects both and is the one to specify for infectious work.

What should we ask before buying a biological safety cabinet?

Ask its class, since that decides what may be handled in it; whether it is ducted to outside or recirculates through a filter; the filter grade; and whether an installation test and airflow validation are provided, with the retest interval and who performs it locally, because an untested safety cabinet is not a safety cabinet. For all three cabinet types, ask the face velocity or airflow figure and how it is shown to the operator, the working aperture, whether an alarm sounds on airflow failure, the filter change interval, and what the exhaust arrangement requires of your building.

Which autoclave can sterilise wrapped instruments and porous loads?

Only one that removes air properly. A gravity-displacement autoclave relies on steam pushing air out and cannot reliably sterilise wrapped packs or porous loads; a pre-vacuum machine pulls the air out first and can. Ask which method each steam steriliser uses - cylindrical, rectangular, portable and table-top forms are listed. Then settle the working and test pressure, the safety valve and its set pressure, the pressure gauge, and a door interlock that prevents opening under pressure. Ask your own authority whether the vessel needs statutory registration or periodic inspection, and contact us for copies of the relevant vessel certificates.

How do we prove an autoclave cycle actually sterilised the load?

A cycle that reached pressure is not proof. Ask what chemical indicators and biological spore indicators are recommended and available, and build a routine check into the laboratory procedure. For the biomedical waste steriliser (ASS-0031), ask what validation and record-keeping your local waste rules require. Load so steam reaches everything, since a tightly packed chamber leaves cold pockets that never sterilise, and ask whether baskets, trays and a stacking guide are supplied. Post the operating rules: never open until the gauge reads zero and the load has cooled, never autoclave a sealed container, flammables or bleach.

What room arrangements do the carbon dioxide incubator and cold room need?

Both need room-level planning. The carbon dioxide incubator (ASS-0061) is fed from a cylinder, and carbon dioxide displaces air without smell or warning, so in a small or poorly ventilated room plan cylinder storage and restraint, consider a cylinder outside the room with a line in, and fit a carbon dioxide monitor and alarm. The cold room (ASS-0066) brings the risk of someone shut inside: specify an internal door release that works with the door latched, an internal light and an alarm or call point. A cold room is building work, so confirm installation and commissioning are included.

What should we check on the ovens, furnace and baths?

For ovens and the furnace, ask the temperature range, uniformity across the working space and stability at setpoint, which drying and ashing methods depend on, plus an independent over-temperature cut-out and whether convection is forced or natural, since a method written for one does not transfer to the other. For the furnace, ask element type, expected element life and heat-up and cool-down times. Never put anything wet with flammable solvent in a drying oven. For the water baths (ASS-0035, ASS-0037), ask about a lid and low-water cut-out; the paraffin bath (ASS-0036) needs a lid and a user brief.

Key takeaways

• Three cabinets, three opposite jobs: the fume hood protects the operator, the laminar flow cabinet the product, the safety cabinet both.
• Never use a laminar flow cabinet for infectious work: it blows whatever is inside straight at the operator.
• Air removal decides what an autoclave can do: wrapped packs and porous loads need a pre-vacuum machine.
• The door interlock is not optional: on any autoclave size, and the door stays shut until the gauge reads zero and the load has cooled.
• Prove sterilisation with indicators: chemical and biological spore indicators, built into a routine check.
• Plan the room hazards: carbon dioxide monitoring for the incubator and an internal release, light and alarm for the cold room.

About this page

Ray Export is a manufacturer and exporter of laboratory, scientific and educational equipment based at Plot No. 449, HSIIDC Industrial Area, Saha, Ambala, Haryana 133104, India. Enquiries: [email protected], +91-9817319615.

Written by Palak Mall, Senior Content Writer. Technically reviewed by Arvind Kumar, Lab Equipment Specialist, 12+ years in laboratory and testing instrumentation. Last updated: 18 October 2026.

Specifications for each item - cabinet airflow and filter grade, autoclave pressures, air-removal method and interlock, oven and bath temperature range, uniformity and stability, shaker speed and load - are confirmed in writing on the quotation. For pressure vessel, installation test or other certificates, standards or approvals, contact us for the latest copies of the relevant certificates. No price is quoted on this page. Listing note: this range of around seventy items across seven pages is much wider than its name; a heating mantle, a Kjeldahl dry bath and a water still duplicate products in other categories; one name spells cylindrical as cyclindrical, one splits carbon dioxide into three words, some names are abbreviated and one carries an unexplained trailing digit.