The Xenon pass box is an important device used in laboratories, clean rooms, and other places to maintain a clean environment when transferring items. Its core function relies on the sterilization effect of xenon lamps and the airtightness of the equipment. Daily maintenance should focus on ensuring sterilization efficiency, equipment sealing performance, and operational stability, as detailed below
I. Daily Maintenance: Basic inspection and cleaning
Inspection of appearance and operational status
Before daily use, check whether the equipment shell is damaged or deformed, whether the door body can close smoothly, and whether the door lock is firm (to avoid a decrease in cleanliness due to poor sealing of the door body).
Start the equipment and check whether the xenon lamp is lit normally (if it flickers or does not light up, problems with the lamp tube or circuit should be checked in time). Also, check if there is any abnormal noise during operation (which may indicate motor or fan failure).
Internal cleaning
After each use, wipe the inner cavity of the transfer window, the shelves, and the inner side of the door with a lint-free cloth dipped in 75% alcohol or neutral detergent to remove residual stains and microorganisms (to prevent the detergent residue from corroding the equipment, it needs to be dried after cleaning).
Check whether there are any foreign objects (such as fallen item fragments) inside the cavity and clean them up in time to prevent the air duct from being blocked or affecting the sterilization effect.
Ii. Weekly Maintenance: Deep cleaning and functional verification
Cleaning of xenon lamps and optical paths
Every week, gently wipe the surface of the xenon lamp tube and the light-transmitting glass with special lens paper or a lint-free cloth (to avoid scratches) to remove dust, fingerprints, and other impurities (stains can affect the penetration rate of ultraviolet rays or strong light, reducing the sterilization effect).
Check if the lamp tube has any signs of aging, such as blackening or cracking, and record the usage time. (Xenon lamps have a certain service life. It is generally recommended to replace them after a cumulative usage of 2000-3000 hours. For specific details, please refer to the equipment manual.)
Sealing performance inspection
Check whether the sealing strip of the door body (usually made of silicone material) is intact, and whether it has aged, fallen off, or been damaged. If it is found that the seal is not tight, the sealing strip should be replaced in time (to ensure that the interior of the transfer window is effectively isolated from the external environment and prevent cross-contamination).
After closing the door, observe if there are any gaps. You can determine the sealing performance by testing it with a thin piece of paper to see if it can be easily inserted.
Control system inspection
Test whether the buttons on the control panel (such as start, stop, timed sterilization, etc.) are sensitive and whether the display screen is normal. Ensure that the sterilization time is set accurately (generally set for 5 to 30 minutes according to the cleanliness requirements of the conveyed items, and it must comply with the management regulations of the site).
Iii. Monthly Maintenance: Component maintenance and safety inspection
Maintenance of mechanical components
For the moving parts of the door body, such as hinges and slide rails, apply a small amount of lubrication with special lubricants (such as silicon-based lubricants) and avoid using oil-based lubricants to prevent contamination of the clean environment, to ensure smooth opening and closing of the door body, and to reduce wear.
Check whether the air ducts and filters (if any) inside the equipment are blocked, and clean the dust on the surface of the filters (to ensure smooth air circulation and avoid affecting the equipment’s lifespan due to poor heat dissipation).
Inspección de seguridad eléctrica
Disconnect the power supply of the equipment, check whether the power cord is damaged or aged, whether the plug and socket are loose or have poor contact, and whether the terminal block is firm (to prevent potential safety hazards such as leakage and short circuit).
If the equipment is equipped with overload protection, leakage protection, and other devices, it is necessary to test whether they can be triggered normally (such as simulating overload conditions and checking whether the protection function is activated).
4. Regular replacement and record-keeping
Replacement of consumables
According to the requirements of the equipment manual, regularly replace the xenon lamp tube, sealing strip, filter screen, and other consumables. When replacing, turn off the power and wear gloves to avoid oil stains on your hands from contaminating the components. New components must meet the equipment specifications.
After replacement, conduct a trial run to confirm the sterilization effect and the normal operation of the equipment.
Maintenance record
Establish a maintenance ledger to record the time, content, and operator of each cleaning, inspection, and component replacement, and note the operating status and abnormal conditions of the equipment (for the convenience of tracing problems and promptly detecting the aging trend of the equipment).
Precautions
When cleaning and maintaining, the power supply of the equipment must be cut off first to avoid electric shock or accidental operation that may cause injury to personnel.
Corrosive cleaning agents (such as strong acids and strong alkalis) must not be used to wipe the equipment to avoid damaging the casing and internal components.
If you find that the equipment has faults that cannot be solved by itself (such as frequent damage to the lamp tubes, malfunction of the control system, etc.), you should contact professional maintenance personnel in time. Do not disassemble it by yourself.
Through the above maintenance measures, the sterilization efficiency and operational stability of the xenon light pass box can be effectively guaranteed, the service life of the equipment can be prolonged, and its reliable role in clean environment management can be ensured.