Owner's manual

For your personal safety, please be sure to comply with the following regulations unconditionally:

– The centrifuge 5702 / 5702 R / 5702 RH must only be use for the specified applications (see Introduction). It must not

be operated in explosive atmospheres. Explosive or highly reactive substances must not be centrifuged.

– When being moved from the cool room to a normal lab environment, the centrifuge must either warm up for half an

hour in the cool room first or it must warm up for at least 3 hours in the lab before being connected to the supply

system, in order to prevent damage by condensation.

– The centrifuge must not be moved or knocked while in operation.

– Improperly installed or serviced centrifuges must not be operated. Repairs may only be carried out by Service

personnel authorized by Eppendorf. Use only original Eppendorf spare parts and rotors.

– When handling toxic, radioactive liquids or pathogenic microorganisms of risk group II (see World Health

Organization: Laboratory Biosafety Manual) comply with the relevant national regulations. Bioseals are a part of

biological safety systems, which are not able to guarantee the safety of people and the environment on their own

when handling pathogenic microorganisms. When working with pathogenic organisms of a higher risk group, more

than one aerosol-tight bioseal must be provided for. If the named liquids are spilled in the rotor or rotor chamber, the

centrifuge must be thoroughly and professionally cleaned. Before using any cleaning or decontamination method

other than that set out in section 4, "Maintenance and cleaning", please consult Eppendorf to ensure the intended

method will not damage the device.

– Rotors must always be properly secured. The centrifuge may only be operated with the rotor firmly tightened.

For mechanical stability, all the places on the rotor must be fitted with identical buckets.

– The rotor may only be loaded symmetrically. Opposing tubes should be of the same type and be filled equally. On the

rotor you will find information concerning the weight that a completely filled bucket may not exceed.

– Prior to centrifugation, the tubes should in any case be visually inspected for material damage. Damaged tubes may

not be centrifuged. This is because broken tubes can, in addition to sample loss, result in further damage to the

centrifuge and accessories.

– Rotors showing clear signs of corrosion or mechanical damage must not be used. Check the accessories regularly.

– Rotors are high-grade components which have to withstand extreme stresses and strains. Aluminum rotors are

largely protected from corrosion by the most common laboratory chemicals by means of an anodized coating, though

the protection is not unlimited. Protect the rotors from mechanical damage. Even minor scratches or cracks can

result in serious internal material damage. Avoid damaging the rotors by the use of aggressive chemicals, such as:

strong and weak alkalis, strong acids, solutions of mercury, copper and other heavy metal ions, chlorinated

hydrocarbons, concentrated salt solutions and phenol. If the rotor is contaminated by aggressive substances, clean it

immediately

with a mild cleaning agent.

– The material being centrifuged may not exceed a density of 1.2 g/ml at maximum rotation speed. If the rotor is run for

a lengthy period of time, or more often with short centrifugation runs the sample tubes will become hot. Keep within

the limits specified by the tube manufacturers.

– Seal the tube lid down tight before centrifuging. The lids of unclosed tubes may rip off during centrifugation and

damage the centrifuge.

– When using organic solvents (e.g. phenol, chloroform) the durability of plastic tubes may be impaired.

– When closing the centrifuge lid do not place your fingers between the lid and the centrifuge, otherwise they may be

trapped.

Safety precautions and applicational limitations

2 Safety precautions and applicational limitations