innovation for biotech

Fermenters and Bioreactors


xCUBIO: The expandable control unit for biosystems

xCUBIO expandable control unit for bioreactors and fermentersEach xCUBIO Bioreactor or Fermenter integrates the highest diversity of available sensor, control, analysis and peripheral technologies via its unreached modular construction within just one single case with central operation terminal:

  • Free pump selection
  • Free balance connections
  • Integrated exhaust analysis
  • Integrated gas mix units
  • Integration of arbitrary external analytics
  • Integration into SCADA-systems
  • Cultivation vessels of every type and scale, also refurbished
  • Integrated automatic sampling system bioPROBE for the atline-integration of further analytical devices – the real PAT!

xCUBIO adapts to your biotechnological process – and not the reverse!

xCUBIO Basic Models

We have developed fundamental concepts to be basis of your bioreactor or fermenter with optimal setup. The five standard biosystems cover most of all biotechnological cultivation processes from all biotech sectors.

You select the basic package to specify the further technical equipment or we develop the best-adapted concept together with you. Within shortest time, you receive a quotation with interesting options for your final decision.

xCUBIO Modules and Options

The selection and amount of automatically fed gasses and liquids is as variable as the specifications of the online sensor installations within the bioreactor or fermenter vessel.

One single xCUBIO can be modified from the research operation of a cultivation vessel at lab scale up to the requirements of a scaled production installation with several cubic meters operating volume.

xCUBIO Automation for Bioreactors and Fermenters

  • High-value stainless steel case with integrated touchscreen
  • Sensors for temperatures, pH-value, gasses, levels and much more
  • Tempering system for double jacket vessels
  • Flexible and customized gassing systems
  • High-value, independent peristaltic pumps with free allocation to pH-, level- or feed control
  • Controller for pH, pO₂, temperature, stirrer and much more
  • Data exchange with external SCADA systems via OPC
  • VNC-server for license-free remote access via Ethernet
  • Logging of system configuration files
  • Connection opportunities for numerous external signals

xCUBIO Bioreactor and Fermenter Software

  • 10″- up to 21,5″-touchscreen display
  • Intuitive central display with all processes, pumps and calibration data
  • Easy-to-handle user interfaces
  • Calibration procedures and online recalibration
  • History display, alarming, controller overview
  • Sequence-editor for unlimited customized processes – free configuration by user
  • Easy external data storage on every USB device
  • External logging of encrypted raw data
  • Password protection and different access levels
  • Storage of own system configurations
  • Remote access via Ethernet with license-free VNC-client
  • Bidirectional communication with superior process control system via OPC
  • Customized adaptations on demand

Cultivation vessels for xCUBIO Bioreactors and Fermenters

Autoclavable glass vessels

  • High-value borosilicate glass
  • Designed with double jacket and round bottom
  • All media contact parts from stainless steel 1.4435/ 1.4571
  • Standardized volumes 1, 2, 5 and 10 Liter

In-Situ Sterilizable Steel Vessels

  • High-value pressure vessels from certified production
  • High-value stainless steels, special steels on demand
  • Double jacket and internal tempering devices wherever appropriate
  • Customized stainless steel head plates with vertical handles and optimal space utilization
  • Operating volume from 2 up to app. 10’000 Liter

Stirring and Mixing

  • Stirrers with efficient, sensitive impellers and chicanes
  • Motor control via servo controllers or frequency converters
  • High-value mechanical sealings

Sensor Selection for all xCUBIO Bioreactors and Fermenters

An extended amount of sensors can be installed in parallel. All amplifiers are integrated within the xCUBIO case and the xCUBIO automation – no more external boxes, cases or terminals required. By standard, available sensor technologies are as follows:

  • Pt100
  • pH, optical (disposable) as well
  • pO₂, optical (disposable) as well
  • pCO₂
  • Redox/ORP
  • Foam
  • Level
  • Optical density/turbidity (NIR) inline sensor
  • Optical density/turbidity in bypass
  • 2. pH-probe after degassing
  • 2. pO₂-probe at varied level
  • Exhaust analysis O₂, CO₂
  • Balances for cultivation vessels or media feed vessels
  • Integration of external analytics directly or via OPC
  • Unlimited adaptations and special sensor technologies on demand

Media Handling (Feed, Corrective Media, Harvest) for all Biotech Applications

  • Free choice of up to 10 internal pumps with variable pump heads
  • Pump size adaptation to your application
  • Digital pulse width modulation or analogue setpoint control
  • Dosage from aseptic bottles or from directly connected feed systems
  • Connection of additional external pumps, even FC-drives
  • High accuracy in media feed with gravimetric flow controllers
  • Every sensor input can be used as control value e.g. for media feed via controllers or sequences
  • Level override protections and harvest functions

Gas mix Solutions with xCUBIO

  • Supply of aseptic air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen and additional gasses on your demand
  • Separate integrated pressure reducers for all gasses
  • Feed via sparger, micro sparger or L-pipe into cultivation medium or into headspace
  • Mass-Flow-Controllers (MFC) feed and control opportunity for all gasses
  • Rotameters for manual total flow control
  • Numerous gas mix strategies e.g. for oxygen removal or specific gas mix supply
  • Free gas mix or automatically controlled
  • Gas mix control by pH-value and dissolved oxygen
  • Gas mix control by redox potential and dissolved carbon dioxide
  • Integrated exhaust analysis for oxygen and carbon dioxide
  • Accurate balancing of gas consumption rates within exhaust analysis

Temperature Regimes with xCUBIO

  • Integrated thermostat system
  • Cascaded temperature control from 5 °C over cooling medium temperature up to 80 °C cultivation temperature
  • High tempering accuracy
  • Temperature detection in vessel, double jacket and via probe-integrated sensors
  • Tempering via vessel double jacket
  • Clear tempering connection ports on control unit case back panel
  • Tempering system physically separated from automation
  • Optional integration of external cryostat or external cooling medium

Additional Accessories for xCUBIO Bioreactors and Fermenters

  • Harvest pipes
  • Sampling pipes
  • Manual samplers
  • Inoculation ports
  • 4-fold ports with hose connectors for corrective media, e.g. acid, alkali, anti-foam or feed
  • Exhaust cooler, feed and exhaust air filters
  • Corrective media bottles
  • Balances
  • Probe adapters
  • Filters
  • And much more…

Biotech-Applications in xCUBIO Bioreactors and Fermenters

  • Production of lacto bacteria as seed biomass for starter culture production
  • Cultivation of genetically modified E. coli or P. pistoris and other model organisms in research and education
  • Cultivation of phototrophic cyanobacteria in photobioreactor
  • High-value production of blood factors
  • Production of agrobacteria for biocide production
  • Municipal water purification sludge investigation
  • Screening and media optimization with a variety of organisms

The possible xCUBIO bioreactor and fermenter applications are almost unlimited. xCUBIO perfectly adapts to your personal application!