Laboratory Equipment

Lab Equipment

Frequently Asked Questions

Our WHEATON® roller apparatus provides a flexible system for the cultivation of anchorage-dependent, adherent cells that propagate as a monolayer attached to the cell culture vessel. The cells are cultivated in glass or plastic roller bottles that revolve slowly to provide the cells with a medium.

The WHEATON® Standard Roller unit includes a digital (LCD) display control unit. The R2P™ 2.0 Roller Apparatus unit features an advanced color touch screen with remote
communications and comprehensive alarm functions. The convenient touch screens offer a more resilient, user-friendly, and cleanable user interface.

The innovative design of the production roller maximizes space. Specifically, the spacing
between production roller decks is shorter than the spacing on the modular roller — 152 mm / 6” vs. 181 mm / 7.125” — to accommodate more bottles within a limited space. Roller units featuring removable decks (see below for additional information) make it easy to increase your bottle count by adding decks as they are required. These units come with the same spacing as the modular roller.

The maximum number of decks for both the production and modular spaced units is 11. Be advised, however, that the rollers being used with the WHEATON® Incubator, the maximum number of decks that will fit is nine for the modular spaced units. The WHEATON® Incubators have a maximum height of 76.5” and adding more than nine decks for the modular spaced units will exceed this height limitation.

Additional Deck Kits can easily be added to both Standard and R2P™ 2.0 Roller Apparatus units with a removable deck configuration. However, it is not possible to add decks to roller units with fixed decks. Please refer to the deck kit installation manual for instructions on adding additional decks.

Top-mounted control units can be advantageous in laboratories where the power supply is provided from the ceiling or in facilities where the roller units are controlled via remote control. Furthermore, top-mounted control units facilitate easier cleaning of the roller unit. Bottom mounted control units support operation by hand and are ideal for floor-mounted connections. Please consider that roller units with top and bottom-mounted control units differ in total height even if they are equipped with the same number of decks.

Every WHEATON® roller apparatus accepts bottles from 108 to 121mm in diameter and up to 550mm in length.

Yes, bottle diameter is very important, since diameter and length determine the surface area on which cells can grow. The larger the bottle, the greater the inner surface area. Diameter also affects the speed range. For a given roller apparatus speed, larger diameter bottles will rotate more slowly than smaller diameter bottles.

All you need is a stopwatch and a good eye. Select a bottle with the diameter you want and attach a paper or cardboard indicator (in the shape of a pointed arrow) on the bottle cap. Place the bottle so the cap (and paper) extend beyond the front rail of the roller apparatus. Now carefully measure the time it takes for 1 revolution. (If the speed is high, time several revolutions and use the average). Divide the time it took to make 1 revolution (in seconds) by 60 to get the rpm.

Example: If it takes 45 seconds for 1 bottle revolution, 45/60 = 0.75 rpm

This is the speed range most commonly used in cell-culture applications. We offer different speed ranges available for those with special requirements. While we have had more and more inquiries about high-speed rollers and rolling heavy and/or large bottles, these inquiries are primarily for mixing, not cell culture applications. In our experience, these use cases often require stainless steel bearings to stand-up to the extreme heat due to the speed and weight load. Both the bearings and necessary modifications to roller spacing for special size bottles are custom orders that will add considerable cost.

The WHEATON® Standard and R2P 2.0 Roller Units can be operated in a speed range from 0.25 to 8.1rpm (based on a 110mm diameter bottle). Both units have an accuracy of 0.01rpm.

Yes, a Battery Back-Up Function is available for all of our roller units. It protects cells during transport, process and power outages. The unit automatically and seamlessly switches over to battery power when needed. A Belt Break Alarm Function is available for our standard rollers and included with the R2P™ 2.0. The belt break alarm employs two magnetic sensors to ensure all pulleys are rotating on the unit. A Temperature Monitoring and Alarm Function is available for WHEATON® R2P™ 2.0 Roller Apparatus units, only. This function includes two precision temperature probes for real-time temperature monitoring and deviation alarms. The temperature is displayed in the temperature calibration screen or on the screen saver for quick confirmation of optimal operating conditions.

The back-up battery lasts for 12-24 hours depending on the number of decks in the apparatus. If you prefer, bottom-mounted control systems house larger, longer-lasting batteries.

Yes, the WHEATON® R2P™ 2.0 Roller Apparatus units can be integrated with SCADA
systems via Ethernet TCP/IP and RS422/485. Additionally, a System Event Log can be
downloaded via USB. The System Event Log captures all inputs, errors, and setting changes in a text file.

The CART2 Control Monitor and Recording Software can be used for remote control and
monitoring of up to 255 WHEATON® R2P 2.0 Roller Units. This convenient system records all settings, changes, alarms, and communication loss. It can be added at any time and conforms to UL, CSA, and CE Laboratory Standards.

Our five position roller apparatus footprint is 31” x 25” (78.74 cm x 63.5 cm), while our eight position roller apparatus footprint is 47” x 25” (119.38 cm x 63.5 cm).

Yes, both the WHEATON® Standard Roller and WHEATON® R2P™ 2.0 Roller Apparatus units that feature five placement areas per deck and a maximum of nine decks in total, accommodate most standard-sized incubators, including ours. Roller units with eight placement areas per deck, however, do not fit into standard-sized incubators and are usually used in temperature-controlled large-scale production facilities.

No. The use of vaporized disinfectants damages the electronics and is not authorized under the warranty.

The roller apparatus is easily cleaned. Simply wipe it down with a cloth dampened with alcohol or a common cleaner. Use of aggressive cleaners, such as chlorine (Cl2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), will reduce the lifespan of the unit.

All WHEATON® roller units are tested and certified to UL-3101, CSA and CE requirements.

We use an EPDM rubber instead of silicone. EPDM has excellent abrasion resistance when compared to silicone while maintaining excellent heat resistance properties.

We will be happy to provide phone support around the operation of the roller unit, however, we do not supply application support.

All Standard and R2P™ 2.0 Roller Apparatus units come with a limited two-year warranty from the date of shipment. This warranty is limited to, at our discretion, repair or replacement of any defective part(s) which fails during the warranty period. For full warranty information please contact DWK Life Sciences technical support at 1.856.825.1100.

Currently, we are only offering phone support. But, if your control units can be removed, they can be shipped to WHEATON® for service.