Petri Dish Filling
Filling line for the aseptic filling of molten agar into multi-compartment petri dishes.
Filling of multi-compartment petri dishes
When petri dish filling is a critical part of your quality and documentation process, the equipment must be reliable, safe, and easy to operate.
VARO develops and builds customized machinery and automated production systems, and our petri dish filling line can be tailored to your process, media, capacity requirements, and cleanroom setup. The system can automatically separate, orient, fill, and inspect multi-compartment petri dishes with up to six compartments.
The entire process takes place under enclosed, sterile conditions to minimize the risk of contamination and ensure consistent quality from one dish to the next.
Video of our multi-compartment petri dish filling line
High-capacity filling
The filling process, lid removal, and subsequent lid placement are all carried out under enclosed, sterile conditions. To ensure correct alignment with the filling nozzles, each petri dish is automatically oriented before filling.
If a dish is missing or incorrectly positioned—for example upside down—the system detects the issue and stops the process. The operator receives a clear error message and can quickly correct the situation, helping to maintain product quality and process reliability. See the process in action in our video.
Typical specifications:
- Designed for cleanroom Class C
- 2–6 compartment petri dishes, dish diameter: 90 mm
- Fill volume: 12–30 ml per dish
- Capacity: up to 3,200 petri dishes per hour
Documentation and pharmaceutical compliance
Technical documentation and risk assessments
IQ/OQ documentation and FAT/SAT packages
Traceability and integration with your MES/ERP systems
Smooth agar surface and condensation-free cooling
The filling line is designed to produce a smooth and uniform agar surface, free from ripples and air bubbles.
With a focus on:
- Spillage and agar drips on the outside of lids and dishes are minimized through drip-catch technology at the filling nozzles.
- After filling, the petri dishes pass through a dedicated cooling tunnel for solidification, reducing the final product temperature to approximately 12°C.
- The cooling air is dehumidified to prevent condensation from forming on the agar surface or on the inside of the petri dish lid.
- The result is uniform, high-quality petri dishes that are ready for further handling and use.
Hygienic and flexible design for cleanroom Class C environments
The filling line features a modular design, allowing it to be adapted to different media types and petri dish formats, while enabling quick and straightforward changeovers between products and sizes.
The system is designed and built to meet Cleanroom Class C / ISO 8 (Class 10,000) requirements and complies with applicable cleanroom standards.
The design places strong emphasis on:
- Eliminating the risk of product residue build-up
- Ensuring smooth, easy-to-clean surfaces without crevices or dead spaces
- Making all components easily accessible for inspection and cleaning
