A flat-bottomed world-first

Following the launch of its first Non-Limited Life Type 3 aluminium lined, fully-wrapped composite medical cylinder in late 2020 is a world first in innovation – the flat bottomed Type 1, all-aluminum, one-litre 300 bar, produced from Luxfer’s proprietary L7X® alloy.

Manufactured at Luxfer’s UK base in Nottingham and distributed worldwide, the latest cylinder innovation weighs 1.4kg and is also a Non-Limited Life. While it has been refined over the last year, its introduction is the culmination of decades of work by the company into cylinder technology.

Barrs explained, “It makes sense to have a flat bottom cylinder because it offers easier use, storage and distribution. So why hasn’t anyone done this before? There is the technological challenge to consider, but our engineering experts are the best in the business.”

Luxfer’s Paul Hardiman is one such expert, having worked for the firm for over 27 years. He adds, “The challenge was in the heat treatment, the testing and conforming the design. It was initially conceived a few years ago and was primarily led by a demand from customers to increase the time between oxygen refills but the market, as a whole, wasn’t ready for it.”

“It is a technological leap to offer 300 bar filling capacity in a Type 1 cylinder, and while the working pressure is 300, we design the cylinder to withstand testing at 450 bar, to 100% guarantee safety. Luxfer can meet this testing challenge, which many cannot for such high-pressure products. It is an extremely specialised area.” 

A focus on sustainability

Luxfer’s customers, among them the world’s largest gas companies operating in the medical sector, may also be attracted by the sustainability credentials of the new cylinder.

“Sustainability and the total lifecycle of an aluminum cylinder is an increasingly important factor for our customers, and it plays a growing role in their strategic procurement. So it’s important to offer pure aluminum cylinders, which deliver the optimum balance between price and performance and are completely recyclable,” Barrs explains.

Luxfer’s Type 1 new cylinder is 100% recyclable, and is manufactured from the company’s Nottingham site, which is targeting zero waste to landfill.  Hardiman adds, “Our audited figure is that less than 0.02% goes to landfill from our Nottingham base, and we’ve worked hard for the last few years to get here. We were recognised in a 2017 Love Recycling award scheme for our efforts, and we’re continuing to focus on how we can increase carbon efficiency across the business.”

Under pressure?

The UK is at the forefront of the 300 bar opportunity. Barrs explains, “Cylinders that can be pressurised to 300 bar represent an opportunity, given they offer almost 50% more oxygen than similar-sized 200 bar cylinders. This means operators can minimise changeovers, juggling fewer refills and it has a positive knock-on effect on deliveries too, due to less patient visits.”

“Costs can be reduced across the board, and the environmental impact is clear because fewer changeovers translates into smaller CO2 footprint.”

“The motivation to seize on these benefits is variable, but increasing. We take a global perspective and we believe there is a worldwide aspiration for 300 bar, although speed of take up may ultimately be led by regional factors.”

“Some gas companies cannot fill to this capacity just yet, and of course doing so requires investment. Will our message eventually get through? We believe so, and some of the more entrepreneurial players are now specifying all their purchases will be 300 bar, because of its advantages over 200 bar in delivering value to their customers. They are backing innovation and it’s great to see. Luxfer is creating the market here, with a unique proposition of our entire range available at 300 bar charging pressure.”

Delivering customer choice

The flat-bottomed world-first adds to an already comprehensive cylinder family from Luxfer, for use within hospitals, dental and veterinary clinics, homecare, for first responders, and across portable, aerial, nautical and industrial applications.

Barrs says, “We’re good at what we do because we innovate, and we can offer the market choice in terms of technology, across our Type 1, 2 and 3 medical range, which can fulfil diverse needs.”

“In short, Luxfer’s Type 1 is an aluminum cylinder and is fit for purpose and optimises price as much as performance. If weight is a critical component, customers may look to Type 2. Our Type 2, 2 litre, aluminium-lined hoop wrap cylinder is a market-leading UK-manufactured product, which is competitively priced and really sets the standard for quality and efficiency.” 

“Our Type 3 cylinder is focused up on the smaller capacities, such as 1 litres, which are perfect – for example – in a care setting or at home, where freedom of movement is important. Launching in late 2020, this ‘M10J’ is an evolution from Luxfer’s 15-year lifespan composite cylinder, adapted as a Non-Limited Life product.”

“Our solutions put the patient first and are an effective alternative to steel. In fact, aluminum is vital in certain environments, for instance inside an MRI room where specialist non-magnetic equipment must be used.”

“Different companies have different approaches, depending on the end-user need, and our portfolio can adapt to that. Of course, the total cost of ownership continues to be a driver in the marketplace and we can provide optimised solutions.”

Hardiman credits Luxfer’s proprietary technology – its exclusive L6X® and L7X® alloys and the application of these – as being fundamental to driving demand.

“There is significant complexity in making these alloys, and they are a result of our metallurgical know-how and the high quality of the materials we use. You won’t find a better quality aluminum.” 

Luxfer’s valving capability, which is ISO 13485 approved, is an added benefit offered by no other cylinder manufacturer in the market. Thousands of cylinders can be valved per week, in an operation that is robust and has continued to grow over the past 18 months. “We always look to innovate,” says Barrs, “and as well as pioneering the next generation of cylinders, we can pass on our knowledge around valving – it’s an area much valued by our customers.”

This latest medical cylinder technology – the flat-bottomed Type 1 one-litre 300 bar – was achieved within the context of Covid-19 increasing demand for Luxfer’s oxygen cylinders, which were prioritised for manufacture, to aid the unfolding humanitarian crisis. 

“At Luxfer, we’re in the business of saving lives with the product we make,” concludes Barrs, “and we’re proud to have supported our distribution partners as they handled increased demand for our medical products in hospitals and other healthcare settings around the world. As the pandemic continues, we will be there to help them. Luxfer is a partner our customers can depend upon.”