2.1.1 Space
firefly’s dimensions are W 670mm x D 572mm x H 806mm
You should allow space close to the instrument for your keyboard and mouse. It is advisable to
have a small gap of 152mm at each side of the instrument and 76mm behind the instrument to allow for ventilation and for service access.
firefly weighs approximately 122.5kg so it requires a sturdy lab bench. It needs to be kept stable so do not use a bench with wheels or castors, or one which is prone to rocking. The bench must be flat and level. Suitable designs are shown below.
Do not use bench types such as these.
firefly fitted with the optional vertical laminar flow module is W 670mm x D 572mm x H 1062mm
and weighs approximately 142kg.
As firefly may induce some vibrations in the bench, consider what equipment shares the same bench as the firefly. Any equipment sensitive to vibrations such as balances or microscopes should not be placed next to firefly. Conversely equipment that also generates vibrations, such as a centrifuge, should not be placed close to the firefly as this may impact performance.
2.1.1.1 Space - firefly+
firefly+ dimensions are W 414mm x D 572mm x H 806mm.
The front door swings open fully, to give access to the shelves for loading and unloading labware, so do not place other items in front of the unit.
The Inheco ODTC control box can sit adjacent to or above/below firefly+, and can be placed horizontally or vertically (256.5mm x 414.5mm x 58mm).
Also allow air space of 152mm to the side of firefly+ and 76mm behind, for ventilation and service access. Do not position the unit against a wall or the side of a cabinet.
firefly and firefly+ total weight is 170kg. The dimensions of the total unit are W 1090.5 mm x D 572mm x H 806 mm. The firefly with the firefly+ is designed to be used on a laboratory bench which must be strong, stable, flat and level. The bench must be able to comfortably support the mass of the firefly with the firefly+ unit and have enough space to be situated (see above dimensions). The bench should be stable, not fitted with castors and not prone to rocking as the firefly has several moving masses in the form of its deck plates, plus dispense and pipetting heads which are regularly moving during normal operation.
The Firefly with the Firefly+ has 8 feet which all should be firmly located on the work surface.
2.1.2 Environmental requirements
firefly / firefly+ is designed for use in a standard laboratory environment:
temperature 15 – 32°C
relative humidity 30 – 80%.
2.1.2.1 Cleaning
Maintaining cleanliness within both the firefly instrument and its housing facility promotes the reliability of automated workflows and contributes to improved reproducibility and robustness of the workflow outputs.
The firefly instrument is enclosed in panels and operates with the interlocked door closed during protocol execution, which contributes to maintaining a clean environment for automated workflows.
To further protect the interior of the instrument from contamination and accumulation of dust, you should:
- keep firefly's door closed when the instrument is on standby or turned off.
- minimize physical contact with the interior of the instrument and use appropriate PPE, such as disposable laboratory gloves and lab coats.
- always use clean labware and accessories which are free of dust and residues.
- regularly clean the firefly facility, including washing the floors and wiping the benches.
If your instrument is fitted with firefly+, you should additionally:
- keep firefly+'s door closed when the instrument is on standby or turned off
- not load firefly+ with troughs or any plates with full wells which could easily spill
- not put used plate lids directly on the shelves; condensate may drip from the undersides onto other shelves or plates. Always put them on a waste plate or shelf protector.
instructions in the CAS vertical laminar flow module manual.
2.1.3 Power
firefly requires one mains power connection. It is supplied with an appropriate lead for the country of sale.
firefly+ requires an additional mains power connection for its 24V 2.5A power supply. It is supplied with an appropriate power supply and lead for the country of sale.
It also requires a data connection to the ODTC, which is set up when reliance install the instrument.
The ODTC (shown below) requires a separate mains power connection, 1250 W input, to the thermal cycler controller, which then provides a 24V supply to the thermal cycler unit within firefly+. It is supplied with an appropriate lead for the country of sale.
firefly supplied with a vertical laminar flow module requires an additional mains power connection.
The mains power connection requirements of firefly with all the optional modules are shown diagrammatically below.
Reliance will discuss power requirements with you as part of the pre-installation process e.g., the correct positioning of the power supply units, the number of mains sockets required or if it is safe to use adapter blocks.
2.1.4 Fuses
There are two 5x20mm 10A T (Anti Surge) Ceramic Cartridge Fuses in the IEC inlet.
If at any time you believe a fuse has blown, contact reliance who will investigate what caused the
failure. Do not just change the fuse.
The vertical laminar flow module fuse is detailed in the CAS vertical laminar flow module manual.
2.1.5 Network access
The firefly tablet requires internet access via wi-fi to access cloud storage (see section 2.3.3) and download labware (see section 8.1) and protocols (see section 8.2).