The START labstation is the most technologically advanced and rugged closed vessel microwave system available. Unlike other systems that are designed around an open steel frame inside a molded plastic cabinet, the START features a stainless steel cavity surrounded by a cabinet of stainless steel, fitted with a heavy duty, spring mounted door for optimum operator safety and long operating lifetime. The door is hinged at the bottom to form a convenient loading platform. The door and cavity have a multi-layer PTFE plasma coating, applied at 350°C, with a 5 year warranty against corrosion.

The START is installed with 1200W of microwave power with a unique diffuser to ensure even energy distribution throughout the cavity, thus eliminating localized hot and cold spots. As a result, samples are heated evenly, giving more consistent reactions. To achieve the shortest run times, fast cooling of the vessels is very important: in the START, a heavy duty cooling system draws a high airflow over the vessels and out to the exhaust to minimize cool down time.

Unlike other systems, the user control electronics and user display have been moved out of the mainframe into a separate control module, protecting them from corrosion against solvent/acid vapor.