When you invest in extraction equipment, you’re not just buying steel and sensors—you’re buying the future of your lab. But not all equipment is built with that future in mind.

At Illuminated Extractors, we take a different approach—one rooted in sustainment, not replacement. It’s time we talk about the difference between disposable lab gear and infrastructure meant to last.

The Problem with Traditional Chillers: Built to Fail

Most hydrocarbon extractors on the market rely on a pair of off-the-shelf components: external heaters and chillers. These units may get the job done for a few years, but they aren’t built for the long haul.

Their typical lifespan? Just 4 to 5 years—and that’s under ideal conditions. Most chillers in this space are not being run under ideal conditions. They are usually running hard, and it begins to show pretty quickly. When the chiller begins to age and its performance slows down, the manufacturer’s answer is almost always the same: replace it. Not service it. Not rebuild it. Throw it out, buy another, and repeat the cycle.

That’s not engineering. That’s built-in obsolescence.

ProJak™ Refrigeration: Designed for the Long Run

Illuminated Extractors eliminated the need for chillers and heaters entirely by developing our own closed-loop refrigeration architecture: ProJak™ DX Refrigeration. At the core of ProJak is something altogether different: a compressor.

But not just any compressor. The compressor configured by Illumninated Extractors is drawn from the oil and gas industry. This compressor is built to last, with a lifetime that can span decades with proper care.

Unlike chillers, compressors aren’t meant to be disposable. They’re meant to be maintained.

Sustainment: What It Means for Your Lab

If you’ve ever run an operation in a facility where uptime mattered, you already know the difference between maintenance and sustainment:

• Maintenance is reactive. You fix something when it breaks.
• Sustainment is proactive. You service components on schedule, you replace wear parts before they fail, and you build your SOPs around performance longevity.

When operators wait until their compressor “starts making noise,” it’s already too late. At Illuminated, we educate and support our customers in sustaining their systems with scheduled inspections, part replacements, and training on early warning signs.

Sustainability Meets Efficiency

Here’s the bigger picture: Sustainment isn’t just about durability—it’s about sustainability

• Reduced total cost of ownership
• Improved uptime and productivity
• Longer lifecycle on capital equipment
• Fewer parts sent to landfills

And let’s not forget: With no chillers or heaters, your lab is already consuming far less energy, using fewer resources, and reducing your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS).

Real Engineering. Real Longevity

The ProJak platform wasn’t built to sell you more equipment in five years. It was built to empower your lab for the next twenty.

If you’re serious about solvent recovery, terpene preservation, and maximizing ROI—start thinking like an engineer, not a consumer.

Ready to Discuss Preventive Maintenance?

Whether you’re already running an IE system or looking to make the switch, we’re here to help you get the most out of your investment. Contact us today to talk about sustainment schedules, part sourcing, or to book a system health check.

Let’s build a lab that lasts.