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Lyophilization cycles consist of three phases: Freezing, primary drying, and secondary drying. Conditions in the dryer are varied through the cycle to ensure that the resulting product has the desired physical and chemical properties and that the required stability and sterility is achieved and maintained. During the freezing phase, the goal is to freeze the mobile water of the product. Significant super cooling may be encountered, so the product temperature may have to be much lower than the actual freezing point of the solution before freezing occurs. Generating very large frozen particles due to the initial freezing process can cause the sedimentation rate to go way up causing a much longer cycle than effective design of the process can accomplish making the process more cost effective and higher quality. Lyophilization, commonly referred to as freeze drying, is the process of removing water from a product by sublimation and desorption. This process is performed in lyophilization equipment which consists of a drying chamber with temperature controlled shelves, a condenser to trap water removed from the product, a cooling system to supply refrigerant to the shelves and condenser, and a vacuum system to reduce the pressure in the chamber and condenser to facilitate the drying process. Lyophilizers can be supplied in a wide variety of sizes and configurations and can be equipped with options that allow system controls to range from fully manual to completely automated.