23 Pumps , Valves & Liquid Handling Pipette Service Saves Time and Money
Recent data from two of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical companies have estimated the cost of each individual pipette failure to be at least $11,000 per incident. Such costs can easily reach millions of dollars for FDA regulated products, which can also be subject to mandatory recalls.
Unfortunately, the costs and hassles associated with pipette failures are not limited to those facing government regulations. Whether you’re working with precious samples or expensive reagents, organising a protocol can take weeks to setup and starting over multiple times is undesirable. Even for those who are just trying to publish a paper, repeating an experiment multiple times can be costly and time consuming. The only way to minimise the waste of valuable resources is to ensure that your pipettes are calibrated and serviced regularly.
Selecting a Pipette Service Provider
Your service provider can have a big impact on the success of your experiments, so knowing what to look for, and what questions to ask, will save you time, money, and minimise your liability.
Five points to consider before selecting a service provider:
1. Audit the service provider – Everyone dread’s an audit, but not as much as a bad service provider. Once onsite, you can ask to see the inventory of parts, balances, training records, maintenance records and service databases. You can also demand an audit from an accredited onsite service provider – a physical lab is required in order to obtain accreditation.
2. Compare measurement uncertainties – Measurement uncertainties establish the performance you can expect from the service provider. You can download a free copy directly from the accrediting bodies. Use it to compare scope and performance of other service providers. Another important factor to keep in mind is that the accreditation level of some service providers is limited to 2µL or even 5µL. Such an accreditation should in theory bar the service provider from servicing pipettes from 2µL to 25µL.
3. Manufacturer parts – Unfortunately, many pipette parts currently on the market have been re-engineered. These parts are developed and manufactured by third parties without proper specs. Such parts will alter the performance of your pipette and ultimately jeopardise your data. Ask the service provider to show proof of purchase for all parts, directly from manufacturers.
4. Quality standards – Ask how the service provider ensures quality service. Is the company ISO 9001 accredited? What protocols are in place for technician training and certifi cation? Does the company have a disaster recovery plan? What safety measures do they have in place to prevent technicians from creating fi ctitious calibrations analysis?
5. Know what you are paying for – It’s fair to say that ‘you get what you pay for’, so be sure to ask what is not included in the price quoted. Many providers offer low upfront costs, and then charge extra for parts, labour and shipping, which can double the price.
Finally, consider these three red fl ags before making your decision. - Lack of an ISO 17025 accreditation
- No warranty or a warranty that is less than 6 months - Extraordinary claims such as no as found failures
Frequency of Service Should Match Your Needs
Most pipette manufacturers recommend service and calibration at least once per year. If your application depends on rare samples, costly procedures or subjected to routine audits to comply with regulatory guidelines, it is recommended to service your pipettes more frequently. Your Metrology or Quality departments should provide frequency guidelines for pipette service and calibration given your specifi c application. But if not, ask yourself: how many weeks or months of data would you be willing to risk?
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www.labmate-online.com/articles Miniature Inert Solenoid Valve Protects Sensitive Fluids
Rapid and precise dispensing of aggressive and sensitive fluids is a critical requirement in many OEM applications and miniature component specialists Lee Products have an outstanding reputation for developing solenoid valves which excel in these situations. Their LFY2 Chemically Inert Solenoid Valve is a good example of this as a recent addition to their field-proven Y-Valve range.
This 3-way inert, zero-dead volume solenoid valve features an innovative ‘Y’ internal flow design that reduces the internal volume to a total of just 12 micro- litres. This design also provides a clean, flushable flow path which reduces, or eliminates carry over between fluids and helps to protect fragile samples. In addition the valve’s balanced actuation virtually eliminates pumping effects, which is common to diaphragm valves.
The electrical interface of the valve provides secondary connector retention and is compatible with standard AMP® connectors. Available in 12 and 24 VDC operating voltages and with either 062 MINISTAC or standard ¼ - 28 flat bottom fluid connections the LFY2 requires a small footprint of just 77mm L x 26mm W. The valve has a response time of less than 30 ms and is designed for long and reliable operation of over 5 million cycles. Custom configurations, including wetted materials and porting configurations are available to suit specific OEM applications.
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