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Customer Case Studies Pump Application -- Case Study #1 Pump Application -- Case Study #2 Pump Application -- Case Study #3 
Pump Application -- Case Study #1  Customer Challenge A biotech instrument manufacturer introduced an analyzer that was experiencing premature pump failures. Their pump supplier at the time was unable to resolve the problem and achieve acceptable pump life. Project parameters mandated the replacement pump must fit in the existing instrument space and the pump had to work with the existing electronics and software. Scivex® Response The Scivex team quickly modified a version of the proven Confluent™ Precision Dispense Pump (PDP). This modification featured a custom-designed pump head/manifold that integrated a solenoid valve and the exclusive Scivex seal wash. The seal wash provides superior seal life when the pump is used with salt solutions. The roller-bearing piston guide also dramatically improves seal life. With this guide, seals show little wear after millions of pump cycles. Accelerated life testing demonstrated the pump would comfortably exceed reliability goals of 3.5 million cycles. Following performance verification, the customer again tapped Scivex’s engineering skills to further optimize its analyzer design for ease of service and plumbing. A pilot production run verified processes at both companies and was immediately followed by production orders. Throughout this process Scivex was able to greatly expedite and enhance design reviews by using solid modeling CAD software. This allowed both engineer and customer to immediately visualize design changes and thus accelerate the decision process. Scivex’s lean manufacturing philosophy ensures cost control and lead-time flexibility. Our proven manufacturing processes and quality controls with 100 percent product testing allow “dock-to-instrument” flexibility. The Confluent PDP is just one of many quality fluidics products available from Scivex. Call us today to find out how we can help you Fast-Forward your fluidics solutions. [Back to top] Pump Application -- Case Study #2 Customer Challenge With an installed base of over 600 instruments and 300 per quarter being built, a biotech instrument manufacturer was having a problem. The syringe pump they used to fill a precision capillary array was failing prematurely and without warning. They hoped the pump would last between six-month preventative maintenance visits. Unfortunately, failures were occurring in as little as two weeks. Warranty costs skyrocketed and customer satisfaction was waning. The instrument manufacturer set a goal of three years without service for the replacement pump. They also wanted to be able to retrofit the failing pumps with the new design. Scivex® Solution Scivex engineers quickly identified the critical failure modes and knew they had a solution. Using the proven Confluent™ Precision Displacement Pump platform, a custom head was designed to incorporate the complex application requirements. Since the pump had to develop relatively high pressures (1500 psi), standard HPLC-grade materials were ideal. Furthermore, exclusive Scivex Seal-Wash would solve the seal failure problem by keeping the low-pressure side of the seal clean. With these attributes incorporated into the custom design, prototype pumps were built for testing. The customer performed extensive testing. In parallel, Scivex carried out accelerated life testing that verified the design would meet the manufacturer’s goals. In fact, the customer independently demonstrated the new design would surpass five years of use without service, beating the requirement by at least two years. Following performance verification, the customer again tapped Scivex’s engineering skills to further optimize the design for ease of service and plumbing. A pilot production run verified processes at both companies and was immediately followed by production orders. Design reviews were greatly enhanced through Scivex’s use of solid modeling engineering software that allowed excellent visualization of design changes and accelerated the decision making process. Scivex’s lean manufacturing philosophies ensure cost control and lead-time flexibility. Our proven manufacturing processes and quality controls with 100% product testing allow “dock-to-instrument” flexibility. Our pump is just one of many quality fluidics products available from Scivex. Call us today to find out how we can help you Fast-Forward your fluidics solutions. [Back to top] Pump Application -- Case Study #3 Customer Challenge In the world of micro- (or nano!) fluidics, small deficiencies become big problems. An instrument manufacturer needed to accurately and repeatedly position 1µL samples in a 20-foot length of 50 micron ID capillary tubing. In order to get the throughput required, the system pressure had to exceed 3000 psi while the sample flowed at only 3-6 micro liters per minute. The samples were dissolved in DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) presenting an additional materials challenge. Existing systems with this level of performance cost over $80,000, but the customer had a target system price of only $10,000. Scivex® Solution Challenges like this are routine for Scivex. We scaled the proven Confluent™ Precision Displacement Pump platform to provide 50 micro liters per full pump stroke. Furthermore, we achieved a resolution of 49 pico liters per micro step through micro stepping! Since we build all pumps with HPLC-grade components, chemical compatibility and high-pressure performance were a slam-dunk. At such small flows, ball and seat check valves cannot be used. Scivex high-pressure, rotary, micro shear valves were used for both the pump fill/deliver valve and the sample introduction valve. These valves have an internal volume of only 54 nano liters and were a perfect match for the system. Even the smallest leak will hurt performance, and Scivex capillary tubing and fittings provided leak-free connections. Working with Scivex from the concept phase on, the customer was able to get to market with the system in only six months. It is now in routine use in automated high-throughput drug discovery. Design reviews were greatly enhanced through Scivex’s use of solid modeling engineering software that allowed excellent visualization of design changes and accelerated the decision process. Scivex’s lean manufacturing philosophies ensure cost control and lead-time flexibility. Our proven manufacturing processes and quality controls with 100% product testing allow “dock-to-instrument” flexibility. Our pump is just one of many quality fluidics products available from Scivex. Call us today to find out how we can help you Fast-Forward your fluidics solutions. 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