Instrument Parts wear through routine use, exposure to chemicals and samples contaminate filters, capillary lines and will eventually cause system performance to fall and instrument to surely fail. In these cases, it would be advisable to consider having an HPLC Preventative Maintenance plan.
On an HPLC system pump seals generally start to deteriorate around between 6-12 months of regular use, when this happens, leaks appear and chromatographic issues such as retention time drift and pressure dips occur.
On autosamplers issues such as poor repeatability, carryover and leaks are common on systems that require a service.
Detectors often suffer from signal to noise decreases and lamp failures.
A standard HPLC Preventative Maintenance plan, for instance will include periodic maintenance on pump, autosampler and detector modules in order to ensure results are correct and repeatable.
Maintaining the Pump Module
The pump is checked for visible leaks and damage to components, then the pump head is disassembled, worn parts removed, cleaned thoroughly then new seals and filters fitted before being reassembled. The seals are bedded in using a strong solvent to moult the seals and pistons together to form a strong, leak-free fit. The pump is then tested to ensure that there are no leaks at higher pressures and that the flow rates are correct.
Maintaining the Autosampler module
The autosampler is checked for visible leaks and mechanical issues, then the injection valve is disassembled, worn rotor seal removed, stator cleaned and checked. The syringe/metering device is removed and checked for tightness and leaks. If leaks are detected the syringe is replaced and overall instrument alignment is checked for the transport arm and adjusted if necessary.
Maintaining the Detector Module
The detector module can be tailored to the specific detector, for instance, a variable wavelength detector (VWD) will have a deuterium lamp installed, the energy of the lamp will be recorded and if it is below the expected limits, a new one will be fitted. If the lamp has been in operation for longer than the hours specified by the OEM, it can optionally be changed to avoid a potential future breakdown. The flow cell is inspected for contamination and leaks.
Maintenance Packages
If you are interested in finding out more about how HPLC maintenance can benefit your equipment, please contact us.
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