Custom-designed caps aid liquid reagent transfer

A Bio-Chem Valve and Omnifit product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Sep 16, 2004

Bio-Chem Valve/Omnifit has helped the manufacturer of a DNA synthesis instrument by providing custom-designed bottle caps for use with standard threadless reagent bottles.

Bio-Chem Valve/Omnifit has helped the manufacturer of a DNA synthesis instrument by providing custom-designed bottle caps for use with standard threadless reagent bottles.

The manufacturer needed to transfer reagent from the bottles into the instrument, but because the reagent was depleted so quickly the empty bottles had to be rapidly exchanged to minimise downtime.

The solution from Bio-Chem Valve/Omnifit was an engineered bottle cap with an inner PTFE core and an outer Peek retainer.

Peek is rigid, durable and chemically resistant and eliminates the risk of the thread stripping with repeated use.

An innovative lip on the inside of the retainer secures the rim of the threadless bottle and locks it in place with a half rotation, leaving the bottle suspended securely from the cap.

The inner PTFE core has a centre protrusion that slides into the neck of the bottle on loading; because of PTFE's cold-flow properties, it forms a secure seal with the glass.

For ease of use the bottle caps can be panel mounted, securing the assembly so the operator can perform a quick, single-handed bottle changeover.

Two integral fluid line connections fitted with Tefzel cones provide a reliable, low pressure compression fitting.

Bio-Chem Valve/Omnifit specialises in the design and manufacturer of inert fluidic components for instrument manufacturers.

Its range of customised products includes bottle caps, manual and electric valves, fittings, tubing sets and chromatography columns.

The company uses electronic drawings and CAD models to reduce component development time.

In many cases this also eliminates the need for hard prototypes.

Once design has been approved, Bio-Chem Valve/Omnifit manufacturers all components to meet the customer's supply chain requirements for scheduled, Kanban or JIT delivery.