| The pipette is an instrument commonly used in laboratories for various types of experiments. So many things to be taken care of while buying a pipette. What all parts are included in the standard price of the pipette needs to be checked. A seal and O-ring, parts which should be replaced every time the pipette is overhauled are mostly included for every pipettes (Gilson, Rainin, Biohit, etc), where applicable. Other major parts broken or damaged by misuse, accident or incorrect repairs are not mostly included. These parts need to be replaced only when it is absolutely necessary for pipette recalibration. Most of the instruments need no other additional parts replaced. If the total cost of calibration and parts ever approaches half the costs of a new instrument its better to buy a new instrument since a new instrument will be having so many parts also with it.
Pipette Recalibration and Servicing is something really important while using pipette. The Air-displacement pipettes needs to have recalibration as a direct result of wear between the seal and piston. Instruments which are used for daily heavy use for purposes such as Q.A. or assays should be serviced in every three to six months. Instruments used for routine bench work should be serviced only in every 6-12 months. Pipette needs to be serviced by a trained technician if it is in need of recalibration. It’s better to contact a lab with ISO9001:2000 and ISO/IEC17025:2005 standards for servicing and to get the advice from a trained technician. It’s better to check the pipette for precise performance, since wear may occur in use for the pipette even if the manufacturer claims that their product is having permanent calibration.
The tips used should be of average quality; the variations in type of plastic used, tip design, and quality control employed are significant in tips. Is not all necessary to use a very costly tips but don’t go for a cheap one also. Better is to check the specification of the pipettes and select a reasonably priced one. If you have a micro analytical balance in current calibration with at least 5 decimal places and if you follow scientific guidelines regarding pipette procedures and calculations involving mass to volume conversions for pure water, then this is the best method to check the performance of pipettes. Anyone can adjust a pipette device to deliver a single correct volume, but the advantage of calibration technicians with special experience and access to proper tools and parts have a distinct advantage when it comes to detecting and repairing problems. A professional calibration lab with calibrations technicians will certainly be much more efficient in terms of the overall process involving valuable technician time and resources from your laboratory.
IF planning to ship the pipette for servicing or recalibration to the lab it’s recommend to use the free shipping materials provided by UPS, DHL, AccuTek. You may request these materials be brought to your lab by courier when he/she arrives to pick up your order. If you would like to use your own materials while shipping try to bundle the pipettes using newsprint and tape, and then box them. Fill the empty volume with some kind of loose packing material.
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