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KERKMOTIONPRODUCTSHELPSWATERSCORP.MAKE LARGESPLASHWITHSMALLUPLCUNIT

Introduction:IncreasedPressureinAnalyticalLaboratoriesPricingpressures,intensecompetitionandstrictregulatorydemandsarechallenging

scientistsandresearchersinthefastgrowing,highlyregulatedpharmaceutical,lifescience,

biochemical,industrialandenvironmentalindustriestomakeimportantbreakthroughsfasterand

moreefficiently.

Heightenedproductivityinscientificlabshasbecomeparamountforcompaniestosucceed.

WatersCorporation,aleadingmanufacturerofhighperformanceliquidchromatography

instruments,massspectrometersandthermalanalyzersandrheologyinstruments,understandsthis

pressurefirsthand. Asamajorsuppliertoanalyticallaboratoriesaroundtheworld,Watersisknown

foritsconstantcommitmenttoprovidinginnovativesolutionsthathelpcustomersbetterunderstand

thesecretsofchemistryandoflifeitself.Background:TheCreationofaNewCategoryinSeparationScience

Thecompanysreputationasacreatorofpioneeringtechnologywasrecentlyillustratedwith

thereleaseofACQUITYUltraPerformanceLiquidChromatography(UPLC),anewcategoryof

separationscience.

UPLCrepresentsarevolutionaryimprovement

overHighPerformanceLiquidChromatography(HPLC),

thewidelyacceptedchemicalseparationtechnique. By

offeringincreasedresolution,sensitivityandspeed,

UPLCgreatlyimprovesproductivityandprovides

scientistswithconsiderablymoreinformationinasingle

run.

Thenewsystemusesthepowerof1.7micron

particlestogivelaboratoriesasmuchasninetimeshigherthroughput,threetimeshigherroutine

sensitivity,andtwotimesgreaterresolutionorpeakcapacitythantodaysHPLCinstrumentscan

achievewithlargerparticles.

Additionally,theUPLCprocessreducestimeandcostpersamplefromtheanalyticalprocess:

ratherthanoneminutetoanalyzeeachsample,WatersUPLCsystemcutstheminimumanalysis

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timedowntoascant15seconds. This75%reductionpersample,multipliedbythemillionsof

samplesthatthetypicallaboratoryanalyzes,resultsindramatictimesavingsandprocess

improvement.

Aswithmostbreakthroughproducts,thedevelopmentofUPLCdidnotcomewithout

challenges,butratherrequiredconsiderablecollaborationonmanylevels.

DesignChallenge:AchievingHighPerformancewithaSmallFootprint WhiletheperformanceoftheACQUITYsystemwascertainlyattheforefrontfortheWaters

engineerswhodevelopedtheproduct,itwasnottheirsoledesigncriterion. Management

envisionedasystemthatwouldsportamuchsmallerfootprintthantraditionalHPLCsystems,

ensuringthatitwouldconsumelessofalaboratorysvaluablebenchspace. Thiscompactfootprint

wouldalsoguaranteethatuserscouldmoreeasilystackandarrangethevariousmodules. The

designengineershopedthatthecompletedbasicsystemwouldconsistofasamplemanager,oneof

severalUPLCdetectors,andahighpressurepump. Severalupgradeswouldalsobeavailable,

includingahighcapacitysampleorganizer.

Accomplishingthisgoalwouldrequiretheuseofsmallerinternalcomponentsinboththe

mainunitandtheoptionalmodule,whichholdsanadditional21sampleplates. Initialeffortsto

createtherequiredpartsdidnotyieldthedesiredresults,accordingtoKenPlant,aprincipal

engineerontheWatersULPCproject.

Weinitiallyattemptedtodeviseahomemadesolution,anadaptationofamechanismwe

haddevelopedabouteightyearsago,heexplained. ThatmechanismcreatedanXYZmovementto

replaceourtraditionalZ/Rotationalmovementandhadservedusquitewellinouroldermodels.

However,thissystemofofftheshelfpulleysandbeltssimplycouldnotbesqueezedintothesmaller

footprintwewerelookingfor. Ifitwasgoingtohappen,weknewitwouldrequiresometrulyoutof

theboxthinking.

Moretothepoint,itbecameclearthatinourefforttoproducethiscompactmechanism,we

couldbenefitfromtheuseofspecializedoutsideresources.

Solution:CustomizedMotionControlfromKerkOneofPlantscolleagueshadworkedwithacompanycalledKerkMotionProductswhenhe

wasinvolvedintheautomationindustry,andhefeltthatKerkmightbeabletooffertheoptimal

combinationofreliabilityandminiaturizationforthismechanism.

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AfterconsultingwithWatersengineers,KerkpresentedWaterswithcomponentsthatwould

allowtheengineerstoproduceasamplemanagertheheartoftheUPLCsystemthatwouldmeet

thecompanysreducedsizerequirementsandproducetheincreasedspeedandperformancethat

wassovitaltotheUPLCconcept.

Weconsideredseveralvendors,butKerkhadthebestsetofperformancedata,saidPlant.

Whileothervendorsweresellingofftheshelfcommodityitems,Kerksproductsallowedfor

customizationandflexibilitytoreacttocustomerneeds. WewereimpressedthatKerkwaswillingto

workwithourengineerstocustomizetheircomponentsandensurethattheywouldmeshintoour

system.

KerkisquicktorecognizethecreativitydemonstratedbyWatersengineers. AtKerk,we

takeprideinbeingaproviderofinnovativesolutions,saysKerkapplicationsengineer,BobHawkins.

Watershaseffectivelyutilizedourproductsandresourcesandhasachievedatrulyremarkable

solutiontoadifficultdesignchallenge.

Withinthesamplemanager,theKerkcomponentsare

beingutilizedtodrivetheroboticXYZmechanismholdingthe

needlethatdrawsliquidsamplesfromeachsampleplate.

ToachievetheXandYmovements,theACQUITY

armincorporatesoneKerkinchleadscrewandtwospecially

adaptedKerknuts,andtheZmotionisaccomplishedthroughtwo

Kerksplineshaftsandsplinedbushings.

Intheoptionalsampleorganizer,ainchleadscrewandanti

backlashnutisemployedtoproducetheZaxismotion,allowingthe

roboticmachinetoshuttleasmanyas21sampleplatesbackandforth

tothesamplemanager.

Thesplineshafts,whichrunparalleltoeachotherand

featurecustomsplinedbushings,provideadrivemechanism

fortwoaxesofmotion. Theyareexcellentalternativesfor

applicationswherehexshaftsorsquareshaftsareused

(Watersoriginalmechanismutilizedsquareshafts). The

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assemblyutilizeslightweightalloysteelsplineshaftstreatedwithKerk'sproprietarylowfriction

KerkoteTFEcoatingmatedwithKerkitecompositepolymerbushings.

Itwasntsimplyperformanceorsizethatmadethe

Kerkcomponentssodesirable.Kerksproductsoffer

extremelylongwearlife,Plantsaid. Thiswasacritical

consideration,asourchromatographysystemsneedto

operateataveryhighlevelofreliability.Continuousuptimeis

veryimportanttomostofourcustomers.

Results:GoodThingsComeinSmallPackagesThelaunchoftheUPLChasbeenatremendoussuccess,withpraisefromcountless

customers,includingsomeoftheworldsmostprestigiouspharmaceuticalcompanies.

TheACQUITYUPLC(System)willsoonbecomethechoiceforthedevelopmentoffastLC

methodsinthepharmaceuticalindustry,saidDr.AntonD.JerkovichofNovartisPharmaceuticalsCorporation,aWaterscustomer.

ThesuccessoftheACQUITYsystemisalsoreflectedinthesalesfigures;Watershassold1000ofthecoreunits,andexpectstomorethandoublethatnumberin2006.

Thisonceagainprovesthatgoodthingsinthiscase,withthehelpofKerkMotionProducts

doindeedcomeinsmallpackages.

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