10th Jun 2024
Five Ways to Reduce Costs in Your Chromatography Workflow
How You Can Save Money in Your Chromatography Laboratory
Chromatography is a powerful analytical technique, but costs can add up quickly. Lab managers are regularly challenged to keep costs to a minimum. So, here we dive into 5 proven strategies to slash costs in your chromatography lab:
1. Save Time and Money with the Right Supplies
Sometimes upfront costs dissuade people from picking products that will ultimately save them money. As ‘they’ say, time is money. Avoiding sample re-runs is an easy way to save money. As you probably know, not all chromatography columns are created equal. High quality LC columns, solvents, and other consumables will likely deliver better results. Be sure to choose chromatography consumables that serve your lab’s needs appropriately.
For high-throughput laboratories, we sometimes recommend products that cost a bit more than the standard option, but ultimately results in significant savings. Products that minimize the need for lab personnel or reduce the chance for variability by user are exceptionally important. Two products worth noting are Hamilton’s MicroLab 600 (semi-automated sample prep), and the IDEX MarvelXACT UHPLC connections (eliminate overtightening).
The best products offer time savings without costing more. For example, Chrom Tech offers pre-loaded vial inserts into select crimp top vials. Not only do these save the lab time (no lab tech has to spend time placing the inserts into the vial!), but they are actually priced the same as our vials and inserts sold separately.
2. Shop the Best Prices
Of course, checking for promotions and discounted pricing options is a great way to save. By signing up for our newsletter and opting into emails from our team, you’ll stay informed about ways you can save. Plus, we encourage our customers to reach out to our team and make sure they’re set up with the most competitive pricing available.
Another consideration is competitively-priced alternatives. Of course, as discussed above, it’s important to not sacrifice quality when choosing alternatives to save money. That’s why we prioritize quality options at a competitive price. Chrom Tech brand autosampler vials are made in the USA and we have our own vial alternatives to most other brands’ vials. You can shop our website, or reach out to a product specialist to find your competitively-priced vial alternative. Discover more Chrom Tech alternatives on our website.
3. Consolidate Orders
By planning and consolidating orders, you can save on shipping costs. Over time, this can be a huge savings for your lab because you won’t be paying for multiple shipments. At Chrom Tech, you can take things a step further and consolidate orders from multiple vendors all onto one order. We are an authorized distributor for many of the industry’s leading manufacturers including Agilent, Restek, Thermo, IDEX, Hamilton, and many more. By combining your orders from various vendors, you can consolidate time and money spent on placing orders and shipping.
Max Recovery
Headspace, GC Vials
& Accessories
HPLC Pumps
Manual Valve Syringes
Our operations team is constantly monitoring frequently purchased products to ensure that we appropriately stock for regularly ordered items. This helps ensure that orders can be shipped out quickly to get you the supplies you need when you need them.
4. Extend Instrument Lifetime
Chromatography consumables are meant to be purchased repeatedly. Instrumentation on the other hand is meant to last for years without needing to be replaced. It’s important to perform regular maintenance and take necessary precautions to avoid damage to your instrumentation.
Preventative maintenance is crucial for maximizing instrument uptime and minimizing costly repairs. Refer to your user manual for specific PM instructions. We offer a variety of HPLC replacement parts as well as GC replacement parts from Agilent along with OEM instrument replacement parts for most other instrument brands.
Proper sample preparation is also helpful for keeping your instrument up and running smoothly. The less time you have to spend replacing columns or other consumables, the more time you can spend running samples. The “right” sample prep method can vary greatly depending on so many factors. We dive into this in other blogs, but identifying priorities (time, separation needs, etc.) is the most important aspect for determining the sample prep method that is best for your specific methods.
5. Choose a Reliable Consumables Partner
Your chromatography consumable supplier can help you save in so many ways. A reputable supplier can provide high-quality chromatography consumables at competitive prices. We carry products that we can confidently back. When things go wrong, we are able to help identify issues and make things right. Plus, as discussed earlier, time is money. Don’t waste time on the phone or your computer trying to find the right products to purchase. In our industry, Chrom Tech’s customer service is second to none. We focus on getting you helpful answers quickly so that you can focus on the work that matters.
Chrom Tech is Here for You
Whether you’re new to chromatography or have been managing labs for decades, Chrom Tech is here to help you achieve your chromatography goals. Chat live with one of our knowledgeable team members to discuss ways we can help you save time and money and improve your chromatography workflows!