Below you will find answers to commonly asked questions. If you have other questions that are not answered below, please feel free to email us at Sales@popperandsons.com What is the difference between laboratory needles and products you sell for lab automation? Are all lab automation products custom-made? Can you make a reagent probe for an old analyzer we have? Do you have products for septum penetration? What is a Huber point? Can you manufacture probes made from Hastelloy? What is carry-over and how can we reduce it? What types of internal surface finish can you provide on tubing? How we can we improve surface finish of the ID? Do you provide Teflon coating services? What are the advantages of using Teflon vs. other coating options? Will Parylene work as well as Teflon? What is PSX coating and how is it different from other coating services? I am designing a new reagent probe. What should I keep in mind to make it easier for you to manufacture? Do you provide prototypes? Our part requires a specially-drawn tube. What is the lead-time? Will Popper perform volumentric testing during final inspection? We are having dispensing volume issues. What could be the cause? Can you coat the ID of a tube with Teflon and how can you guarantee uniform thickness? What is the difference between soldering, brazing and laser welding? Will micro-polishing affect the ID dimension? What is swaging? Will electro-polishing improve surface finish? Do you provide assembly services or just fabrication? What is a co-axial probe? What is the difference between laboratory needles and products you sell for lab automation? We offer a variety of needle products which are used in laboratory applications. For example: Pippeting, Septum Penetration, Micro-Emulsying Cancer Implant and Agar Cutting needles (catalog sec I pages 12A-16A). These are standard needles available from stock for immediate delivery. Popper OEM division, specializes in the manufacturing of OEM and custom components for laboratory automation,Clincal Chemistry Analyzers, Liquid Handling Systems, High Throughput Screening etc. Typically, you will find our OEM needles and probes performing critical aspirating/dispensing functions in such instruments. Top Are all lab automation products custom-made? Unless you can utilize one of our standard catalog products, yes. Lab Automation products are typically manufactured to custom specifications. Top Can you make a reagent probe for an old analyzer we have? Yes. We would need an engineering drawing, or a sample. Both would be ideal. Top Do you have products for septum penetration? Yes. We offer a wide range of Deflected Non Coring Septum Penetration needles and cannula. These needles have a special tip geometry that minimizes coring when penetrating septa. Top What is a Huber point? A Huber point is the same as our Deflected Non Coring Septum Point. Huber is a trademark of the BD company. Top Can you manufacture probes made from Hastelloy? Yes. Popper can manufacture using a variety of precious metals. However, note that these type of materials require an upfront purchase of 100 feet or more, have an extended lead-time on delivery of materials (8-12 weeks or more) and are also very expensive if small quantities are desired. Top What is carry-over and how can we reduce it? Carry-over occurs when traces of a previous sample are left in the tube/needle and are then injected with a new sample. The old sample is 'carried over' to the next one. The ideal solution is to utilize an extremely smooth ID surface finish. The sleek surface combined with proper cleaning ensures that no traces remain inside the tube. Additional solutions include micro-polishing of the ID and a variety of coating options. Top What types of internal surface finish can you provide on tubing? Internal surface finish is measured in RMS or Ra. These are numbers that designate the degree of roughness of the ID. The smaller the number, the smoother the surface. Standard hypodermic tubes are manufactured with a 32-64 rms. A matt-draw finish, offers 16-32rms and a smooth bore can be manufactured with an 8-16 rms. Top How we can we improve surface finish of the ID? Micro-polishing, is a proprietary treatment that reduces the RMS value by an additional 50% i.e. an 8-16rms tube with a micro-polishing treatment will yield an rms value of 4-8rms. Other methods to improve the ID include coating options discussed below. Top Do you provide Teflon coating services? Yes. We can provide Teflon coating of both the OD and ID. The advantage of Teflon coating is the added lubricity and corrosion protection. The disdavantages are the wearing off of the coating especially when it comes in contact with harsh chemicals. ID coating is not guaranteed to be pinhole free. Top What are the advantages of using Teflon vs. other coating options? Teflon is relatively inexpensive and has been proven to be beneficial for lab automation application for many years. Top Will Parylene work as well as Teflon? Whether a particular coating works for an application greatly depends on the application's requirements. For septum penetration applications, Teflon is a better solution. For hydrophobic or electrical insulation, Parylene is better. You should consult with our customer service associates for additional information. Top What is PSX coating and how is it different from other coating services? PSX is a special formulation degined for Popper. This is a ceramic-like coating that is applied using a vacuum deposition process. We offer PSX-H for hydrophobic properties, PSX-CH for applications requiring superior corrosion resistance and PSX-D, same as our CH but with added DMSO protection. Top I am designing a new reagent probe. What should I keep in mind to make it easier for you to manufacture? Call us first! Our eningeers are happy to discuss your requirements and suggest ways by which you can design a part that can be manufactued efficiently. Some basic factors to consider are: choice of material, tolerances, manufacturability of certain operations (such as swaging), coating options. Top Do you provide prototypes? Yes. Prototype manufacturing is the most important service we provide We have a dedicated design-validation department and prototypes are delivered within a short period of time (bear in mind that choice of materials, tooling etc. will increase lead-time). Top Our part requires a specially-drawn tube. What is the lead-time? Lead-times depend on the the OD/ID size and tolerance specified and the ID surface finish. Custom drawn tubes can be delivered within 4 weeks. Special tubes requiring tight tolerances may take up to 8-10 weeks to be delivered. Top Will Popper perform volumentric testing during final inspection? No. Popper is responsible for our high quality workmanship standards and meeting specifications. Any functional results relate to the design of the probe rather than the manufacturing portion. In other words, Popper assumes responsibility for what is on the engineering drawing. If functional testing or results are indicated on the drawing, we will take exception to them. Top We are having dispensing volume issues. What could be the cause? Dispensing volumes issues can be caused by a variety of factors: temperature, software, design etc. These are outside Popper's manufacturing responsibility. Other reasons could be wrong tube ID specifications, swaging tolerance, ID surface finish, etc. Top Can you coat the ID of a tube with Teflon and how can you guarantee uniform thickness? Yes. Popper provides ID coating with Teflon. Although every effort is made to ensure uniform thickness, because of the process used during coating, thickness of ID coating can not be guaranteed. In addition, to verify whether the coating conforms to specification would require a 'destructive' test of slicing the probe open. Obviously, this can not be done to each probe. Top What is the difference between soldering, brazing and laser welding? Soldering is a low temp process, brazing is a high temp process. Laser Welding is an ideal method for joining like-metals. It provides an optimal secure connection which is also cosemtically pleasing. Top Will micro-polishing affect the ID dimension? Yes. Micro-polishing can remove 0.001"-0.002". Top Will electro-polishing improve surface finish? Electro-polishing may achieve a very slight improvements in the outside surface finish but not significant. Electro polishing tends to make parts look better rather improve performance. For improved lubricity and carry-over, coating should be used instead. Top Do you provide assembly services or just fabrication? Yes. Popper provides services from prototype to assembly and packaging. Top What is a co-axial probe? A co-axial probe features two probes, either side by side, one inside the other, or one penetrating the other. This design provides for a 'dual channel' for dispensing/aspirating. Typically, one channel is used for venting purposes and the other for aspirating/dispensing. Top
What is the difference between laboratory needles and products you sell for lab automation? Are all lab automation products custom-made? Can you make a reagent probe for an old analyzer we have? Do you have products for septum penetration? What is a Huber point? Can you manufacture probes made from Hastelloy? What is carry-over and how can we reduce it? What types of internal surface finish can you provide on tubing? How we can we improve surface finish of the ID? Do you provide Teflon coating services? What are the advantages of using Teflon vs. other coating options? Will Parylene work as well as Teflon? What is PSX coating and how is it different from other coating services? I am designing a new reagent probe. What should I keep in mind to make it easier for you to manufacture? Do you provide prototypes? Our part requires a specially-drawn tube. What is the lead-time? Will Popper perform volumentric testing during final inspection? We are having dispensing volume issues. What could be the cause? Can you coat the ID of a tube with Teflon and how can you guarantee uniform thickness? What is the difference between soldering, brazing and laser welding? Will micro-polishing affect the ID dimension? What is swaging? Will electro-polishing improve surface finish? Do you provide assembly services or just fabrication? What is a co-axial probe?
Are all lab automation products custom-made? Unless you can utilize one of our standard catalog products, yes. Lab Automation products are typically manufactured to custom specifications. Top
Can you make a reagent probe for an old analyzer we have? Yes. We would need an engineering drawing, or a sample. Both would be ideal. Top
Do you have products for septum penetration? Yes. We offer a wide range of Deflected Non Coring Septum Penetration needles and cannula. These needles have a special tip geometry that minimizes coring when penetrating septa. Top
What is a Huber point? A Huber point is the same as our Deflected Non Coring Septum Point. Huber is a trademark of the BD company. Top
Can you manufacture probes made from Hastelloy? Yes. Popper can manufacture using a variety of precious metals. However, note that these type of materials require an upfront purchase of 100 feet or more, have an extended lead-time on delivery of materials (8-12 weeks or more) and are also very expensive if small quantities are desired. Top
What is carry-over and how can we reduce it? Carry-over occurs when traces of a previous sample are left in the tube/needle and are then injected with a new sample. The old sample is 'carried over' to the next one. The ideal solution is to utilize an extremely smooth ID surface finish. The sleek surface combined with proper cleaning ensures that no traces remain inside the tube. Additional solutions include micro-polishing of the ID and a variety of coating options. Top
What types of internal surface finish can you provide on tubing? Internal surface finish is measured in RMS or Ra. These are numbers that designate the degree of roughness of the ID. The smaller the number, the smoother the surface. Standard hypodermic tubes are manufactured with a 32-64 rms. A matt-draw finish, offers 16-32rms and a smooth bore can be manufactured with an 8-16 rms. Top
How we can we improve surface finish of the ID? Micro-polishing, is a proprietary treatment that reduces the RMS value by an additional 50% i.e. an 8-16rms tube with a micro-polishing treatment will yield an rms value of 4-8rms. Other methods to improve the ID include coating options discussed below. Top
Do you provide Teflon coating services? Yes. We can provide Teflon coating of both the OD and ID. The advantage of Teflon coating is the added lubricity and corrosion protection. The disdavantages are the wearing off of the coating especially when it comes in contact with harsh chemicals. ID coating is not guaranteed to be pinhole free. Top
What are the advantages of using Teflon vs. other coating options? Teflon is relatively inexpensive and has been proven to be beneficial for lab automation application for many years. Top
Will Parylene work as well as Teflon? Whether a particular coating works for an application greatly depends on the application's requirements. For septum penetration applications, Teflon is a better solution. For hydrophobic or electrical insulation, Parylene is better. You should consult with our customer service associates for additional information. Top
What is PSX coating and how is it different from other coating services? PSX is a special formulation degined for Popper. This is a ceramic-like coating that is applied using a vacuum deposition process. We offer PSX-H for hydrophobic properties, PSX-CH for applications requiring superior corrosion resistance and PSX-D, same as our CH but with added DMSO protection. Top
I am designing a new reagent probe. What should I keep in mind to make it easier for you to manufacture? Call us first! Our eningeers are happy to discuss your requirements and suggest ways by which you can design a part that can be manufactued efficiently. Some basic factors to consider are: choice of material, tolerances, manufacturability of certain operations (such as swaging), coating options. Top
Do you provide prototypes? Yes. Prototype manufacturing is the most important service we provide We have a dedicated design-validation department and prototypes are delivered within a short period of time (bear in mind that choice of materials, tooling etc. will increase lead-time). Top
Our part requires a specially-drawn tube. What is the lead-time? Lead-times depend on the the OD/ID size and tolerance specified and the ID surface finish. Custom drawn tubes can be delivered within 4 weeks. Special tubes requiring tight tolerances may take up to 8-10 weeks to be delivered. Top
Will Popper perform volumentric testing during final inspection? No. Popper is responsible for our high quality workmanship standards and meeting specifications. Any functional results relate to the design of the probe rather than the manufacturing portion. In other words, Popper assumes responsibility for what is on the engineering drawing. If functional testing or results are indicated on the drawing, we will take exception to them. Top
We are having dispensing volume issues. What could be the cause? Dispensing volumes issues can be caused by a variety of factors: temperature, software, design etc. These are outside Popper's manufacturing responsibility. Other reasons could be wrong tube ID specifications, swaging tolerance, ID surface finish, etc. Top
Can you coat the ID of a tube with Teflon and how can you guarantee uniform thickness? Yes. Popper provides ID coating with Teflon. Although every effort is made to ensure uniform thickness, because of the process used during coating, thickness of ID coating can not be guaranteed. In addition, to verify whether the coating conforms to specification would require a 'destructive' test of slicing the probe open. Obviously, this can not be done to each probe. Top
What is the difference between soldering, brazing and laser welding? Soldering is a low temp process, brazing is a high temp process. Laser Welding is an ideal method for joining like-metals. It provides an optimal secure connection which is also cosemtically pleasing. Top
Will micro-polishing affect the ID dimension? Yes. Micro-polishing can remove 0.001"-0.002". Top
Will electro-polishing improve surface finish? Electro-polishing may achieve a very slight improvements in the outside surface finish but not significant. Electro polishing tends to make parts look better rather improve performance. For improved lubricity and carry-over, coating should be used instead. Top
Do you provide assembly services or just fabrication? Yes. Popper provides services from prototype to assembly and packaging. Top
What is a co-axial probe? A co-axial probe features two probes, either side by side, one inside the other, or one penetrating the other. This design provides for a 'dual channel' for dispensing/aspirating. Typically, one channel is used for venting purposes and the other for aspirating/dispensing. Top
