VICI: Engineering the future of chromatography for 50 years

Understanding how products are applied in the real world is the key to knowing how to make improvements.

Founder and President of VICI and its associated companies VICI DBS, VICI Valco, VICI Metronics, Precision Sampling, and VICI AG, Stan Stearns began his career in science right after university as a chemist in a crime lab and then in chromatography doing service and applications for Wilkins in 1965. When the company was purchased by Varian, Stan Stearns saw an opportunity to cross his real world experience from the Crime Lab with the technical knowledge he gained at Wilkins to invent solutions that would make an impact across industries. Long nights experimenting with the analytical instruments he was working with led him to discover new ways of applying and eventually improving them.

This insatiable curiosity began with improving valves, quite literally driving analytical science to go where it never had been before. Over the next 50 years this entrepreneurial spirit would pioneer the development of more efficient components and instruments, with VICI eventually producing more than ten thousand different parts and products, still unrivalled in selection and technological reach.

“Chromatography is the science of separations, and is used in so many industries. Chromatography (and therefore the use of our products) is used by scientists and doctors from so many different industries, but common thread is...discovery, using our products, to get results. VICI products are driving progress in the pharmaceutical industry, in drug testing and safety, used for purity in the oil and gas industry, in space exploration for air/sample testing, in the proteomics industry for to help find cures for diseases, and in Homeland Security to help identify harmful substances and keep people safe who are traveling and in crime and forensics labs to help solve crimes.”

What began as Valco Instruments in 1968, became VICI (Valco Instruments Company Incorporated), a legacy dedicated to analytical science 50 years later.

VICI Valco Instruments are always being improved to help drive progress across industries.

In 1968 Stan Stearns was adding internal zero volume fittings to Valco’s product offerings at a time in chromatography when the common practice was to solder tubes into ports. Having encountered far too many incidents with soldered tubes that caused problems for customers, Stan noticed that it was the manufacturing process that introduced abrasives into the tube that could not be gotten rid of completely. Once the abrasives got into the system, they would destroy the expensive components. In addition, the customer would also end up having to twist the tubes leading to leaks down the road.

Our values are in our valves. Here are some of our products and their benefits.

Chromatographic multi-sample valving apparatus

Benefit: Saves time, energy and effort

Adaptor assembly for fittings and connective lines of differing sizes

Benefit: allows for one hand assembly method, making connecting lines of different sizes easier to accomplish

Sample introduction apparatus for gas chromatographic analysis using packed or capillary bore open tubular columns and method of testing

Benefit: Improve accuracy and simplify processes of using smaller sample sizes

Variable tensioning system for shear seal valves

Benefit: lengthens lifetime of valve and reduces chance of damage (better use of product translates into savings of customer in both downtime and money)

For further information about VICI please click here.