Idex Health & Science Perfects Tightening Technology in New Upchurch Scientific INTUITIVE™ Fitting

“This is one time we didn’t try to be first, we wanted to be the best” chuckled Product Development Manager Scott Ellis in describing the new Upchurch Scientific long-life, torque-assurance technology. Idex Health & Science debuted the new Intuitive™ Technology with two flat-bottom fittings ideal for IVD instruments at AACC.

Upchurch Scientific Product Manager Gretchen Gora-Maslak described the history of the technology, “More and more, our customers requested this type of product because it eliminates the need for tools during installation or service. Anyone can use the fitting correctly, even without instruction, and be assured that it works as promised. Customers also wanted a broader pressure-holding range; our design expands that range significantly.” To further illuminate the operating condition, Ellis added, “We validated a broad ‘finger-tightening range’ between 1.5 to 6 inch-pounds using a sophisticated torque tool. Numerically that doesn’t sound like a big difference, but it is exponentially vast as far as the amount of pressure-holding force achieved at those polarities. On flat bottom fittings for example, the difference in pressure performance between 2 inch-pounds and 4 inch-pounds can sometimes mean double the pressure-holding capability.”

The new Intuitive flat-bottom fitting is currently available in PEEK™ and Delrin® for 1/8" and 1/16" tubing. One concern addressed during the technology’s long development path was product life. Ellis explains, “This technology exists in a much bigger scale, gas caps for instance. But getting it down to the scale where you can fit multiple fittings into a small valve is a different level of engineering. We devoted a lot of effort to extended product life. Think of it this way—with each installation ‘click’, it wears it down a little bit, a little bit, a little bit. And over time that can give you different values. We wanted to assure rigorous consistency time and time again. In lifetime testing we’ve validated more than 100 install/release cycles with no degradation in performance.” Gora-Maslak summarised the goals for the technology, “It eliminates the guesswork. It makes installation easy. It eliminates need for any type of custom tools. It eliminates need for any type of training or expertise. It gives you an audible click no different than the click of a backpack strap or a seatbelt. You hear the click. You know it’s engaged and you know it’s going to work.”