Investing in spare parts drives uptime
Have you considered the importance of spare parts in keeping your systems running smoothly? Custom parts might take weeks or months to produce, leading to devastating delays and reduced productivity. These issues are potentially magnified by increased shipping and installation wait times.
Investing in the right spare parts ahead of time prevents the need for expensive emergency service calls and eliminates the immense cost of missed work. Having custom spare parts on hand at all times decreases the risk of unexpected downtime and strengthens your financial, scientific, and operational outcomes. Planning ahead also builds in the time needed for custom parts to be designed and made, so they are there when needed.
There's a science to determining which components you need on hand in case of equipment failure. Take two o-rings and place them side by side. They may look the same, but appearances can be deceiving. One may be spliced, the other molded. The elastomers may be of different hardness. The flashing may have been ground off using different techniques. All of these factors impact an o-ring's quality, performance, and susceptibility to failure, so it's important to choose the one with the correct specification.
What to consider when sourcing spare parts
Here are the key elements to look for when sourcing spare parts:
Quality
Make sure your spare parts have gone through a rigorous quality management process from design to delivery. Quality control begins with carefully selecting a supplier. Be sure product manufacturing specifications are detailed, covering the way parts are welded, the grade of stainless steel used, and details like the need for spacers in plastic screw holes instead of just elastomer gaskets.
Compliance
Spare parts used in GxP environments should have material certificates and be fully traceable, with both the materials and manufacturing processes properly documented. For GMP, wetted parts should meet current industry regulations, such as USP <88> class VI and CFR 177, and either be free from animal ingredients or comply with EMEA/410/01 part 6.4 for tallow derivatives. You should be confident that all parts meet legal and safety standards. To stay compliant in GMP environments, make sure your supplier notifies you about any changes in materials or manufacturing processes. Ideally, the change control notification service will be automatic, free, and web-based, as it is at Cytiva.
Performance
Spare parts, whether a tiny o-ring or a large column bed, are essential for your equipment to work at its best. Parts are typically made just for your system, helping it run reliably and compliantly with the performance you need to do your research or produce your biologics. Using the correct spare parts helps your equipment last longer and reduces the risk of damage, lost batches, and major delays.
Inventory
Whether you perform service in-house or through a service plan, one thing is clear: you need ready access to spare parts. Keeping critical spares on site is the only sure way to minimize the costly downtime that could result from part failure. Suppliers hold many parts in stock, but shipping takes time, and the part you need might not be available when you need it. And if it's a custom part, you'll have to wait for it to be made.
Why purchase Cytiva spare parts?
At Cytiva, we bring the same level of expertise to each component that we bring to our equipment. By maintaining extremely high standards from production through parts replacement, we empower customers like you to change the world with your innovations. Our goal isn't just to sell you parts – it's to provide a complete solution that makes sure you always have the right part in the right place at the right time.
The mission of the trained professionals at Cytiva's Parts Advisory is to mitigate risk and optimize your equipment – you benefit from their analyses and expertise. This strategic relationship means you can worry less and focus on your work more.