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Choosing the Vial Crimper or Decapper that’s Best for You

Choosing the Vial Crimper or Decapper that’s Best for You

The crimping and decapping (or decrimping) of aluminium seals on and off glass bottles and vials is a vital process within any hospital, laboratory or pharmaceutical environment. However, choosing the best tools for the job can be a bit of a minefield and with different manufacturers offering varying degrees of quality you should look to purchase Crimpers and Decappers built to last.

If you’re looking for efficient, hard-wearing crimpers and decappers, then our range is best as superior build quality leads to a more dependable performance. But how do you choose the vial crimper or decapper that best-suits the type of project you’re working on?

How Many Units Are you Working With?

The most important thing to consider is numbers – how many glass bottles or vials will you be crimping or decapping? For low volumes of glass vials (Under 100 per day), hand crimpers and decappers are ideal. For mid-range volumes (100 – 500 per day), a bench-mounted vial crimper is more effective and for much larger volumes ( 500+) of vials a pneumatic crimper and decapper is usually required (to prevent arm-ache!).

Another consideration may be portability. Hand cappers and decappers are ideal when you’re working in the field. Their added mobility allows you to transport them along with your kit. Something that you’ll find more difficult with the larger bench mounted or pneumatic version.
Here is a quick overview of the different types of crimpers and decappers that are currently on the market and what they’re normally used for.

Hand Vial Crimpers:

hand_vial_crimperUsed for low numbers of vials, hand crimpers suit vial sizes of 8, 11, 13, 18, 20, 28, 30 and 32mm. They are designed to crimp different styles of cap, ranging from standard to recessed, flip top, flip cap and flip tear long reach.

Hand Vial Decappers:

hand_vial_decapperAgain, used for low volumes, hand vial decappers enable caps to be easily removed without damaging their associated glassware and are best suited to vials of 8, 11, 13, 18, 20, 28, 30 and 32 mm in size.

Bench-Mounted Crimpers

cappress_senior_cap_crimperIdeal for mid-range volumes, bench-mounted crimpers offer a more efficient alternative to crimping by hand. Fully portable, their lever mechanisms generate maximum downwards force with the minimum of effort. Smaller models come with interchangeable heads that fit 20-30mm seals and the larger models are used to crimp 32mm caps using a two lever design – one lever to compress the stopper and the other to crimp the cap.

Pneumatic Crimpers and Decappers:

apcp2000_air_powered_vial_crimper_decapper_toolAir-powered crimping and decapping tools come with standard heads and are popular worldwide due to them being fast, efficient and lightweight. These products are used to crimp and decap large volumes of glass vials and bottles and are generally found in large laboratory and pharmaceutical environments.

 

 

Experience Drives Our Engineering: Hand Vial Crimpers with Comfort

Experience Drives Our Engineering: Hand Vial Crimpers with Comfort

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Having been an apprentice Tinsmith (Sheet metal worker) in the early 1960s, I’ve had many years experience using all manner of hand tools. When used over extended periods of time and repeating the same manual motions they can become uncomfortable for the user. I learnt this lesson the hard way!

Laboratory Precision Hand Vial Crimper

Laboratory Precision Hand Vial Crimper

I found the range of grips to vary greatly in practical terms and often this practicality came at an uncomfortable price. Some featured finger indents, some had forward stops (to keep your hands from sliding along) and some had wide handles: supposedly more comfort.

This experience was the key to the design of  our hand crimpers and de-cappers: I wanted    a tool that would be as comfortable as possible with no projections that would potentially result in blisters. From my own experience, tools with front profiles designed to stop your hand sliding forward always gave me blisters between my first finger and thumb. Handles with sharp bent corners also gave me blisters and were uncomfortable whilst tool grips with finger profiles never worked for me either.

I found the tools I was using lacked the “one size fits all scenario” – never truly fitting the palm of anyone properly. 90 degree U bent handles scratched the side of my hands which can also cause blisters, and rough textured surfaces make your hands sore.

Ergonomically designed  tools with comfort in mind.

I designed our manual hand tools with rounded ‘U section’ handles and a cross
section profile that leans inwards, thus alleviating the problem of scratching and pinching whilst still giving a stable grip.

Laboratory Hand Vial Decapper

Laboratory Hand Vial Decapper

Width was considered and compromised on, allowing for the range of hand sizes that would be using the tools. The grips are of a straight and smooth finish as this was always the best shape and texture of handle from my own experience; cutting miles of sheet metal with tin snips.

As a tinsmith, I’d polished the handles of my snips and also made some myself as I could see that the practical need for improvement. There are mechanical constraints but the handle travel needed to be sensible and not too far apart at the outset of the levers. A feature that I’ve incorporated into our tools.

I’ve designed our crimpers to be as light weight as possible without compromising on strength and durability. If you’re doing the same action for any length of time then handle comfort is not the only consideration but weight too must be ideal: The tools are well balanced: light but sturdy and solid.

Experience Leads to a Better Product.

These are some of the design considerations that were taken into account when designing our manual hand crimpers and de-cappers. Years of experience went into the development of our products meaning that when it comes to practical application you’ll have the most comfortable experience possible.

Any tool should not only be designed with a job in mind but also the comfort of the person doing that job. At Laboratory Precision we understand this and it makes our tools some of the most effective on the market today.

 

Crimpers & Tools Designed from Experience

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Having been an apprentice Tinsmith (Sheet metal worker) in the early 1960s, I’ve had many years experience using all manner of hand tools. When used over extended periods of time and doing the same motions they can become uncomfortable for the userSome with finger indents and some with forward stops (to keep your hands from sliding forward) and some with wide handles for supposedly more comfort.

This experience was the key to the design of our hand crimpers and
de-cappers: I wanted a tool that would be as comfortable as possible with
no projections that would result in blisters. Tools with front profiles designed to stop your hand sliding forward always gave me blisters between my first finger and thumb. Handles with sharp bent corners also gave me blisters and were uncomfortable whilst tool grips with finger profiles never worked for me either.

I found the tools I was using lacked the “one size fits all scenario” – never truly fitting the palm of anyone properly. 90 degree U bent handles scratched the side of my hands which can also cause blisters, and rough textured surfaces make your hands sore.
Ergonomically designed with comfort in mind.

I designed our manual hand tools with rounded ‘U section’ handles and a cross
section profile that leans inwards, thus alleviating the problem with scratching and pinching whilst still giving a stable grip on the tool.

Width was considered and compromised on, allowing for the range of hand sizes that would be using the tools. The grips are of a straight and smooth finish as this was always the best shape and texture of handle from my own experience; cutting miles of sheet metal with tin snips.

I polished the handles of my snips and also made some myself as I could see that the practical need for improvement. There are mechanical constraints but the handle travel needed to be sensible and not to far apart at the outset of the levers.

I’ve designed our crimpers to be as light weight as possible with compromising on strength and durability. If you’re doing the same action for any length of time then handle comfort is not the only consideration but weight too must be ideal: The tools are well balanced and light but sturdy and solid.

These are some of the design considerations that were taken into account when designing our manual hand crimpers and de-cappers. years of experience went into the development of our products meaning that when it comes to practical application you’ll have the most comfortable experience possible.

 

UK Made Laboratory Balances, Scales & Accessories

When Precision and Accuracy are the Most Important Factors

The Brave New World

laboratory balances from_adam_equipmentWhen you consider that the ‘science’ of chemistry only started to develop in the 17th century – some three hundred odd years ago – the journey of chemical science has been quite extraordinary, reaching a level of sophistication that would have been beyond the dreams of past generations. Carbon fibre, lightweight composites, carbon nanotubes, advanced pharmaceuticals, and the microprocessors that run our world all have chemical wizardry somewhere in their production and development.

The other facet of this exciting world of technological development is ‘absolute precision’. Whether it is the research scientist or the analytical chemist, the need for precise data and accuracy of measurements is crucial, and no less so in the case of area of laboratory balances and scales.

The Digital Age Means Greater Accuracy

laboratory calibration weightsIn the past, chemists relied on handling physical weights, and their ability to accurately read off the figures from a calibrated scale, when it came to weighing substances. These methods still have their place as fall-backs, or in remote parts of the world with few facilities, but today’s researcher is more likely to reach for a digital laboratory scale or balance to get precise and reliable measurements. Indeed, the new digital balances available are often incredibly sophisticated and the UK is fortunate to have some of the best digital laboratory equipment manufacturers in the world.

Many of the models available to researchers have USB and RS-232 connections that allow measurements to be directly harvested by an attached computer or laptop, speeding up the data-gathering process. Some models even come with audible overload indicators to prevent damage to the balance.With a huge range of accessories available such as covers, hard case, anti-vibration tables and density determination kits, you can tailor each device specifically to your requirements

In the Laboratory Or Out in The Field

hard carry case with lockIn the area of corporate or public laboratory field research portable digital scales and balances are available for on-site use, so enabling researchers to spend longer in the field collecting data rather than returning to base to begin the measurement process. Low cost compact versions can simply work on AA batteries while more high-end precision portable models work on rechargeable batteries or DC adapters.

Cutting Edge Technology

For researchers at the cutting edge of chemical know-how, products, or pharmaceuticals the demand for absolute accuracy and precision of weight measurements is, again, crucial. Investing thousands of man-hours in developing a new product only to have that work undermined by poor data measurements is not what a company, or its shareholders, will want to hear. Where the research is groundbreaking, and reputations could be at stake through peer review, then accurate and reliable measurements from robust laboratory equipment is also a must. But, as mentioned, there are British companies out there that are leaders in this field of laboratory equipment.

 

UK Manufactured Glass Injection Vials – A Guide

The characteristics of an injection vial can vary from one manufacturer to the next, which is why it’s important to consider the suitability of each individual type. Ensure you choose the appropriate container with this quick guide to glass injection vials.

Why choose UK glass injection vials?

The finest glass injection vials are manufactured with quality and resilience in mind. Precision made by established and respected manufacturers, genuine glass vials guarantee durability and are typically USP enforced (United States Pharmacopoeia) to ensure they meet client requirements.

Specifications

Amber Borosilicate Type 1 Glass Injection Vial
Amber Borosilicate Type 1 Glass Injection Vial

Glass vial types are categorised by their USP type and are all designed to comply with product quality standards. The most common glass type is the USP Type 1 Borosilicate glass. Excellent quality and highly sought-after – these are used to manufacture most of the glass apparatus in labs and other similar environments.

These borosilicate injection vials are made with the least reactive glass type, making them highly suitable for lyophilisation/freeze-drying and parentarel applications.

The benefits

As borosilicate vials are made with the least reactive material, they are very pH stable. In other words, borosilicate glass can withstand many corrosive substances without harming the glass container.

They can also remain stable at a wide range of temperatures and vial contents can be freeze-dried without causing damage to the vials. Neither will the glass in any way harm or react with the contents. Borosilicate vials can also be autoclaved for sterilisation purposes.

Who uses them?

Due to their durability and various benefits, glass injection vials have uses in many different faculties such as laboratories and pharmaceutical companies, veterinary practices, hospitals, schools, research centres and much more.

Compatibility

The compatibility with other products is entirely dependent on the vial type. The USP type 1 Borosilicate glass vials are compatible with all corresponding crimp caps and seals. Silicone vial stoppers are also suitable for type 1 injection vials to ensure protection when freeze-drying and injecting highly reactive substances.

Clear Borosilicate Type 1 Glass Injection Vial
Clear Borosilicate Type 1 Glass Injection Vial

Glass injection vials are not limited to use in a specific industry. As aforementioned, they can be used in many different faculties. All USP types of glass injection vials – from Borosilicate, Soda-Lime and De-alkalized Soda-Lime glass vials can be used to contain products for many different purposes.

Less stable injection vials, for example, may store liquids and tablets for general healthcare purposes, while glass vials that are able to contain more reactive substances have their uses in the Bioscience and Pharmaceutical industry.