Analytical Components International (ACI), a leading manufacturer of precision components for analytical instrumentation and an innovator in the hard materials industry, specializing in synthetic sapphire and precision ceramic components for the industrial, medical, and life science industries, has announced the expansion of its liquid chromatography portfolio with the launch of a premium line of aftermarket check valves.
Credit: Analytical Components International (ACI)
Designed to complement ACI’s high-precision piston offerings, the new valves provide a cost-effective, high-reliability alternative for Agilent® and Waters® HPLC/UPLC systems. Leveraging ACI’s expertise in hard-material processing (sapphire, ruby, and ceramic), they are engineered to meet or exceed OEM performance specifications.
The initial product range supports major Agilent® 1100, 1200, and 1260 Infinity systems, as well as Waters® Alliance and ACQUITY® UPLC platforms, covering key inlet, outlet, and valve configurations used in analytical and preparative pump systems, including Active Inlet Valve (AIV) cartridge, passive inlet valve (integrated seal), outlet valve (integrated seal), and Intelligent Intake Valve (I2V) double ball/seat assemblies.
Key Technical Advantages
- Hard Material Precision: Sapphire and ruby components with ceramic seats ensure leak-tight sealing and fast response
- Material Inertness: Broad solvent compatibility reduces baseline noise and contamination risk in LC-MS applications
- Synergistic Design: Optimized with ACI piston systems for improved pump efficiency and consistency
- Quality Assurance: 100% pressure testing ensures performance above 15,000 psi in UPLC systems
This expansion enables laboratories to streamline procurement by sourcing both pistons and check valves from a single manufacturer. The ACI range supports pharmaceutical QC, CROs, and high-throughput testing environments seeking reliable performance with reduced maintenance requirements.
“This expansion strengthens ACI’s liquid chromatography portfolio by adding high-reliability check valves designed to complement our existing piston technology,” said Michael Mainvielle, President and General Manager at ACI. “These components are engineered using sapphire, ruby, and ceramic materials to meet or exceed OEM performance specifications across major analytical platforms.”