Case Study: LabRivive’s Repair Service for Agilent 1260 HPLC Infinity II in a U.S.-Based Biotechnology Company
1. Background
LabRivive, a U.S.-headquartered professional laboratory instrument maintenance and repair company, specializes in providing high-quality, cost-effective repair solutions for a wide range of analytical and life science instruments, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems, mass spectrometers, and real-time PCR instruments. With a team of certified senior engineers proficient in chip-level repair and years of experience in maintaining Agilent instruments, LabRivive has established a solid reputation in the U.S. biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and environmental testing industries for its efficient response, professional technical capabilities, and reliable post-repair support. The Agilent 1260 HPLC Infinity II is a high-performance liquid chromatography system, widely used in compound separation, quantitative analysis, impurity detection, and sample purification. Equipped with a quaternary pump, high-sensitivity diode array detector (DAD), auto-sampler, and integrated OpenLab software, it is a core tool for laboratories requiring accurate and efficient chromatographic analysis, serving fields such as drug development, quality control, environmental monitoring, and food safety testing.
The client in this case is a medium-sized pharmaceutical company located in California, USA, focusing on drug R&D and quality control. The company’s Agilent 1260 HPLC Infinity II, which had been in continuous operation for 4 years, suddenly malfunctioned, seriously disrupting its drug purity testing and impurity analysis work. The instrument exhibited multiple abnormal symptoms: unstable pump pressure (fluctuating beyond the standard range of ±50 psi), leakages in the fluidic system, weak or distorted chromatographic peaks, inaccurate sample injection volume, and frequent software connection errors, leading to unreliable analytical results and failed experiments. Given the critical role of the HPLC system in the company’s drug quality control and R&D progress, the client urgently needed professional repair services to restore the instrument to normal operation within the shortest possible time. After comparing multiple repair service providers, the client chose LabRivive due to its professional reputation in Agilent HPLC repair, rich experience in chromatographic system maintenance, and commitment to timely on-site service within 24 hours.
2. Repair Process
LabRivive adopted a systematic and standardized repair process to address the malfunction of the Agilent 1260 HPLC Infinity II, combining professional diagnostic technology with HPLC system maintenance specifications, ensuring accuracy and efficiency at every step, in line with industry-standard maintenance protocols and ISO/IEC 17025 calibration requirements.
First, after receiving the client’s service request, LabRivive’s customer service team quickly collected detailed information about the instrument malfunction, including error codes, operation records, recent chromatographic data (such as distorted peaks and pressure fluctuations), and fluidic system status. A certified senior engineer with more than 7 years of experience in Agilent HPLC repair was assigned to the case, and an on-site service appointment was scheduled within 24 hours, fully meeting the client’s urgent needs.
Second, on-site diagnosis was carried out comprehensively. The engineer first conducted a visual inspection of the instrument, checking the quaternary pump, fluidic pipelines, seals, auto-sampler, diode array detector (DAD), and internal circuit connections for physical damage, leakage, contamination, loose connections, or component aging. Using professional diagnostic tools including pressure gauges, flow rate calibrators, and detector performance testers, the engineer performed a series of systematic tests, including pump pressure stability verification, flow rate accuracy analysis, auto-sampler injection volume calibration, DAD signal detection, and software connection debugging. The diagnosis results showed that the main malfunctions were fourfold: the pump’s check valve was contaminated and worn, leading to unstable pressure and flow rate; the fluidic pipeline seals were aged and damaged, causing leakage; the auto-sampler’s syringe was worn, resulting in inaccurate injection volume; and the DAD’s optical path was contaminated, leading to weak and distorted chromatographic peaks.
Third, targeted repair measures were implemented. The engineer first disassembled the pump, cleaned the contaminated check valve thoroughly using professional cleaning reagents, and replaced the worn check valve and fluidic pipeline seals with genuine Agilent-compatible components to eliminate leakage and stabilize pump pressure. Next, the worn auto-sampler syringe was replaced, and the auto-sampler was calibrated to ensure accurate injection volume (error ≤±1%). The DAD’s optical path was cleaned using specialized optical cleaning tools, and the detector was calibrated to restore signal sensitivity. Additionally, the engineer checked and reconnected the instrument’s circuit connections, updated the OpenLab software, and debugged the software-hardware connection to resolve connection errors. Throughout the repair process, the engineer maintained close communication with the client’s laboratory staff, explaining the malfunction causes (such as contamination and component aging) and repair progress in detail, and providing preliminary suggestions for daily maintenance.
3. Repair Results and Verification
The entire repair process was completed within 48 hours from the initial service request, 24 hours ahead of the scheduled time, minimizing the impact on the client’s drug quality control and R&D work, and reducing downtime losses. After the repair, a series of strict verification tests were conducted to confirm the instrument’s performance, in line with Agilent’s official performance standards and ISO/IEC 17025 calibration requirements.
The verification results showed that the Agilent 1260 HPLC Infinity II could operate stably without any error prompts. The pump pressure was stable within the standard range (±50 psi), and the fluidic system had no leakage; the auto-sampler injection volume was accurate (error ≤±1%); the DAD signal sensitivity was fully restored, and chromatographic peaks were clear, symmetrical, and free of distortion. The instrument’s flow rate accuracy reached ±0.5%, and the retention time reproducibility was within 0.1%, ensuring reliable analytical results. The client’s laboratory staff also conducted a series of verification experiments, including drug purity testing and impurity analysis, and the experimental results were consistent with the expected standards—chromatographic data matched the reference standards accurately, and quantitative values were within the acceptable range, confirming that the instrument had been fully restored to normal operation.
In addition, LabRivive provided the client with a 6-month repair warranty, including free on-site maintenance and component replacement (if any quality issues arise from the repair), as well as professional technical support and daily maintenance guidance. The guidance included suggestions for regular flushing of the fluidic system, replacement of seals and syringes, cleaning of the DAD optical path, and proper storage of the instrument (temperature 18-25℃, humidity 40%-60%) to avoid contamination and component aging. The client highly recognized LabRivive’s efficient service, professional technical capabilities, and reliable repair quality, noting that LabRivive’s repair cost was significantly lower than the original manufacturer’s service.
4. Conclusion
This case demonstrates LabRivive’s professional strength and customer-centric service concept in the repair of high-precision analytical instruments such as the Agilent 1260 HPLC Infinity II. By adopting a systematic diagnosis, targeted repair strategy, and combining professional technical capabilities with HPLC system maintenance experience, LabRivive successfully resolved the instrument’s complex malfunctions (including pump, fluidic system, auto-sampler, and detector issues) in a short period of time, restored its performance to the official standard range, and minimized the impact on the client’s research and production work. Compared with the original manufacturer’s repair service, LabRivive’s service offers higher efficiency, more competitive pricing, and more flexible on-site support, addressing the industry’s core pain points of long repair cycles and high costs.
For laboratories relying on high-precision instruments such as the Agilent 1260 HPLC Infinity II, timely and professional repair services are crucial to ensuring the smooth progress of research and production, as well as the accuracy and reliability of analytical results. LabRivive’s rich experience in HPLC system repair, certified professional engineers, and efficient service process can provide reliable technical support for such laboratories, helping them reduce operational costs, avoid experimental errors caused by instrument malfunctions, and improve work efficiency. This case also provides a valuable reference for the maintenance and repair of similar HPLC systems in the industry, especially for resolving combined faults of pump, fluidic system, and detector modules.
