Sourcing Dispensing Products

As you consider suppliers for critical consumable fluid dispensing products such as cartridges, syringes/barrels, pistons and plungers.  Understanding the relationship between these components (how they work or fit together) is vital to making an informed source decision.  While dispensing components may look similar from supplier to supplier, there are subtle differences in fit and function from one supplier to another that if substituted could result in negative dispensing performance.  Ideally dispensing components from different suppliers should not be mixed together in most situations. 

A key aspect of the syringe/barrel to piston or cartridge to plunger relationship is the ‘interference’ between these parts.  Interference is the amount of resistance or tightness of fit between piston and syringe/barrel or plunger and cartridge.  Each supplier works hard to maintain specific tolerance ratios between inside diameter of the syringe/barrel or cartridge to the piston or plunger so that the designed interference is consistently maintained throughout the entire fluid dispensing process.  Specific interferences are vital for error free dispensing of materials with certain viscosities.  Use of matched combinations of syringe/barrel to piston or cartridge to plunger from the same manufacture helps to insure a consistent and repeatable dispensing process.

Qualifying a first and second source for consumable materials that feed into your manufacturing process, packaging or fluid dispensing operation (Syringes, Tips, Cartridges …) is essential to insure continuous production integrity and long term viability for your business for a number of reasons.  First, if the prime source has a production problem and is unable to deliver for any reason, it is advantageous to have a second source pre-qualified and ‘on-line’ ready to step into the breach.  Second, an alternative source can be used to help maintain pricing parity for you and your customers’ bottom line by analyzing alternative options against each other.  Second source qualification reduces the tangible and mitigates the intangible risks of doing business, helping to insure a high quality/reliable materials supply line and avoiding negative effects and unfavorable terms while securing a more stable materials structure.   For more information please click here.