DÜPERTHAL Sicherheitstechnik GmbH & Co. KG

Initial situation: HPLC analysis is running – until the peripherals stop it

In many laboratories, HPLC systems are the ‘heart’ of powerful analytical processes that must run without interruption. In practice, however, disruptions are often caused not by a problem in the HPLC process itself, but by undetected conditions in the environment, particularly in relation to supply and disposal, exhaust air management, open doors or temperature fluctuations. This is exactly where DÜPERTHAL connect comes in: as a digital co-pilot that makes conditions permanently visible, provides early warnings and automatically documents them.

From DISPOSAL safety cabinet to complete station: What's new now

With the DISPOSAL line, DÜPERTHAL addresses the safe, integrated disposal of solvent waste, e.g. in the HPLC process, and supplements this with sensor technology and digital monitoring. The central component is the level monitoring on the disposal side, which prevents overfilling and failures through automatic warning messages and at the same time enables complete documentation. A new feature is the additional monitoring of the supply side: this allows operators to monitor supply and disposal together as ‘complete monitoring for HPLC processes’ instead of isolated individual solutions.

Safety and compliance benefits: warn, document, become auditable

Handling solvents and solvent waste involves specific risks: overflow/spillage, downtime of critical analysis systems, fire and explosion hazards, and health and environmental risks. DÜPERTHAL connect combines sensor technology with alarms and documentation, including real-time warnings and seamless data collection as audit-proof evidence. For example, level sensors can automatically report when the fill level reaches around 80% (adjustable) before critical conditions arise and processes are halted.

Practical evidence: IUTA – fewer checks, no level-related downtime

The IUTA (Institute for Environment & Energy, Technology & Analytics) provides a concrete example of application: HPLC processes are carried out there daily using solvents, which in the past were disposed of in disposal containers in front of or below the HPLC systems.

DÜPERTHAL describes how fill levels were sometimes detected too late in the past, posing risks to safety, operational processes and causing unwanted downtime. In the current project, a DÜPERTHAL DISPOSAL safety cabinet with integrated collection container and fill level monitoring as well as door status messages was therefore used – the results:

•   0 unplanned downtimes due to fill levels,

•   80% fewer manual checks,

•   100% auditability through automatic documentation. 

Manufacturer-independent retrofitting: monitoring where it matters

DÜPERTHAL explicitly positions its safety monitoring as manufacturer-independent, including for HPLC supply stations, laboratory refrigerators and safety storage cabinets, with temperature, exhaust air, door and fill level monitoring. The goal is to easily retrofit monitoring during ongoing operations, thereby creating a uniform digital view of the laboratory infrastructure. Central dashboards provide a consolidated overview of the status of connected devices; at the same time, flexible alarm concepts are possible (local, connection to GLT/BMA, remote).

‘Today, laboratories waste unnecessary time on manual control routines, thereby risking that critical conditions are detected too late,’ says Frank Backhaus, Head of Development at DÜPERTHAL Sicherheitstechnik GmbH & Co. KG. ‘With the expansion of our HPLC service station, we provide complete monitoring for the supply and disposal side of HPLC processes. This stabilises processes, increases safety and also makes audit requirements much easier to meet.’

Complete solution ‘HPLC service station’

The expansion is also a building block for the next stage of development: the HPLC service station as a complete solution for solvent and waste management, monitoring, process integration and scalability.

About DÜPERTHAL Sicherheitstechnik GmbH & Co. KG

DÜPERTHAL has been providing tailor-made system solutions for the safe storage of hazardous substances and goods for over 50 years, combining high-quality safety storage cabinet technology with digital modules for monitoring, documentation and system integration.

Further information: www.dueperthal.com and www.dueperthal-connect.com