Thermo Scientific Vanquish Core HPLC System Cost of Ownership

Significance of the Topic

Modern routine laboratories face growing pressure to increase sample throughput while controlling operational costs. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) remains a cornerstone in pharmaceutical quality control, environmental testing, and industrial analytics. Advances in instrumentation that streamline workflows, extend consumable lifetimes, and prevent unplanned downtime directly translate into measurable savings and productivity gains.

Objectives and Article Overview

This white paper evaluates the total cost of ownership and productivity benefits of the Thermo Scientific Vanquish Core HPLC system. Key goals include quantifying time savings from enhanced hardware, measuring reductions in interruptions due to system intelligence, and estimating additional revenue from increased sample throughput. A comparative economic analysis illustrates gains for both unchanged and modernized methods.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Hardware features assessed: 700 bar pump capability, Viper Fingertight fittings, SmartInject sample handling, automatic purge, and “Prepare Next Injection” option.
• System intelligence functions: scheduled System Health Checks, diagnostics with maintenance videos, and real-time Solvent Monitor.
• User interface enhancements: on-instrument display for pressure, solvent levels, and guided troubleshooting, reducing reliance on the chromatography data system (CDS).
• Economic model parameters: labor cost (USD 380/day), sample cycle time (25 min), annual throughput (6 000 samples), sample value (USD 30), column cost and lifetime, service interruptions, and consumables.

Key Findings and Discussion

• Hardware performance saved over 25 h/year per system through faster method execution, tool-free fittings, and preparatory injection workflows, enabling 200–250 extra samples annually.
• System intelligence reduced minor interruptions by ~35% and major interruptions by ~25%, saving over five service days and 0.6 FTE-days per year.
• User interface features eliminated ~250 log-ins to the CDS annually, recovering nearly 42 h of analyst time.
• Overall, unchanged methods realized an average of USD 9 800 additional annual sample revenue and USD 5 450 in direct cost reductions. Modernized methods leveraging sub-3 µm columns increased revenue potential to ~USD 29 800.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Higher throughput: Instrument agility and extended column lifetime support continuous high-volume analysis in pharmaceutical QC and industrial labs.
• Lower operating costs: Reduced wear-part replacement, fewer service calls, and minimized solvent waste decrease annual expenses.
• Enhanced compliance: Automated health checks and diagnostics minimize regulatory risk by proactively identifying performance drifts.
• Improved user experience: On-board monitoring and guided maintenance simplify daily workflows for less experienced staff.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

• Integration of machine learning for predictive maintenance, further reducing downtime and extending component lifespans.
• Expansion of automated method optimization tools to dynamically adjust gradients and flow rates for new column chemistries.
• Broader application of real-time solvent analytics to support greener workflows with reduced organic solvent consumption.
• Enhanced connectivity with laboratory information management systems (LIMS) to drive fully autonomous analytical pipelines.

Conclusion

The Thermo Scientific Vanquish Core HPLC system delivers substantial economic and operational advantages for routine analysis laboratories. By combining robust hardware capable of up to 700 bar with intelligent diagnostics, streamlined user interaction, and automated workflows, the system reduces total cost of ownership and increases annual sample capacity. Even without altering existing methods, laboratories can expect an average net gain of nearly USD 15 000 per system per year. Adopting modernized UHPLC protocols further amplifies these benefits, underscoring the strategic value of upgrading legacy LC platforms.

References

• Kromidas S. (Ed.). The HPLC-MS Handbook for Practitioners. Wiley-VCH; 2010. p. 214.