What do we mean by “refurbished”?
Refurbished can be an arbitrary term. It means different things to different people. We can only speak for what refurbished means to Rankin, and have outlined specifically what we do to our instruments to deem them “refurbished”. Every instrument undergoes a systemized, rigorous, down-to-the-frame refurbishment process to rebuild each instrument to its original specifications and intended use.
Disassembly
- Instrument decontaminated
- Preliminary inspection of functionality
- Instrument disassembled down to the frame
Aesthetic Restoration
- Panels, chassis, and internal surfaces stripped and prepped for painting
- Prepared surfaces primed and painted with industrial-quality, chemical-resistant paint
- Labels replaced to original appearance
- Metallic worksurfaces re-surfaced or replaced
- Control panels (button panels) replaced if necessary
Refurbishment
- Replace wearables such as o-rings, gaskets, seals, diaphragms, tubing, belts, drive cables, fittings, grease, and connectors.
- Replace faulty or suspicious electronics such as boards, LCD screens, heaters, motors, relays, fuses, and opto sensors.
- Replace mechanical assemblies and subassemblies such as blade holers, gripper arms, spindles, chains, linear rail systems, sprockets, and valves.
- Replace accessories such as reagent bottles, reservoirs, nozzles, drawers, bins, chutes, and slide baskets.
- Replace refrigeration with new compressors, cap tubes, refrigerant, insulation, and condenser fans.
- Replace hardware such as casters, door latches, gas struts, leveling feet, acrylic doors, touch pads, hinges, bearings, and water valves.
Reassembly
- Instrument reassembled back to functional operation in preparation for testing and calibration.
Safety & Calibration
- Assemblies individually function tested for proper pneumatic, electronic, mechanical, and plumbing operation.
- System tested for electrical safety.
- System accuracy calibrated to strict OEM specifications.
Function Testing
- Full-system mock lab testing performed for up to one week with the corresponding reagents, microscope slides, paraffin, blocks, freezing medium, coverglass, mounting media, etc.
- 1,000+ slides and coverslips tested on coverslippers
- 500+ sections made on microtomes and cryostats
- 5+ liters of paraffin ran through embedding stations
- 1 week or more of refrigeration testing on cryostats
- 500+ cassettes and slides printed on labelers
- 500+ slides ran through slide stainers
- Trained biomedical technicians that specialize on different products
- All instruments are tested against OEM specifications
- The operation must be like-new
Quality Control
- Every refurbished instrument is held up to standardized quality control checks
- Quality metrics are derived from OEM specifications, as well as Rankin quality standards
- Our strict QC protocol ensures that every instrument is operating in like-new condition before leaving our facility.
- Your instrument will be delivered with its completed quality control checklist for verification of passing QC.
