Project

Custom Peristaltic Pump

A CNC-machined, custom peristaltic pump designed to load microchannels on a glass chip at high pressure, with a minimal footprint and low noise.

70 PSI 120s Hold -65% Cost -53% Footprint
Custom CNC-machined peristaltic pump
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Problem

Off-the-shelf peristaltic pumps couldn't meet Revvity's requirements for a small-footprint, high-pressure, low-noise pump to load microchannels on a glass chip, motivating a custom-designed alternative.

Peristaltic pump prototype 1 Peristaltic pump prototype 2 Peristaltic pump prototype 3
Assembled peristaltic pump, real photo
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Action

  • Took inspiration from off-the-shelf products and consulted vendors to determine the feasibility of an air-pressurizing peristaltic pump.
  • Modeled parts in SolidWorks and prototyped with a Formlabs SLA 3D printer, incorporating feedback from design reviews along the way.
  • Troubleshot various failure modes through systematic experiments, iterating based on data and further research before committing to CNC-machined parts.
  • Designed tests to prove the longevity, effectiveness, and functionality of the pump at multiple pressures, and completed CNC machining drawings and manufacturing instructions following GD&T practices.
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Result

  • Reduced pump cost by 65% while decreasing physical footprint by 53% compared to off-the-shelf options.
  • Completed 5,000 cycles — representative of 5 years of expected use — holding 70 psi for 120 seconds each cycle, with no failures.
  • Led to an ergonomic redesign of the priming station accessory, which was approved and handed off to the Applications Team for assay testing.
Peristaltic pump CAD enclosure model
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