How OPTI-MAX® Works

OPTI-MAX® Cartridge Check Valves are designed to offer maximal performance and ease of use. From the sharp, consistent threads on OPTI-MAX® custom housings, to the exacting standards used to match ball/seat sets in OPTI-MAX® cartridges, every aspect of design and manufacture reflects an unavoidable fact: when it comes to reliable check valve operation, quality and precision make a big difference.

OPTI-MAX® check valves offer many advantages over OEM check valve systems, and are better designed, better made and more reliable than any other after-market check valve product.

Be sure to check out OPTI-MAX® Conversion Kits - all the OPTI-MAX® cartridge check valves you need for your pump, value-priced in a single kit.

OPTI-MAX® Cartridges: A Universal Solution
A single OPTI-MAX® cartridge is interchangeable across multiple pump brands, and will function in either the inlet or outlet position. The same replacement cartridge will fit into OPTI-MAX® housings for pumps made by Waters, Shimadzu, Agilent/HP, and most other OEM solvent delivery systems. This allows you to minimise the number of spare check valve cartridges you keep on hand, and dramatically reduce the cost of inventory required to cover your emergency maintenance needs.

Free-Turn™ Housings: An Optimize Innovation
Most of our OPTI-MAX® check valve housings are supplied in a Free-Turn™ configuration. This means that the nut and thread used to tighten the housing into a pump head spin independently from the inner housing body, where the connecting tubing and cartridge reside. This allows you to remove your housing from the pump head without having to first disconnect your connecting tubing. Imagine that - if you need to replace a check valve, there's only one nut to untighten, one simple cartridge to replace, and one nut to tighten back up again. With OPTI-MAX®, you can completely replace a check valve cartridge in two minutes.

A Choice of Materials
OPTI-MAX® cartridges are available in two different materials, and with two different ball/seat options. Cartridge bodies can be made with stainless steel or PEEK. When mechanical strength is paramount and biocompatibility is not a requirement, stainless steel cartridges are the best choice. For a biocompatible flow path (when used with PEEK housings) our PEEK cartridges can be used.

Ball/seat sets area available in all-ceramic, or in ruby/sapphire. Both types of ball/seat set are precision matched to the same leak-standard, and both will exhibit consistent performance and long life. The ceramic ball/seat can be advantageous in some situations due to its higher density, which can make the valve more responsive, and help the ball seat faster in lighter solvents.

OPTI-MAX® cartridges come in 4 different ball sizes - 1/32", 1/16", 1/8" and 3/16". Where possible, stick with the size we recommend for each pump, as it will be the optimal choice for the pump in question. However, if you typically run at very low flow rates, you may see an increase in performance by using 1/16" check valve cartridges on a pump that normally used 1/8" cartridges.