SPI Supplies Recycling Program

SPI Supplies takes what we believe to be a unique approach, one not found elsewhere in the microscopy and microanalysis community. We offer a two level program of retipping and recycling of filaments for electron microscopes and electron microprobes.

• Conventional retipping of "spent" (e.g. burned out) filaments

SPI has offered for many years a high quality filament retipping service and we are able to retip any of the filaments described and pictured in our filament section. On average, the price to retip filaments is typically slightly less than half of the cost of new filaments from the original equipment manufacturer.


• Exchange boxes of used filaments for one free box of retipped filaments

For one of several reasons, some laboratories have a tendency to only order new filaments and not bother with the retipping of used filaments. In some foreign countries, the government restrictions and controls make the temporary exporting of one or two boxes of filaments literally impractical. In other instances, the bureaucracy of an institution discourages the shipping of assets outside the institution and therefore, it just becomes too much of an effort to be justified.

SPI Supplies therefore has found a way for customers to convert some of those mountains of used filaments into something of value: For each ten boxes (or 10 or 12) filaments returned to SPI, we will return to the customer, all shipping charges prepaid on our end, one full box of SPI retipped filaments. In most instances the customer will find the SPI retipped filaments to be indistinguishable in performance from brand new filaments from the original manufacturer.

Note that this offer applies to filaments of any manufacturer for any model of electron microscopes except for the JEOL GC type filaments. This is an old style filament that was used only in the earliest models manufactured by JEOL until about 1975.


• Taking advantage of either program:

You will need to complete our Return Authorization form to receive an RA # from SPI Supplies before returning any knives as part of either part of this program. Then, when you hear back from SPI, you will also be receiving instructions for the return of the filament bases and how to send them. For shipments from outside the USA, it is extremely important that these instructions be followed exactly, because if customs duties are assessed on the filaments coming into the USA, such charges will be for the account of the customer, not for SPI Supplies.

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