This pharmaceutical and biotechnology company commissioned a powerhouse of discovery to streamline its liquid handler loading/unloading processes with the support of Hampshire-based PAA (Peak Analysis and Automation).
Early in the project, PAA recognised that the existing liquid handler loading and unloading process would create a major bottleneck in the automated workflow. To overcome this challenge and meet the required throughput, PAA implemented an approach to optimise the loading, processing, and unloading of labware and consumables on the deck of the liquid handler.
The systems that PAA developed comprises two Mitsubishi Electric RV-8CRL industrial robots, loading three Lynx liquid handlers (Dynamic Devices) with bespoke conveyor loading systems, operating in two individual workcells that are linked together by an overhead 8m linear shuttle system, allowing for quick and effective sample transfer between the two platforms.
Mitsubishi Electric HG-KR servo motors and MR-J4B servo amplifiers drive a conveyor belt mounted onto the liquid handler deck, which allows for entire trays of labware to be fed into the instrument in one movement. As a result, the cell is capable of loading up to nine pieces of labware simultaneously rather than individually, delivering a significant improvement in overall throughput.
The Mitsubishi architecture can be configured using the CR800 robot controller’s standard functionality, while all the additional servo axes, communication and distributed I/O on both platforms were connected without additional components.
Jon Newman-Smith, research & development director at PAA, said: “A consequence of the increased capacity loading onto the liquid handler was that we needed to find a robot that had the payload capabilities and reach to load and unload the trays onto the conveyor. We decided to use a Mitsubishi RV-8CRL because it presented a cost-effective way of meeting the payload and reach criteria for the integration.
“Additionally, we were able to deploy it with a 4F-SF002 safety expansion unit, which gave us access to the additional “Safe Limited Speed” operating mode. This protected the integrity of the scientific processes in the event of intervention. We designed a multi-function end-effector consisting of two tools, capable of handling trays of labware in one orientation and individual pieces of labware in another orientation.”
Stephen Chilton, product and marketing manager at Mitsubishi Electric Automation Systems UK, commented: “Clinical & Research laboratories around the world face mounting pressure to provide faster turnaround times and reduce errors to improve patient care. By implementing a combination of industrial and laboratory automation approaches to complex and time-consuming processes, the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and laboratory sectors can begin to ease this pressure significantly, enable rapid responses to emerging infectious diseases, and address bottlenecks in traditional vaccine development, thereby having a meaningful impact on patient outcomes.
“PAA stands at the forefront of evolving industrial automation technologies, and we were delighted to collaborate with the team on this challenging but highly successful project.”