'Big Data' – Challenge or Chance for Lab Automation?

Related Vendors

DÜPERTHAL Sicherheitstechnik GmbH & Co. KG

Elementar Analysensysteme GmbH

TRM Filter d.o.o.

DECHEMA Ausstellungs-GmbH

DECHEMA e.V.

The consortium brings together five mid-tier companies along with researchers at TU Berlin who are investigating pathways for automating bioprocessing. The goal is to partially automate bioprocess development, which currently takes between five and eight years. By pooling interdisciplinary expertise in biotechnology, IT, process engineering and electrical engineering, researchers hope to migrate manual development steps to robotic platforms. BMBF will provide a funding of €2.2 million for Autobio through 2015. The overall project budget is €3.7 million.

Pictures from this years Pittcon

Gallery with 27 images

Additional Information

Lab Solutions Live

An Outlook at ACHEMA 2015

Lab automation requires the integration of a wide range of soft and hardware suppliers. The challenge today is not to gather more data, but to make good use of the overwhelming amount of information. ACHEMA 2015 offers the opportunity to users, suppliers and service providers to discuss these questions. Lab IT’s future requirement profile include:

Standardized interfaces (SiLA, OPC)

Conformance to international standards

Integration of heterogeneous device profiles

Connectivity to higher-level systems (HL7, ASTM, SiLA data exchange)

Modular software architecture

High-performance data processing

Data visualization, analysis and comparability

User interface (GUI) which is easy to understand

Long-term availability of the software base

Distributed access

User-centric, adaptable operation

High data availability

Integratable long-term archive

Skilled staff to maintain and use the lab IT systems

Custom Automation

Lab automation has many benefits, but it can involve cost-intensive modifications depending on the lab's size and requirements. Cost-conscious lab operators who intend to introduce automation step-by-step could well benefit from modular systems which can be expanded as per the requirements. To make the systems future-proof, the modules should conform to current international standards and include standardized interfaces.

Lab Glass Filter Dryer in operation at one of the labs (Picture: PSL)

* First published in PROCESS India 2015Courteousy by ACHEMA Online

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