Automation technology is advancing at a rapid rate, and more and more laboratories are adopting it to enhance their productivity and efficiency.
Assembly equipment (automated work cell) is being used by laboratories to achieve new levels of throughput and significantly increase their experiments’ reproducibility. With the use of such technology, workflow is optimized in multiple areas of the lab.
As with anything, there can be certain obstacles that laboratory management face when implementing lab automation robots into their existing systems. This is to be expected, and it can easily be mitigated by addressing the concerns directly.
Early automated systems were focused on increasing the speed and capacity of work. They focused on a single task and performed it over and over again to its highest capabilities. It was initially difficult to get one piece of lab automation equipment to cover a range of tasks. Fast forward to the modern-day, and the latest, most advanced assembly equipment is able to work with more flexibility to meet the demands of the lab.
Lab automation robots can easily be re-designed or adjusted to address the specific demands of a particular lab. They can be reconfigured to perform a range of tasks that contribute to enhanced workflow and efficiency.
The use of automation in the lab reduces the need for staff members to perform repetitive tasks that can easily be done using robots. For example, mixing solutions and pipetting samples or analyzing large sets of data from previous experiments are all tasks that require a lot of time and energy for humans to perform.
However, an automated robot can complete the above tasks at a faster pace and with higher accuracy and precision. This leaves more time for the laboratory staff to work elsewhere in the lab on tasks that require a higher level of skill and thought.
Robots can simultaneously perform tasks while gaining feedback from the data, enabling the work to flow effortlessly. They can be integrated into existing laboratory systems to minimize the disruption to the lab.
Experiments such as sample analysis, pharmaceutical development, and health studies can all benefit from the use of lab automation robots, and the scope for development is huge. There is no doubt that in the next decade or two, the use of automation in a multitude of laboratory procedures is going to accelerate.
To learn more about the benefits of automation in the lab and to get high-quality assembly equipment to enhance productivity and efficiency in your lab, contact Retisoft today.