At Labman we are currently working hard on the production of one of our latest systems for the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University. The University currently performs a number of biomass grinding, dispensing and preparation processes which they wish to automate.
The system that Labman is manufacturing, comprises of three separate bespoke robots which are used together to automate the required processes.
Cryogenic Grinder System
The cryogenic grinder system is an automated plant sample grinding and dispensing system that is built around a chest freezer which maintains an operating temperature of -60°C. The system is used to grind plant samples into a fine powder, which is then dispensed into a number of output vial.
The room temperature grinder system performs the same grind and dispense operations as the cryogenic grinder system, however all actions are performed at room temperature.
Sample Extraction System
The following diagram shows how operationally the three systems are used:
The project is scheduled for delivery to Aberystwyth in November 2013.