Key features
Overview
Pots are picked from a rack, barcode read, de-capped and placed onto a balance which travels beneath the material dispensers. Here, raw materials are dispensed into the pot using feedback from a Sartorius WZA-245-NC balance to create a formulation.
Formulations are mixed within capped pots using a dual asymmetric centrifuge (DAC) or sonicator. Mixing operations are performed at operator defined points, specified throughout individual formulation workflows. Upon completion of material additions and mixing, the capped pot is returned to the input rack or transferred to a barcoded syringe.
The syringes are loaded into the system pre-assembled with plungers and sample transfer discs. After being transferred to a syringe, an extrusion test is performed if required. To perform the extrusion test, the formulation system loads a syringe with an operator specified dispense tip. During the extrusion test the sample is dispensed using a constant speed whilst monitoring force. If this test is not required, the syringes are manually transferred by an operator to any of the downstream systems for additional characterisation/analysis.