In 2015 LIC were confirming the order for a new industrial washer/drier system for cleaning trays of both sample collection flasks, and sample vials. The infeed and outfeed conveyor systems offered by the manufacturer were not going to fit into the floorspace available, so we were asked to create a concept that would fit. We went beyond that and proposed a system that would reduce the labour required through use of a large industrial robot for loading trays into the washer.
Analytical Research Laboratories Ltd (ARL) is New Zealand’s leading soil, plant, feed, water and fertiliser analytical laboratory. Intellitech have worked with ARL to develop an innovative soil sieving and grinding machine.
Sieving of fresh soil samples takes place before sample drying and can be very labour intensive. This step normally involves a person manually pushing the sample through a perforated stainless-steel plate, and serves to break up the sample before drying, and remove rocks and roots from the soil. It also should produce a representative sub-sample, as not all the soil provided needs to be tested.
Grinding of soil samples takes place after the drying stage, and is normally either a manual process (using a sieve and pestle), or a noisy and dusty process.
The new machine developed is capable of performing both the sieving and grinding stages, with a simple change-over between the two modes.
Incoming vial trays enter machine on a conveyor and are automatically indexed forward
Preservative automatically dispensed into the vial as required
Machine automatically dispenses incoming caps, loaded into hopper from top of the machine, into vibratory feeder allowing the caps to traverse into the capping device
Vials remain in their tray during the entire process
Auto adjusting – Machine can support two different vial heights
Caps placed onto the vials one row at a time
Capped vial trays are stacked and then indexed out of the machine and onto the exit conveyor for removal
Specifications
Controlled by PLC
Pneumatic/ electric operation
CE certified and guarded
Item
Specification
Throughput
2,500+ vials per hour
Capacity
21 tray inserts (50 vials each)
Vial presentation format
Moulded tray inserts
Vial types
French 40ml and 50ml
Compatible bronopol dispensers
Intellitech (optional extra) / Ismatec IPC
Compressed air requirements
~0.5NL/s, maximum 1.5NL/s
Electrical requirements
220/230V AC 50 Hz
Dimensions (excluding conveyors)
2650L x 900D x 1500H
Options
Customization to suit specific vials and tray designs
Integrate with an Intellitech bronopol dispenser, Ismatec IPC dispenser, or custom integration.
The test’s available through ARL provide information essential to measuring and managing the productivity and health of soil, crops and animals.
Each day they use thousands of filter papers in the course of processing samples, and these papers were being folded by hand. As their business grows, keeping up with the demand for folded filter paper is only going to get more difficult. ARL recognised that this presented an opportunity to automate the process, and relieve staff of a highly repetitive job.
ARL approached Intellitech with a brief detailing their needs; a filter paper folder that could be loaded with 5000 papers, and left running without supervision. The cycle time for each fold needed to be 9 seconds or less.
Intellitech Automation went through a thorough concept design stage, investigating alternative filter paper folding methods, such as a fluted fold design similar to a cupcake paper cup. 3D-printed components were used to test the viability of folding filter paper in each of the fold designs. One concept stood out from the rest due to its simplicity and reliability folding papers to the current fold design.
The detailed design stage then began, with constant dialogue between ARL and Intellitech ensuring that the end result would be to their satisfaction. To prove repeatability before committing ARL to the full cost of the build, the folding components of the machine were built and tested first. The machine is now installed at ARL and is already folding papers for production at a rate of less than eight seconds per folded paper.
In 2013, Intellitech Automation designed and built a new liquid dispenser Hill Laboratories agricultural division, and were able to utilise cutting edge 3D printing technology to create a sophisticated manifold and check valve assembly that would never have been feasible with conventional machining technologies available.
The dispenser is designed to deliver 24ml x 10 (+/- 0.1ml) with each cycle, and is entirely pneumatic for simplicity.
Through using disposable syringes as simple positive displacement pumps, servicing costs are extremely low, and the volume dispensed is very consistent.
The use of 3D printing in the manifold meant that the check valves could be connected in a way that is very serviceable due to interlocking blocks being used on the outgoing side of the check valves. This means that should a check valve need replacing, it can be replaced without disassembling the entire manifold.
To learn more about how Intellitech can help your business, call us today on +64 9 411 8230 or send us an email.
Samples are mapped and moved from the trays to the sample carousel
Samples heated to desired temperature, submerged in temperature-control warm water and moved from tray to sample carousel
For an accurate result, robot mixes samples prior to analysis
Samples de-capped
Samples identified by bar-code or RFID (optional)
Samples presented to the analyser stirrer/pipette
Sample vials returned to tray
Operator Savings
Easy to use
Robot takes over all the monotonous manual tasks
Easy to operate
Reduces operator costs by >50%. One operator can handle up to 3 lines
Automation helps increase throughput per line with stricter procedures
Efficient output
Quality Assurance
Consistent measurements with reliable results with repeatable automated processes
Pilot samples stored in separate compartment
Option of random pilot sample testing (depending on laboratory rules)
ILAS3000 presents the optional capability of alerting operators if check results are outside the user defined range
Productivity
Two drawers for sample trays allows for continuous operation
Drawers independent of one another; allows for operator to use one tray while other is being tested by the robot
Can run at speed of up to 600 samples/ hour
Adaptability
Adaptable and adjustable to most commonly used vials
Drawers set up at the factory to suit many styles of trays
Can be used with or without barcode ID or RFID
System Features
Fully integrated with the following analysis solutions:
Bentley FTS/FCM
Delta CombiScope FTIR
CombiFoss 5000
CombiFoss 6000 FC
MilkoScan 4000
MilkoScan FT6000
Fossomatic 5000
Technical Specifications
Item
Specification
Capacity/speed
Up to 600 samples can be processed per hour. Up to 480 samples + 24 pilot samples can be loaded into the robot at one time. The first sample is measured approx. 10 minutes after the samples are placed in the first drawer.
Dimensions
1300H x 1850W x 1250D mm (not including monitor)
Floor space requirements
200 x 250 x 220 cm – including analyser. If using a FOSS analyser, it must be placed on an 855 mm high table (for instance FOSS standard table)
Compressed air supply
> 6 bar, clean and oil-free
Air consumption
Average 25 litres/minute, peak 50 litres/minute
Power supply
220 – 240 VAC± 10%, 50 – 60 Hz
Power consumption
Max 2400 VA
Space for trays, each drawer
Max. 78H x 419W x 666D mm
Max. tray height 65 mm
Ambient humidity
< 93% RH
Ambient temperature
15 – 33°C
Weight, operating
650 kg including full water bath and full sample capacity
Vials
Min. 78H x 27W mm. Max. 115H x 32W mm
Other vials subject to customisation
Standards
ILAS3000 is CE certified to the applicable Electromagnetic Compatibility, Machinery Safety and Low Voltage directives.
When a milk sample is taken from a herd of cows at both the morning and evening milking, each sample can be separately analysed, or the two samples can be combined proportionally (according to AM and PM milking volumes). Having staff fetch each sample, shake them, proportion the volumes and then manually combine them is labour intensive, and this is made even more difficult when the samples are randomly located in the trays.
The ILAS2000 sample pairing robot is designed to automate this task. One of the challenges of performing this pairing operation is to do this quickly despite randomly placed samples, and the distance the pickup gripper has to travel between the input and output tray locations. Intellitech now hold patents covering the innovative designs that enabled them to solve this task, and produce a robust and reliable machine that can efficiently perform this task whilst maintaining sample integrity.
