Life sciences and biopharmaceutical companies that successfully maintained supply during the coronavirus crisis are now focusing on adapting their operations to the new normal and sustainably improving cost efficiency in laboratories. Manufacturers of laboratory devices must therefore also ask themselves how they can develop and produce new devices for laboratory automation in less time and with lower expenditure, yet that still offer their customers decisive advantages .

Companies can make optimizations by using standard components and systems for sample analysis, engineering support, development tools and application tests as well as predictive maintenance concepts. Get to know the 8 success factors that will make you and your customers more efficient.

Use these tips to optimize your costs when developing devices for laboratory automation
1. Using industry-standard components
2. Technology from a single source for laboratory automation
3. Cost-optimised product selection
4. Engineering expertise for shorter design times
5. Joint tests in the Application Centre
6. Ready-to-install subsystems
7. Digital maintenance concepts
8. Worldwide logistics and service network

1. Using industry-standard components
Work with efficient and reliable suppliers who offer you industry-standard components for all processes in automated sample processing. In many cases, you can integrate these products into your new laboratory devices without any additional development work or customization. One example of this is the universal decapping module EHMD, which can reliably open many different vials with different thread pitches and without additional programming effort. This means that you are on the safe side even if requirements change at a later date.

Industry-standard automation components are manufactured to a consistently high quality in accordance with ISO 9001 and DIN EN ISO 13485 for medical devices and can be supplied quickly and reliably in large quantities. You are therefore always opting for reliable, precise and durable technologies that have proven their worth in industrial automation or laboratory solutions. You also have direct access to various configurations, depending on the product type, for customized implementation. Once your prototype has passed the proof of concept, you can start series production immediately. You benefit from optimized assembly steps and the associated time savings, resulting in considerable cost savings.

2. Technology from a single source for laboratory automation
You can realize automation concepts in which everything interacts perfectly, from the handling and positioning of sample vials to the precise dispensing and pipetting of liquids. An experienced automation partner with a comprehensive portfolio who can provide you with everything from a single source gives you peace of mind. By using matching components, you not only simplify and accelerate the development of your devices, but you also reduce your procurement costs in the long term. At the same time, you can benefit from more favorable conditions for your company thanks to a larger purchasing volume.

3. Cost-optimised product selection
Online design and simulation tools allow you to optimize electric linear axes and handling systems as well as valves and tubing sizes for your laboratory devices. By using the free online tools, you can order exactly according to your requirements and avoid oversizing. This reduces the costs for components, saves storage space, improves energy efficiency in terms of sustainability and the operating costs of your devices for the end customer, as smaller amounts are moved. The multi-axis gantry EXCL, for example, is ideal for saving space and weight when building compact laboratory devices and can be easily integrated into desktop systems. The ready-to-install system solution is significantly lighter and cheaper than conventional kinematics, which are usually oversized for this type of application.

4. Engineering expertise for shorter design times
Involve your automation partner right from the earliest planning phase and allow them to support you during the implementation phase. The experts combine industrial and automation know-how with experience in the life science sector. The aim is to work together to make your laboratory devices more efficient in a significantly shorter time. This includes personalized advice and access to CAD data and 3D models, which you can quickly import into your designs instead of creating them yourself. You can rest assured that the proposed components have already been tried and tested in similar applications. This support enables you to reduce the fixed costs for your design staff, who are then in a position to find better solutions more quickly and start on new tasks sooner.

5. Joint tests in the Application Centre
The Festo LifeTech Application Centres support you worldwide with your search for solutions. It can carry out feasibility studies and parameter optimization as well as prototype construction, commissioning and installation. The experienced application engineers know the capabilities of the components used in detail and will find quick and specific answers to your application questions. For example, tests were done for a manufacturer to determine whether and how a highly viscous hydrogel can be dispensed automatically. Or, if you want to automatically open different sample vials in a certain amount of time, you will receive tested recommendations on which components are best suited to this task, right down to the choice of suitable gripper fingers. You save yourself time-consuming and cost-intensive development loops and shorten your time to market.

6. Ready-to-install subsystems
Another key success factor is the use of subsystems to implement a specific function. This is not just about the right components for your laboratory devices, but also about ready-to-install, pre-tested subsystems in line with your specific requirements. For sample preparation, for example, this could be a multi-axis gantry including an integrated motion controller, rotary gripper module, open-loop pipette or dispense head. The compact, space-saving system solutions offer you a wide range of benefits. Clearly defined interfaces and the corresponding documentation enable rapid integration. A single part number for the entire system simplifies ordering and administration. At the same time, you reduce the number of drawings and the time and expenditure involved in making changes. As the fully assembled subsystems are pre-tested, you save on doing time-consuming tests yourself and speed up your development process.

7. Digital maintenance concepts
By using digital maintenance concepts, you can ensure high availability and cost-efficient operation of your laboratory devices in the long term. This increases customer satisfaction and largely avoids unplanned service calls. The manufacturer-independent maintenance manager AX Smartenance enables digital and paperless maintenance management. Maintenance tasks are planned simply and flexibly via a web application and can then be accessed anywhere via a mobile app. In addition, solutions such as Festo AX Industrial Intelligence use AI to, for example, continuously monitor electric linear axes during operation and identify deviations. Predictive maintenance facilitates minimized unplanned downtime, better quality assurance and optimization resulting in fewer rejects and reworking, as well as energy monitoring to minimize energy costs.

8. Worldwide logistics and service network
Regardless of where the laboratories are in which your devices are used, reliable and fast on-site service is crucial for your customers. Just think about the spare parts you need: these can be ordered anywhere in the world using the same part number and are usually available in stock locally. This saves your customers long production downtimes and strengthens their trust in you as a manufacturer. Especially during the coronavirus crisis, companies realized how crucial it is to have the right supplier at their side in order to minimise the risks that globally focused supply chains can pose.