4 Pharmaceutical Technology LABORATORY BEST PRACTICES 2018 P h a r mTe c h . c o m
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Automation
R
obots are ideal for performing repetitive, high-volume
tasks. Advances in robotic technology and in computing
are making robots easier to program and to use, and this
increasing f lexibility for reprogramming makes robots
more economical for lower-volume tasks as well (1). In addition, im-
proved safety systems allow robots to sense the location of human
operators so that, instead of being separated from people by fixed
barriers for safety, robots can now share workspaces. These collab-
orative robots (cobots), which are designed to safely work alongside
people, are lighter weight, more mobile, and better suited to the lim-
ited space in laboratories than traditional robotics.
"The main advantage of collaborative robots in bio/pharma ap-
plications is the ability to implement without the need for safety
guarding considerations typically needed on traditional robots of
other types of fixed legacy automation," explains Wes Garrett, ac-
count manager, Authorized System Integrators, FANUC America.
The ability to quickly deploy is another benefit of cobots, he notes.
Cobots are simpler to use than traditional robotic arms, and they
don't require special robotics training, adds Mike Ouren, Life Sci-
ences manager at robotic equipment manufacturer Precise Automa-
tion. "Cobots are not any more sophisticated than other types of
equipment found in the laboratory. With our Precisef lex cobot, the
operator can grab the end of the robot, move it to a new location, and
record the new task in the software," he explains. In addition, cobots
provide the f lexibility and access needed for the lab. "In traditional
automation, there is a barrier around the entire automated system,
but in the lab, users need access to change f luids or open instru-
ments. Cobots can be used without a safety barrier," explains Ouren.
For example, Precise Automation's PP100 cartesian (four-axis) col-
Cobots in the Pharma Lab
Collaborative robots work
beside laboratory employees
to improve efficiency in
pharmaceutical research and
quality control labs.
Jennifer Markarian is
manufacturing editor at
Pharmaceutical Technology.
Jennifer Markarian
