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Let the results flow with high-throughput laboratory operations

Complete analytical solutions put reliable results in the hands of laboratory customers quickly, safely and with less burden on laboratory resources.

Commercial laboratories

 

 

As demand for laboratory services increases, turnaround time, throughput and uptime are more essential than ever. Despite the pressure however, the traditional focus on safety and reliability of results can never be compromised.  
 
This increasingly common scenario demands a fresh, comprehensive approach to key high-volume tests such as fat, protein and fibre. While the reference methods concerned were devised in another age, the very latest analytical technology can take the business of laboratory testing to new levels of speed, efficiency and safety. The latest developments in automation, connectivity, sensor-controlled safety checks, data handling, reporting, on-line support and more have all become an essential part of today’s laboratory operations.   

Innovative solutions from FOSS embody such advances to ensure improvements in efficiency every step of the way, from sample handling to reporting on completed tests.  With all aspects covered, busy laboratories can improve turnaround time and throughput of those vital test results.    

Our focus on food, feed, agri and environmental testing allows us to fully understand our users’ demands. Solutions cover a range of testing requirements including digestion, distillation, fibre analysis, sample preparation and rapid methods.  

Less Friction. Better Lab Performance.

Ensuring optimal lab performance is a challenge for any lab manager. Turn-around time is critical, and the larger the lab, the greater the risk of error. Learn how you can minimize time consuming re-runs, increase efficiency and optimize capacity by combining NIR screening with your reference analysis.

When time matters, automation provides the edge

Laboratory methods hardly change, but the tools for implementing them are always developing. A prime example is the way that automation has allowed Kjeldahl to remain a viable and high-value method for the modern laboratory. 

 

Just load, start and walk away 

Automation of manual steps has improved laboratory throughput. Turn-around time and overall throughput is boosted by the steady, consistent flow of results generated by automated solutions. Further benefits include increased uptime, reduced use of chemicals and solvents and reduced costs associated with training of staff.

The automation is also important for laboratories needing to handle a greater variety of complex and unusual matrices because it includes a record of exactly what steps have been performed and when. 

Another example is how Soxtec analysis can become virtually hands-free. The FOSS Soxtec system employs a patented four-step solvent extraction technique. It performs boiling, rinsing and solvent recovery. In its fourth step, the sample cup lifts off the hot plate, using residual heat to pre-dry while eliminating ‘boil dry’ risk. The entire process is a fully automatic, unattended operation. The system will shut down automatically when finished.  

Building on the latest advances in analytical technology, a new solution called the Kjeltec™ 9 takes Kjeldahl analysis to new levels of safety and efficiency, offering significant gains for any laboratory.   

Innovation breathes new life into established methods 

While the automation facilities provided by decades of development work have done much to improve throughput and safety in operations, new solutions such as Kjeltec 9 deliver yet more productivity by exploiting advances in instrument hardware and new software and connectivity functionalities that are transforming virtually every aspect of our daily lives.  

The improvement in speed by up to one minute per test due to automatic adjustment of distillation time according to the nitrogen content. It can increase throughput with reduced training and staffing burden by testing up to 60 samples fully automated without a lab operations and run up to 240 samples in 24 hours. Operator time is low and the patented SAfE mode, smart filling of reagent reducing risk of chemical spillage and minimal cleaning and maintenance all serve to make life easier for the operator. 

 

Watch this video interview, which gives a user perspective on the gains to be made through automation.  

 

 

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Let the results flow with high throughput laboratory solutions – get in touch to learn more

Get in touch with our specialists to discuss your potential business value with no strings attached. Let's talk

 

Because people and chemicals don’t mix

 

Besides improving the flow of analytical results through the laboratory, the automation of manual-intensive procedures improves safety by minimising contact with chemicals, solvents and the fumes they create.  

After all, why should trained staff have to fill beakers or empty tubes when an instrument can do it under safe, controlled conditions?  

Operations can be performed with different levels of automation with automatic control of cooling water for instance. Temperature sensors, door sensors, electrical sensors and pressure sensors – you name it –they all alert you to dangerous situations. Enclosed systems and automatic draining systems minimise contact with chemicals, reagents and the fumes that they create. 

Hands-free fat analysis


Based on several years of development work in partnership with chemical analysis laboratories, the Soxtec™ 8000 extraction unit and Hydrotec™ hydrolysis unit, is the first fully automated solution for total fat analysis with the Soxhlet method. 

The unique, patented Hydrocap filter contains the sample all the way from initial weighing through hydrolysis to final extraction. Safety features improve on existing automated Soxhlet solutions. Features such as the enclosed solvent dosage system and effective cooling help to avoid contact with solvents, chemicals or fumes. The design of the extraction unit also allows use of a broad range of tested solvents, including some that are considered to be unsafe when used with other solutions.

Read more about the automation aspects of the solution here.  

 

 

 

Cut the workload with fast and clean indirect methods

 

Indirect will never replace reference. Nonetheless there is much to be gained from the logical use of indirect methods for tasks such as determining the nature of samples before spending time and resources on reference tests.   

Embracing the potential of indirect methods also promotes a more sustainable use of chemicals because the much cleaner indirect methods can take some of the volume out of laboratory tests.  


An example of a highly versatile indirect solution is the NIRS™ DS3. This easy to use NIR analyser provides the information you need to decide internal pre-treatments and processes. The innovative NIRS DS3 combines unique analytical performance with the latest software and networking services, making reliable test data more easily available than ever. 

The latest in automation technology saves hours every day

A six month trial of the latest generation Kjeltec solution revealed significant time savings for a busy industry laboratory. Learn more in this video interview.