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Robolab 240 from Sclavos International is a new concept
in lab dispensing systems. This single piece of apparatus
not only dispenses dye recipes automatically, but also
makes up the stock solutions of the dyes used to prepare
the dye liquors.
Its Cartesian Robotics, which have been refined in the
automotive industry, allow the Robolab 240 to measure
and prepare solutions and recipes to new levels of speed
and accuracy.
How accurate is that?
Well, due to the patented Talos technology, the accuracy
for dispensing dye solutions that the Robolab 240 is capable
of +/- 0.003 grams and for the stock solution preparation
the accuracy is an even more incredible +/- 0.0001%.
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Robolab 240 the robotic dispenser and
solution maker in the laboratory
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During the last 15 years the use of automated solution preparation
and dye solution dispensing equipment has become commonplace
in dyehouse laboratories throughout the world. The emphasis
in the design of these systems was to improve lab productivity
or reduce labour costs.
It was known from the beginning that these systems were actually
less accurate than dye liquor preparation using pipettes and
it remains common for companies producing database dyeings for
computer match prediction to even today’s use of pipettes
with electronic fillers in order to achieve adequate accuracy.
The challenge for Sclavos and Talos was to produce a system
with the advantage in productivity of the other automated systems
but with an accuracy that superseded any other method, including
the use of electronic pipette fillers.
Such accuracy is vital in today's competitive markets to ensure
that shades are matched accurately and the correct formula is
passed on to production. The use of this automated technology
eliminates human error and also allows much greater precision
than is possible using manual techniques. Human involvement
accounts for many of the errors that occur in laboratories.
These mistakes are then replicated in the production process.
Robolab 240 also brings about immediate improvements in lab
dyeing preparation. Indeed, customers report that automation
leads to a significant reduction in the number of times it takes
to match shades. This not only saves time, it also improves
turn around time.
The Robolab 240 records the weight when making a solution and
then carries this record - and the exact concentration - into
the formulation. Any inaccuracy can be accounted for at a later
stage, thereby overcoming even the smallest error. When people
weigh the dye and add the water manually - even when they use
a semi-automated system - this level of accuracy simply isn't
possible. That is why the Robolab 240 can achieve such large
savings.
The Talos Technology, a unique patented dispensing and dosing
device
Robolab 240 uses the very latest technology to improve the
speed of the process as well as accuracy. However, there are
other benefits, too. Labor costs can be reduced dramatically
by eliminating many of the duties currently undertaken by people
in conventional labs. And, on the technical front, a windows
based computer can upload all the recipes from any shade matching
software system and so eliminate repetitive work.
The advantages of Talos Technology
The Robolab 240 works by using a robotic arm to pick up and
move specially-designed containers into position. There are
up to 220 locations on the grid for either powders or liquids.
Each container has a self-contained valve. This eliminates the
problems which can be caused by the tubes on conventional dispensing
systems. The valve is electronically activated and the correct
amount is dispensed into another container located on the scale.
Al-Abbas & Hasni Hosiery in Karachi and Jaguar in Faisalabad
have already installed Robolab 240 dispensing and solution maker.
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