Modular Viscometer

AUTONOMA’s Automated Robotic Viscometer solution features a high-speed robot that delivers samples directly to your chosen viscometer, eliminating the need for manual sample handling during viscosity testing and significantly reducing the time technicians spend on repetitive, low-value tasks. By automating sample delivery, the system helps laboratories increase testing throughput while maintaining the consistency and precision required for accurate viscosity measurements.

The system is highly customizable, allowing it to be tailored to the specific layout, sample types, and throughput requirements of individual laboratories. It is designed to integrate seamlessly with a wide variety of viscometers from leading manufacturers, including Dare Instruments, PAC/ISL, Spectro Scientific, Omnitek, and Cannon, giving laboratories the flexibility to pair the solution with their preferred or existing equipment rather than being locked into a single instrument brand.

This manufacturer-agnostic approach makes the Automated Robotic Viscometer solution a practical choice for laboratories looking to modernize their viscosity testing workflow without replacing instrumentation they already rely on, while still gaining the speed, consistency, and reduced manual handling that come with full automation.

The modular design supports easy expansion and interfacing with AUTONOMA’s full range of NextGen laboratory automation in the future.

• Compatible with all major viscometers (Dare TriVisc, Spectro, Cannon, Omnitek etc)
• 15-20 second cycle time between samples (excluding cleaning and analysis time)
• Customisable for any rack configuration/layout (e.g. 5 x 12 test tube racks, or 96 position Perkin Elmer racks)
• Drip catcher below pipette avoids cross-contamination while moving over other samples
• Sample surface height measurement minimises the contact area with the pipette tip
• Comprehensive cleaning cycle eliminates cross-contamination
• Automatic repeats – samples that time out are automatically re-run

AUTONOMA’s Lightning Viscometer can also be customized to incorporate additional analytical methods and sample preparation steps, including but not limited to:

• Camera system to photograph side and/or bottom of sample bottles/tubes
• Sample Bottle decapping
• FTIR
• PQ (Particle Quantification)
• Sample aliquoting and dilution for ICP/IC
• Aliquoting into test tubes
• Turbidity
• Colour Analysis
• Crackle Test
• TAN/TBN

The system includes several drawers designed to hold racks of sample test tubes or bottles, offering flexibility for different container types and sample formats. When bottles are used, they can be loaded with the cap still on, with an optional decapper automatically removing it prior to aliquoting, further reducing manual handling. The drawers are hot-swappable, allowing one tray of samples to be removed and replaced while the remaining trays continue processing, keeping the system running continuously without interrupting throughput.

Before extraction, the system precisely measures the oil’s surface height, allowing the positive displacement pipette to draw an accurate sample while ensuring that only the pipette tip contacts the liquid. This minimizes the risk of cross-contamination and prevents drips during transit. A drip catcher moves into position beneath the pipette while the robot is in transit, capturing any stray drops before they can fall into undesired areas of the system.

Blind sample dosing is also available, allowing the pipette to dose a blind sample into the drip catcher before proceeding with the actual sample intended for analysis. After the sample has been dispensed into the instrument, the pipette moves to a dedicated cleaning station, where it is thoroughly sprayed with cleaning solvent from all sides and rapidly dried using compressed air. The duration and number of solvent spraying and drying cycles are fully adjustable, allowing the cleaning process to be tailored to different sample types and contamination sensitivities.

Viscometer operation is controlled via a standalone PC or a server-based virtual machine running LabDroid software, giving laboratories flexibility in how the system is deployed and managed within their existing infrastructure. It integrates seamlessly with other AUTONOMA automation systems, allowing it to function as part of a broader automated laboratory workflow rather than an isolated unit, and connects easily with popular LIMS platforms such as CCLAS, Starlims, LabWare, and SampleManager, streamlining sample registration and reducing manual data entry.

Results can be exported in CSV, XLS, or TXT formats, with customizable parameter layouts that can be configured to match a laboratory’s existing reporting standards and downstream data requirements.