Sample Magazine – Long

The AUTONOMA Sample Magazine Long (SM-L) automates the final stages of the bulk sampling process, designed to automatically and precisely fill each sample bucket after primary sampling is complete. Engineered by AUTONOMA’s Perth-based team, the SM-L transforms a manual, repetitive, and often hazardous task into a streamlined and reliable automated operation, forming the core of a complete automated sampling station.

Sample integrity is central to the design of the SM-L. The system incorporates mechanisms for cross-contamination prevention and moisture retention, ensuring that each sample collected accurately represents the material at the point of extraction without degradation or contamination between collection and analysis. Its multi-bucket configuration enhances throughput by allowing multiple samples to be filled and stored sequentially without manual intervention between cycles, while also providing organised and secure sample storage that maintains traceability throughout the sampling process.

The SM-L is well suited to mining, industrial processing, and laboratory environments across Australia where high-volume bulk material sampling is a routine operational requirement and where the accuracy, consistency, and traceability of collected samples directly affect the reliability of downstream analytical results. For operations where a smaller footprint is required without compromising performance, the standard Sample Magazine provides a compact alternative built on the same engineering principles.

The SM-L is built around an automated turntable system that enables continuous, unmanned operation throughout the sampling cycle. Once a bucket is filled, the turntable automatically rotates to present the next empty bucket for filling without requiring operator intervention between cycles. This automated sequencing eliminates the labour requirement associated with manual bucket management, reduces operational downtime, and maximises the throughput of the sampling station across extended production periods.

The system is available as a bespoke solution, with the number of buckets, overall length, and storage capacity tailored by AUTONOMA’s engineering team to match the specific requirements of each installation. This flexibility ensures that the SM-L can be configured to suit operations of varying scale and sampling frequency, providing a truly adaptable sample storage solution that can be designed around existing infrastructure and process constraints.

Sample integrity is maintained throughout the filling process through a sealed design combined with a precision lift-and-fill mechanism that prevents spillage and protects each sample against moisture loss and cross-contamination between collection and analysis. This protection is critical in mining and laboratory applications where the accuracy of analytical results depends entirely on the collected sample remaining an uncompromised representation of the bulk material at the point of extraction.

A fail-safe safety interlock is integrated into the access door, instantly deactivating the turntable when the door is opened. This protection ensures that operators can safely remove filled buckets without risk of contact with moving components, and supports compliance with Australian workplace health and safety standards across mining, industrial processing, and laboratory environments where automated equipment safety is a regulatory and operational requirement.

The SM-L features a precision-engineered turntable that securely holds multiple removable sample buckets, automating the filling process across extended sampling periods without requiring manual intervention between cycles. Bulk sample material enters through a top-mounted inlet and is directed into the designated bucket. Before filling begins, each bucket is automatically lifted to form a tight seal between the bucket rim and the inlet, preventing spillage and ensuring that moisture content is preserved and cross-contamination between samples is eliminated. This sealed filling mechanism is critical in applications where moisture retention directly affects the accuracy of downstream analytical results.

Once a bucket has received its designated number of sampling increments and is considered full, it is lowered and the turntable rotates to position the next empty bucket beneath the inlet. This continuous and automated sequence defines the core operational capability of the SM-L, allowing the system to manage both empty and filled buckets across extended sampling runs without operator involvement during normal operation.

The SM-L includes a customisable back panel that connects an angled roller table from the inlet to the outlet, creating a continuous line of sample buckets within the system. This modular architecture allows AUTONOMA’s Perth-based engineers to tailor the capacity, length, and configuration of the SM-L to the specific throughput and storage requirements of each installation, providing a bespoke solution rather than a fixed-capacity standard product.

Filled buckets can be removed manually through a secure access door or collected automatically by Automated Guided Vehicles for transport to the laboratory, supporting both conventional and fully automated sample logistics workflows. The access door is fitted with a safety interlock switch that immediately deactivates the turntable when opened, ensuring that operators can safely retrieve filled buckets without risk of contact with moving components. This fail-safe design supports compliance with Australian workplace health and safety standards across mining, industrial processing, and laboratory environments where the safe operation of automated sampling equipment is a regulatory requirement.

The SM-L is controlled through an integrated PLC-based control system that manages all automated functions throughout the sampling cycle, including bucket lifting and sealing, inlet control, turntable rotation, and cycle completion sequencing. The system monitors the filling status of each bucket in real time, automatically triggering the lowering, rotation, and repositioning sequence once the pre-set number of sampling increments has been reached for each bucket position.

Sampling parameters including the number of increments per bucket, turntable rotation timing, and cycle frequency can be configured through the control interface and stored for consistent application across shifts and operators. This ensures that the same filling parameters are applied reliably throughout extended sampling periods without requiring manual adjustment between cycles.

The safety interlock system is fully integrated into the control architecture, with the access door switch communicating directly with the PLC to ensure immediate deactivation of the turntable upon door opening. This integration ensures that the safety response is automatic and instantaneous rather than dependent on operator action, supporting consistent compliance with Australian workplace health and safety requirements during bucket retrieval.

For facilities integrating the SM-L into a broader automated sampling and laboratory workflow, the control system supports communication with AGV dispatch systems, LIMS platforms, and plant-wide SCADA infrastructure through standard industrial interfaces. This connectivity allows bucket fill status, sample identity, and cycle data to be communicated automatically to connected systems, supporting end-to-end sample traceability from collection through to laboratory analysis without manual data entry or physical intervention between stages.