News overview

02-10-2023

Meet our Installation Engineer: Falco Hoog Stoevenbeld! The interview below identifies his motives, challenges and vision when performing his installation activities. So grab yourself a cup of coffee, and learn more about Falco via the ten interesting questions below. Falco, take it away!

23-08-2023

With his knowledge of engineering, resourcefulness and ingenuity, Rens has made a solid contribution to our product development initiatives. His contribution was so impressive that Lab Services offered Rens a contract. He has now started working as Junior CAD Engineer in our project department. We are extremely proud of his performance and his professional growth. Rens shares his personal journey towards this milestone below.

23-08-2023

Lab Services not only operates as a supplier of bespoke lab automation but also serves as the official representative of reputable lab brands in the Benelux region, including LVL technologies and Analytik Jena.

27-07-2023

A fascination for biodiversity is the foundation upon which the Naturalis Biodiversity Center is built.
The organisation aims to use its museum collection, knowledge and data to identify as much life on earth as possible. Naturalis conducts nature-related research in order to safeguard biodiversity. Thanks to this research, it can help to resolve important issues in the field of food production, medicines, environment and the climate.

Like many other research centres, Naturalis has also decided to use 2D coded tubes. These tubes offer many advantages for the organisation's research activities.

12-07-2023

My role as a PlateButler application specialist requires in-depth knowledge of all aspects of PlateButler: its functionality, the technical details, ease of use and understanding the possibilities in terms of integration with other systems. It’s also essential for me to keep abreast of the latest developments and most recent updates within PlateButler to enable me to provide users with effective assistance in the event of any queries or technical issues arising.

28-06-2023

Renas is studying to be first engineer mechatronics at the Summa college in Eindhoven. He has spent the past six months as a trainee in our workshop, and in that way has gained more work experience in the field of installation and mechatronics. He has shared his experiences below. Renas, the floor is yours!

13-06-2023

The PlateButler has been a leading light in dynamic scheduling for many years. This is the process where the effect of real-time events is absorbed, the current status of the scheduling is analysed, and scheduling is automatically modified using appropriate measures that help to limit disruptions. But what does dynamic scheduling actually entail? Allow us to tell you everything about the PlateButler, and the freedom and flexibility it offers, because therein lies the answer.

05-06-2023

Bart worked in our workshop for five months and his job involved supporting the installation team. During this time, he helped to construct and install various platforms for several customers.

22-05-2023

Crucially, each and every one of our systems is characterised by a very high degree of user-friendliness. The development phase saw us devote a great deal of attention to the user interface and the design in order to maximise accessibility for users. We are proud of the fact that our PlateButler software is exceedingly user-friendly, reliable and secure, and it is no surprise that we receive very positive feedback on our systems’ intuitive design and user-friendliness. 

08-05-2023

Biobank Lifelines conducts scientific research into ways for people to grow old in good health. It is the largest biobank in the Netherlands and holds circa ten million samples of human biological material, including blood, hair and urine. The biobank collects, manages and shares data concerning around 165,000 individuals, which are stored in the biobank's own digital systems and in the so-called Lifestore, an advanced and secure cold-storage facility with an internal temperature of -80°C, where samples are stored. The biobank's data are made available to parties all over the world who hope to make a relevant contribution to healthy ageing with their research.  

Biobank Lifelines was born out of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). In 2014, two LLCs were formed: Lifelines Databeheer BV, for the management of human body materials and data, and Medische Biobank Noord-Nederland BV, the work organisation. The biobank is a non-profit organisation with two shareholders: the University of Groningen and the UMCG.  

Given the large number of samples that the biobank contains, Lifelines uses a lot of laboratory automation equipment. This equipment is used to divide and store the collected biological materials in 2D-coded tubes.  

We asked biobank Lifelines about their use of 2D-coded tubes. Why did the biobank switch to using 2D-coded tubes? What are the benefits of this system? Learn the answers to these and other questions in the interview below.

13-04-2023

Meet our Service Engineer: Bart Goorden! Bart has been working with great passion and enjoyment at Lab Services for the past four years now. The interview below identifies his motives, challenges and vision when performing his service and maintenance activities. So grab yourself a cup of coffee, and learn more about Bart via the ten interesting questions below. Bart, take it away!

08-03-2023

MUMC+ BioBank is an initiative of the Maastricht University and the Academic Hospital Maastricht (AZM). There is a close collaboration with MAASTRO clinic (the Radiotherapeutic Institute of Limburg) and since 2007 with the Parelsnoer Institute. Parelsnoer offers researchers an infrastructure and up-to-date standard procedures for setting up, expanding and optimizing clinical biobanks for scientific research.

Since January 2005, Biobank MUMC+ has been a Central Research Facility (COV). This central infrastructure can be used to benefit researchers because a number of standard procedures can be carried out by the BioBank employees. The data storage of the Biobank is fully automated in the web-based BioBank Information System, which was completely renewed in 2012.

MUMC+ is the first customer and biobank in the Netherlands to use LVL-technologies’ new generation of products. The BioBank transitioned into using 2D coded tubes instead of cryotubes / other tubes with labels due to numerous of benefits.

Read all about the advantages of 2D coded tubes and the difficulties associated with their implantation in our interview with MUMC+ BioBank below.

23-02-2023

After being part of the installation team for twenty weeks, Robin is going back to school to continue his training to become a technical engineer. His internship primarily had him providing support during the development, installation and connection of platforms for various clients.

15-02-2023

It is ubiquitous in the market! Lab automation is constantly being ramped up. Technological innovations are being introduced in quick succession and tools are being updated and adapted to the current standard. But it does not stop there, as these developments are accompanied by growing demand to integrate these innovative products to enable all objectives to be fulfilled and above all to keep being fulfilled. 

24-01-2023

 More and more new technologies and innovations are being developed to make laboratory work more accurate, more easily reproducible and more efficient in order to expedite scientific discoveries. As a result of these developments, the automation sector is growing rapidly. We can identify a number of trends that (will) have a major impact on the development of the automation sector and which will contribute to the accuracy and efficiency of scientific research.

12-01-2023

As a software manager, I always start my day by replying to emails from clients regarding the systems we have installed for them. Next, I meet with the sales team to review the wishes of our (new) clients. During these meetings, we discuss what type of equipment we will need for each client, how we should configure this equipment and if there are any other important software-related aspects to keep in mind. This results in a list of tasks involving software modifications to be made in PlateButler. I assign these tasks to our software engineers.

17-11-2022

In the last thirty years, we have acquired a wealth of knowledge and experience that allows us - as experts in the rapidly growing market for automated systems to provide custom-made full-range solutions. Among the things we have learned during this time are the importance of technological innovation, the rapid pace at which these developments occur and the key role that young people play in all this.

11-10-2022

In 1984, founder Marcel Mossou began working as a sales representative for the first robotisation solutions for laboratories in the Netherlands. Marcel’s experience and enthusiasm meant he couldn’t wait to start his own company, and so Lab Services was born!

17-08-2022

Together, they have partnered with the aim to increase support to customers and better safeguard the supply chain even more by bringing together laboratory automation and quality-assuring processes.

20-07-2022

The day kicks off with a department meeting. All installation engineers get together for this meeting to discuss the activities and planning for the upcoming week. Agreements are made and tasks are divided. Since it is important for a supervisor to be fully aware of the latest developments with regard to projects, it is then time for a Project Meeting. During this meeting, the project managers discuss the current status of their ongoing projects. After all, any changes made to the project plan or the planning can impact the installation engineers. It is therefore essential to implement such changes as quickly as possible to ensure that engineers always have access to up-to-date and correct information.

18-05-2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on both the real world and the world of business. In 2021, an unprecedented number of emerging trends found their way to sales: the rise of AI, an increase in the impact of video, the automation of various sales processes and more.

02-03-2022

PlateButler® is the software of your future! Lab Services has made PlateButler® so powerful that you simply must learn more about it! Read on and discovery why PlateButler® can be made to measure to suit your needs, regardless of the market you operate in, the applications you desire or the number of systems you want to incorporate.The PlateButler® Manager is the perfect example of how we meet the specific, individual needs of our valued clients. The software does not control the process; you do.

18-11-2021

Everybody has heard of quality control and is affected by it in numerous ways, from your car's last MOT to the little stickers on the new clothes you recently bought. Quality control is a broad term that is applied in countless ways, so how do we apply it to our own products and platforms at Lab Services?

21-10-2021

As a Service Engineer, the day starts with a meeting with the Service and Support team to go over the day's schedule. During this meeting, an estimate is made of the amount of time the team will be spending on specific projects. In general, a division is made between major projects that will take several days and other, smaller jobs that can be completed in just one day. During this meeting, it is decided what projects and activities take precedence during the current week and in the long run.

25-08-2021

I look back fondly on my time at Lab Services and I am proud of the way Ferry de Vugt and Arjan Hofman have been running the company since the takeover in 2017. I was in the prime of my life, in good health and full of ideas I still wanted to realise with Lab Services. However, I did not want to end up having to make decisions that could potentially jeopardise the continuity of the business. We were growing rapidly in every conceivable way. We had invested in many new markets and Europe and the USA in particular were at our feet. The time had come to take the next step.

12-05-2021

Lab Services has been active in the pharmaceutical and crop science markets since 1992. These markets are centred entirely around optimising and improving our quality of life. With our PlateButler systems, we contribute to these rapidly developing markets. However, that is not all we do! 

24-02-2021

Lab Services B.V. is a rapidly growing organisation. The platforms we build are getting bigger, our clients’ service needs are growing and we are seeing an increase in personnel on both the production side of the company and on the overhead side of our operations. As a result of all these developments, we also have a growing need to further professionalise our information provision. 

16-11-2020

Following the development and installation of our successful PlateButler® systems, the Service department has the task of keeping these systems in perfect condition. After all, nobody purchases an advanced robotic system for just a few years - it still has to perform perfectly after 10 or 15 years. This can only be achieved by carrying out preventive maintenance correctly or offering fast service to fix unforeseen breakdowns and defects.

04-11-2020

Lab Services is proud to have contributed with our PlateButler system to the automation system built at HZPC Research. For years we as integrators have been involved from the sideline with the progress made by our customers by means of our advanced platforms which enables them to conduct more reliable research in a fast manner. Because of this we contribute to the new developments and innovations our customers go through. You can read the article below about the research and the use of an advanced and specially made PlateButler platform.

24-08-2020

The reception of a new PO (purchase order) for an innovative PlateButler® platform marks the beginning of a new challenge for Lab Services.  Detailed 3D drawings in quotations must be translated into tangible assets that will truly make a difference in a laboratory environment upon delivery.

10-08-2020

We are proud to announce that Lab Services has entered into a new partnership with LVL Technologies. From now on Lab Services is also your direct partner for a wide range of innovative sample storage options.

25-06-2020

PurePlate is an automated system that cleans contaminated microplates with a high throughput speed and prepares it for reuse. PurePlate is developed in collaboration with IonField Systems to reuse microplates quickly, accurately and completely clean.

15-04-2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to expand, a shortage of viral RNA testing capacity arises. This calls for a new collaboration. We are happy to announce that Westburg and Lab Services have teamed up to meet the increasing demand for automated viral RNA extraction. In this unique collaboration the extensive lab automation expertise of Lab Services is combined with Westburg’s long-standing know-how in nucleic acid extraction.

17-02-2020

The festive season’s over, and we’ve got the new year off to a great start! Lab Services is looking ahead with plenty of confidence this year. While we invested heavily in the visibility of PlateButler® in the market last year, our focus in 2020 will also lie on creating recognition of the endless possibilities and taking up new challenges. Lab Services is once again looking ahead to an inspiring, challenging and fruitful year!

01-11-2019

Lab services has been producing robotic systems for many years, ranging from the simple to the highly complex. But all systems developed by Lab services are controlled by our own software: PlateButler. So it is important to ensure that PlateButler software is simple for small systems yet offers all the possibilities required of complex systems.

01-08-2019

After 27 years of Lab Services, our PlateButler® technology has developed into the strongest and smartest technology on the market.

I am often asked to explain the ins and outs of scheduling software. Although this is a perfectly understandable question, I generally point out that the key to the solution lies elsewhere. Features are not the answer.

01-05-2019

Within Lab Services we have had a specialised project management department for many years now. The expanding line which Lab Services has deployed in recent years made its presence felt by the number of projects in progress. It was necessary to expand the department’s knowledge so as to keep all projects on the right track and continue to provide our clients with a high level of service and flexibility.

01-02-2019

Almost two years have passed since Ferry de Vugt and I acquired Lab Services from former owner and company ambassador Marcel Mossou.

We have been busy during those two years. Lab Services has grown tremendously and really taken off in recent years. Obviously, strong growth always puts our standards and values at risk...

16-05-2017

Breda, 16 May 2017 - Lab Services, a laboratory automation supplier from Breda, was taken over on Thursday 30 March 2017. Marcel Mossou is retiring and Lab Services is now in the capable hands of Arjan Hofman and Ferry de Vugt. Thanks to this takeover and a clear focus, Lab Services is ready for the future.