Breda, 13 August 2025
How we approach custom solutions in the lab In the lab, we often encounter the same scenario: a researcher or lab manager says, “I’d really like to automate this, but there’s nothing out there (yet) that can do it…”That’s exactly the kind of moment that sparks my curiosity. Because it’s precisely these situations, where standard equipment falls short, where LAB Services makes the difference with our custom solutions.
So, what do we actually mean by “custom”?
At LAB Services, we distinguish between two types of bespoke solutions:
- Custom products: entirely new devices that don’t yet exist on the market.
- Custom automation products: existing (manual) equipment we adapt to make it suitable for automation.
Each requires a different approach, but they always start with the same step: listening closely to the customer. What do you want to achieve? What’s not working at the moment? Where’s the bottleneck?
From lab challenge to custom-built solution
A custom project almost always begins with a process analysis. We visit the lab, observe, ask questions, and work to understand how things are done now and what could be improved. Sometimes we discover there’s already a suitable market solution that can be cleverly integrated with other equipment. But in other cases, the conclusion is clear: this calls for something entirely new.
That’s when things get interesting.
We start by defining the requirements: What must the device be able to do? Which plate types do you use? What liquids or samples are involved? What throughput do you need? We translate those needs into technical specifications.
Next come multiple concepts: from wild ideas to detailed technical designs. We lay out every possible solution (literally, in a morphological chart) and assess them against practical requirements. Once the best idea is chosen, we build a prototype and test whether it does what it’s supposed to do. We then integrate it with our own PlateButler software and run a thorough endurance test.
Only when everything works perfectly, and meets all relevant standards, is the final product ready for implementation.
Examples often speak louder than theory
Take the PlateButler LidLifter, for example. The customer wanted to automate the SensoQuest LabCycler, but it has an integrated heated lid that needs to be opened manually. Not ideal for an automated platform. So, together with SensoQuest, we developed a solution: the heated lid was decoupled and redesigned with an external mechanism, allowing it to be controlled automatically via our software, without compromising robustness. A typical case of a custom automation product.
Or consider the Valve Selector Module. Some customers want to use multiple reagents in a Liquid Dispenser that was never designed for that. There was no device on the market to solve that problem. So, we developed our own: an external module that can handle up to eight different liquids, eliminating the need for manual switching. That’s a custom product, designed completely from scratch because it simply didn’t exist before.
Why I love this work
What I personally enjoy most about these projects is that they’re all about collaboration. The customer knows exactly what’s needed in the lab. We know how to make the technology work. By combining that knowledge, you get solutions that no one could have fully envisioned at the start. And it’s incredibly satisfying to see a working system in place that makes a process structurally better.
So, do you have an automation challenge with no ready-made solution in sight? Tell us about it. There’s a good chance we can work together to create one that works.