Hamilton Robotics Launches the First Pipetting Workstation to Provide Simultaneous, Multiple Tube Decapping and Recapping

Hamilton Robotics launches the Decapping Microlab® STAR Workstation, the first fully automated tube tracking, decapping and recapping workstation to offer up to eight decapping modules for safe and secure sample preparation.

The manual process of opening and closing capped tubes slows research with labor-intensive steps and leaves room for errors. By incorporating lab automation, researchers can speed up time to results and spend more time analyzing data instead of managing and monitoring complex workflows.

In addition to decapping and recapping, the STAR Workstation transports tubes, mixes liquids in tubes, pipettes and tracks samples. Although timing depends on pipetting volumes, the entire process of tube and cap handling can be accomplished within a few minutes.

Up to two Decapping Modules can be placed on a STAR deck and are served by four Twister channels on a slim arm, with up to eight 1 mL or four 5 mL channels on an additional slim arm. The decapping modules are completely controlled and monitored through VENUS software so that all steps can be tracked and handled automatically, thus increasing process reliability.

The system can accommodate tubes with a diameter of 15 to 38 mm, with caps up to 6 mm larger in diameter than the tube, to ensure robust and versatile handling.