AVA control software proves the power of automation in the lab

an intuitive software is revolutionizing the lab by allowing complex, multi-device experiments to be automated and run unattended.

Running an experiment using multiple devices with several parameters to control dont have to be a laborious process.

Automation software can help by time and money saving while improving accuracy and reproducibility. Here chemists reveal how AVA lab control software helps them overcome the challenges they face.

 

AVA used to control exotherms

They have noticed the benefits of data logging and overnight automation using AVA software.

Research scientists explain how AVA control software makes a difference. They were struggling to monitor their exotherms before they opted for AVA control software. They were using standard thermocouples in their reaction vessels and the only way they knew if any exotherms had taken place was to physically watch for a temperature rise.

“With AVA, we can track the reaction temperature profile over time – easily tracking both the known and unknown exotherms”

 

They didn’t know if exotherms had occurred and, if they had, on what scale.

Now that the use AVA, they can track the reaction temperature profile over time which means they can easily track both the known and unknown exotherms. These useer really like the graphs the software produces, especially the reaction temperature profile over time.

They are a massive benefit when speaking to manufacturers about reaction profiles, as they can give them this data straight from the software.

It is useful for explaining the different steps of the reactions, any exotherms that may occur at specific times and also the scale of the exotherms.

As they work on different scales, it is also really useful to compare the same style of graphs between the different scales.

AVA’s graphs make it easy to visualise reaction temperature over time.

 

 

AVA used to save time and money

“A reaction that could take up to a week can now be completed in a 24 hour period”

The main benefit for this company has experienced since using AVA is the freedom it allows their chemists to work on other things while experiments are running. AVA can be used to create a programme which automatically increases and decreases the temperature of a circulator as necessary. That is advantageous when the reaction is too long for a standard working day, or there are scheduled meetings which would otherwise have interrupted the reaction process. They can now continue to run reactions overnight rather than stopping and restarting the following day, which would mean deviating from any potential manufacturing processes. A reaction that could take up to a week can now be completed in a 24 hour period. The reproducibility has also increased massively since using AVA software, which has saved us time and money.

Stanley the Chemist has a lot more time on his hands since discovering AVA software.

 

AVA used to save time and money, with fewer errors too!

AVA Software tracks a range of reactionparameters over time.

Research scientists using the Gravimetric Additions Module through AVA software and found they had much better control over the addition of their monomers. This saved us a lot of time because the pumps were already set up and required no calibration. Having more control over the dosing of their monomers avoids incorrect amounts of reagents being added, which meaning fewer faulty samples.

 

“AVA software has definitely been a massive positive in our lab”

 

At first, there were sceptical about using the automation reaction programming in AVA and they were worried it wouldn’t follow the program they had set out, or that it would be really complicated to build up a program.

However, after trialling it during the day when they could monitor its progress and play around with all the features their confidence in it increased and they’ve not looked back since.

AVA software has definitely been a massive positive in their lab. Once it was all set up and running – they currently use it on three different Reactor-Ready set-ups – there were very few issues. Training colleagues to use AVA has proven quick and easy. When they see the benefits the software has to offer they are fully onboard.

They are now very keen to encourage more of their colleagues to use AVA.

 

AVA used to optimise graphene production

Other research scientists synthesizing graphene, explain how AVA control software has proven a worthwhile addition to their lab.

Before using AVA, they produced graphene oxide manually using standard labware. This made sense when they worked with amounts up to 10 grams but once they scaled up the process it was clear they needed more control and automation.

So, they set out to look for a Reactor-Ready™ Pilot with automation solutions. The Radleys system differs from others as AVA control software is designed to be used with the reactors and the rest of the equipment.

“When batch to batch reproducibility is needed, automating the chemistry is crucial.”

 

In a chemical reaction, many parameters impact the final product – the raw materials, temperature, reaction time, addition time and the order in which you add the chemicals. With AVA software, all these parameters can be controlled with a single program in a simple way. When batch to batch reproducibility is needed, automating the chemistry is crucial. Their experiments are more reproducible now. All the data of each reaction is saved, so if they observed something different in the quality of one batch they can always go through the data and check if the parameters were correct. In general, if a process is controlled automatically you avoid all the differences in results and problems that originate from human error.

AVA’s reporting tool and the ability to share recipes make reproducibility easier and more accurate.

 

AVA is intuitive and safe to use

“AVA is intuitive and easy to use, you don’t need to be a chemical engineer to use it effectively”

All the equipment involved in the reaction is connected to the computer. In this case, this includes a balance, mechanical stirrer, thermoregulator and peristaltic pump. After creating a recipe, making small changes to improve the reaction is easy.

Because AVA is intuitive and easy to use, they don’t need to be a chemical engineer to use it effectively.

The safety features are another added benefit. For example, you can program the system to make it temporarily stop adding a reagent, or even end the reaction if the temperature of the reaction reaches a certain value. Additions can be controlled using time as the main parameter, or by making sure that the process temperature doesn’t reach a certain value, which is very important in our process.

AVA’s key benefits: summary

The benefits that AVA provides to chemists working in process chemistry, API manufacture, large scale organic synthesis and more can be time-consuming and mentally taxing for a single person to manually manage a reaction system with multiple devices connected.

AVA can overcome many of the challenges this presents.

• Improve reproducibility by automatically logging process data
• Simplify reporting – the report wizard creates detailed reports in rich text and CSV formats
• Improve accuracy, by minimising the risk of manual errors
• Save time by running experiments for longer periods and even overnight, safely unattended
• Make experiments safer by automatically controlling exotherms

 

 

Interchim^® is the representative of Radleys for France, Germany and Austria.