What Are the Benefits of Automated Wet Chemistry Analyzers?

Why Consider Automation in the Lab?

If you work in a busy lab, you understand the pressure of having hundreds of samples to analyze quickly and accurately. Some days it feels like walking a tightrope. Even with the most skilled team, manual processes are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to human errors. Traditional analysis methods also consume large quantities of reagents and generate large amounts of chemical waste.

By example, today's water testing labs might have a range of equipment meant to perform different analyses on the same matrix. Consolidating instrumental techniques offers for improvements in laboratory efficiency via:

• Reducing the number of instruments, records, and reports
• Reducing the workload related to calibrations and QC’s
• Reducing the attention and work loads of the operator(s)
• Reducing the total required footprint
• Reducing the number of service and support activities / contracts
• Reducing the staff training requirements
• Optimizing the activities run by the lab staff

NH₄⁺ Case Comparison

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Automated wet chemistry analyzers reliably and consistently handle repetitive tasks in a fraction of the time—pipetting, mixing, diluting, and reading results—and every sample is dealt with the same way. Speeding up workflows makes life easier and frees up your time to focus on other essential tasks. This translates into cost savings in the form of labor savings and customer satisfaction.

Instrument Options & Comparison

Depending on your focus and lab setup, you might benefit more from Discrete or Continuous Flow analysis. 

Discrete Analyzers

Discrete analyzers provide a high level of consolidation and automation for basic parameters like NO₂, NO₃, PO₄, CI, NH₄, etc. They also have lower running costs, require less space, and can be operated by less trained lab technicians.

Consolidating different instrumental techniques allows for improving laboratory efficiency via:

• Reducing the number of instruments, records and reports
• Reducing the workload related to calibrations and QC’s
• Reducing the attention and workloads of the operator(s) 
• Reducing the total required footprint
• Reducing the number of service and support activities/contracts
• Reducing the staff training requirements
• Optimizing the activities run by the lab staff 

Applications

Mainly used in produced water/wastewater facilities, commercial or industrial labs for analysis of: 

• Water (drinking water, wastewater, process water, surface water, seawater)
• Soil, plant, and fertilizer extracts
• Beverages (wine, beer, spirits, fruit juice)
• Food & feed extracts
• Tobacco
• Dairy

The Main Benefits

• Increased efficiency and productivity through automation & consolidation
• Requires minimal operator time
• Easy to use by analysts or lab technicians
• Analyze multiple parameters simultaneously
• Improved data quality & reproducibility
• Reduced reagent and sample consumption
• Consistent results
• Efficient workflows
• Cost savings
• Easy maintenance

Continuous Flow Analyzers

This option is more beneficial when processing complex matrices and samples requiring inline pre-treatment (digestion, distillation, filtration, UV preparation for TN, CN, Phenol, TP, etc), and when the detection limits required are extremely low.

Applications

Laboratories use continuous flow analyzers to test important parameters in:

• Water (drinking water, wastewater, process water, surface water, seawater)
• Soil, plant, and fertilizer extracts
• Beverages (wine, beer, spirits, fruit juice)
• Food & feed extracts
• Tobacco
• Dairy

The Main Benefits

• Rapid turnaround
• Reduced cost of operation
• Less space required
• Less operator exposure to chemicals
• Flexible method development
• Automated QC and calibration

Other technologies are available but may require a much higher initial investment, sometimes requiring accessory technology, resulting in a higher cost-per-test. These options can also have much larger physical space requirements and require in-house expertise to operate and maintain. Some examples:

• Gas chromatography 
• High-performance liquid chromatography
• Ion chromatography
• Colorimetry
• Titrimetry 
• Manual kits 

KPM’s Solutions

KPM’s Automated Wet Chemistry Analyzers are designed for labs of all sizes. Our analyzers offer a wide range of tests and capacities in environmental, industrial, and research laboratories, including regulatory and quality control testing for water (including municipal, wastewater, fresh and ocean sources), food, dairy, feed, soils, plants, and fertilizers.

SmartChem® Automated Discrete High-Capacity Wet Chemistry Platforms

The SmartChem® Series is a wet chemistry platform for automated photometric and electrochemical analysis, capable of running samples, managing calibrations, standards & maintenance, and operator training in a single platform. They are a reliable and convenient walk-away solution to increase your laboratory’s productivity by automating repeatable, traceable and regulatory-compliant testing.

Highlights

• Up to 600 tests/hour 
• Up to 200 sample positions 
• Up to 100 onboard reagents
• Bench & floor-standing models available
• Microlitre reactions - Reduced reagent usage and waste generation – improved cost efficiency and environmental footprint
• Guaranteed stability, reproducibility and traceability with ready-to-use dedicated reagents.
• Cost and environmental efficiency via our Cuvette Monitored Wash Cycle
• Optimization of time-consuming techniques such as pH, Cond, and ORP.
• Methods are calibrated automatically

NexaFlo™ and FUTURA Automated Continuous Flow Analyzers

NexaFlo™ and FUTURA offer advanced and automated flow analysis solutions suitable for various sample matrices. Segmented flow is available with NexaFlo™.

By fully automating complex and labor-intensive sample preparation tasks, NexaFlo™and FUTURA streamline workflows, conserve reagents, and reduce waste. This makes them ideal for laboratories requiring low detection limits, particularly marine and environmental testing (e.g., ammonia detection).

‍Highlights

• Unique reagent containment solution
• Multiple path length flow cells 10 to 50 mm (longer can be defined)
• Up to 120 samples/hour with auto-sampler
• Simplified maintenance with LED status indicator
• Method-dedicated analytical console approach 
• Up to 14 consoles can be run simultaneously 
• Wide range of samplers and accessories

As we’ve explored, your path forward might boil down to the matrix or the size of your lab. The benefits of automated Discrete Analysis are dramatic in terms of cost, time, and space savings. The benefits of continuous flow analysis are considerable when you realize the safety features, cost savings, flexibility of method, and automation.

At KPM, our wet chemistry experts have been in the industry since 1992, and we continue to innovate our way forward in partnership with some of the largest labs in the world to help them successfully streamline their operations.

Download the Brochure

Download our Analytical Solutions for Wet Chemistry brochure for a detailed description of KPM Analytics' solutions.