Fully automated titration ensures efficient quality control

Reliable titration of numerous liquid samples on a daily basis with no weighing involved? What may seem to be the undoable is now possible with a fully automated pipetting and titration system. Simply place the sample beakers onto a sample changer and leave the rest in the hands of the system. See for yourself and read the practical test.

Pipetting or weighing?
That's the question that laboratory managers responsible for analytical quality monitoring processes tend to ask during the sample preparation phase. In the case of solids, weighing is clearly the preferred option. However, when it comes to liquids there are numerous additional questions that need to be answered, such as:

• Does the viscosity of the liquid make it suitable for pipetting?
  
• Is the measuring accuracy achieved through pipetting sufficient, or can this be improved?
  
• Which of the two technologies can be automated in a simple and cost-efficient manner?

In the case of a wide variety of samples, these general conditions pose a challenge to automated systems, both in terms of preparing the sample and during the titration.
 

How can numerous samples be measured in an accurate, reliable and efficient manner?
Weighing with an analytical scale is an option to bear in mind due to the levels of accuracy that can be achieved. Nevertheless, concerns may arise with regard to practicability and error-proneness. The weight value sent to the titrator must be assigned to the correct sample identification and to the correct sample during the titration, which can result in confusion, especially when working under time constraints. Weighing samples is an additional, manually executed process step. In the case of a high number of samples, it can be a very time-consuming task and can pose further potential error. When searching for an alternative solution, the measurement of liquid samples points toward pipetting. However, the following requirements should be fulfilled:

• The lab technician should only have to provide the sample of an approximate quantity in a vessel. The pipetting system automatically extracts the correct sample quantity and no further action is needed from the lab technician.
  
• Should the physical properties of the samples vary greatly, the pipetting system must be able to measure the optimum sample quantity to both a precise and accurate level.
• On a daily basis, numerous samples must be titrated reliably without supervision.
  

In the case of a wide variety of samples, these general conditions pose a challenge to automated systems, both in terms of preparing the sample and during the titration.
 

The fully automated pipetting and titration system
The METTLER TOLEDO system fulfills all of these requirements. It consists of the following components, with the Liquid Handler as the key component:

• Pipetting: Liquid Handler
  
• Sample processing: Sample Handler direct 80
  
• Titrator: T90 Excellence Titrator
  
• Data processing: LabX^® pro titration PC Software
  

Thanks to the high degree of flexibility and precision of the Liquid Handler, the laboratory manager can rest assured that the sample measurement is accurate. The robust design ensures error-free operation even under the most rigorous conditions. What's particularly impressive about the design of the Sample Handler sample changer is its flexibility. Even large quantities of data are securely managed by LabX® pro titration. The system is extremely simple to operate. Pipetting with the Liquid Handler: the efficient, reliable alternative to weighing.