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Revolutionizing Lab Automation: Intelligent Transport Systems in Life Sciences
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With 42% of drugs in development tied to personalized medicine, the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors are on the cusp of major change. To meet these evolving demands, laboratories and manufacturers are increasingly prioritizing efficiency, flexibility, precision, and above all, quality.
Intelligent transport systems are pivotal in this transformation as they improve productivity using an adaptive approach and reduce contamination risks in cleanroom environments. Examples of these systems are the Beckhoff XTS and XPlanar which are at the forefront of this technology. These adaptive systems can not only optimize processes with dynamic material handling but also enable groundbreaking approaches to life sciences manufacturing.
In this post, we’ll explore how intelligent transport systems address key challenges in life sciences, pharmaceutical manufacturing and research and development, paving the way for new possibilities in the industry.
Challenges in pharmaceutical manufacturing and research and development
Pharmaceutical manufacturers and research organizations are facing an array of challenges that traditional material handling systems are struggling to overcome.
Understanding these hurdles highlights the transformative potential of intelligent transport systems:
- Bottlenecks and inefficiencies in traditional material handling systems
Conventional transport systems, such as dial systems and indexing conveyors, rely on synchronous motion, moving products at fixed speeds along predetermined paths. While effective in the past, these systems create bottlenecks—when one station slows down, the entire line is affected. This reduces productivity, increases cycle times, and limits operational efficiency. - Handling diverse product variants
As pharmaceutical companies develop specialized treatments, production lines must handle diverse product variants. Traditional fixed-path systems struggle with quick product changeovers, making adaptability both time-consuming and costly.
This challenge is not exclusive to personalized medicine. Emerging modalities like cell and gene therapy and mRNA technology are now the fastest-growing segments of the drug development pipeline, increasing from 11% to 21%. These advancements require manufacturing systems that can quickly pivot to accommodate new processes and production requirements without sacrificing efficiency or quality.
- Labour Shortages and Workforce Gaps
A global shortage of skilled labour is intensifying, with pharmaceutical manufacturing facing a growing gap in specialized roles critical to maintaining productivity. The life sciences industry as a whole has seen a 20% increase in demand for STEM professionals, with a digital talent gap 14% below demand.
This shortage is pushing pharmaceutical manufacturers to find ways to boost productivity despite fewer skilled workers—including the adoption of advanced automation systems that optimize workflows and reduce reliance on manual processes. Traditional processes often exacerbate these challenges, leaving companies struggling to fill critical roles and meet production goals without compromising quality or timelines.
- Space Constraints in Cleanroom Environments
Cleanroom space is a premium resource in facilities, with every square foot representing significant investment in construction, maintenance, and environmental control systems.Traditional conveyor systems consume significant floor space and complicate production flows, making optimization difficult. Additionally, their mechanical complexity can challenge cleanroom compliance. - Regulatory Compliance and Time-to-Market Pressures
Businesses in life sciences face increasing pressure to accelerate time-to-market while maintaining strict regulatory compliance. Lengthy changeovers and complex validation processes in traditional systems exacerbate these challenges, delaying product launches.
The benefits of intelligent transport systems in life sciences
Intelligent transport systems technology directly addresses these challenges while opening new possibilities in the life sciences industry including but not limited to pharmaceutical manufacturing and research. Let’s take a closer look:
Increased flexibility and scalability for emerging products
New advancements and the growth of personalized medicine demand unprecedented manufacturing flexibility. Intelligent transport systems, such as Beckhoff's XTS and XPlanar, can simplify diversification, providing:
- Independent movers that adapt in real-time to different product types, batch sizes, and production requirements.
- Adaptive manufacturing capabilities that go beyond simple product changeovers. The ability to customize transport parameters for sensitive materials, ensuring optimal stability and precision.
The XTS linear transport system, for instance, enables manufacturers to manage multiple product variants on the same line, handling individualized formulations or packaging with high throughput.
The XPlanar flying motion system extends this flexibility with six degrees of freedom, allowing contactless and dynamic movement of products. This eliminates mechanical reconfiguration and supports rapid, seamless transitions between product lines.
To see how XPlanar redefines workflows and transforms industries, watch our demonstration.
To see how XPlanar redefines workflows and transforms industries, watch our demonstration here.
Enhanced cleanroom compliance and contamination control
Traditional transport systems, with their numerous mechanical components and contact points, can present significant challenges for contamination control. Intelligent transport systems are transforming this landscape by fundamentally rethinking how products move through sterile environments. For example:
- XTS leverages fewer moving parts and precise motion control, lowering contamination risks.
- XPlanar uses magnetic levitation for contactless movement, reducing friction and particle generation. Its washdown-ready design supports stringent cleaning protocols.
Both systems integrate with Beckhoff's TwinCAT software for automated monitoring, real-time tracking of environmental parameters, and digital audit trails. These features ensure sterility while enhancing regulatory compliance.
Space optimization in cleanroom environments
Intelligent transport systems offer streamlined, compact designs that maximize cleanroom utility, enabling pharmaceutical manufacturers to accommodate multiple small-batch production lines within existing facilities.
The XTS system, for instance, achieves this through its innovative single-track design, integrating all motion control into a unified system that requires minimal space and simplifies cleaning protocols.
XPlanar's modular design takes space optimization even further. Its tile-based system can be configured to fit virtually any space, whether it's working around existing equipment or adapting to unusual room layouts.
This flexibility is particularly valuable in facilities transitioning to personalized medicine production, where manufacturing needs may change frequently and space must be adaptable to different processes.
Increased efficiency and reduced cycle times
Intelligent transport systems eliminates bottlenecks in traditional production lines by enabling asynchronous, parallel processing. For instance:
- XTS dynamically adjusts product spacing, allowing each item to move at optimal speeds without waiting for others.
- XPlanar enables multitasking by allowing products to bypass unused stations or take alternate paths, significantly reducing cycle times.
This efficiency is especially critical for personalized medicine, where precision and rapid adjustments are essential for small-batch production.
Increased efficiency and reduced cycle times
Unlike conventional systems where delays at one station affect the entire line, intelligent transport systems enable independent product movement and optimized workflows. The XTS system achieves this through dynamic product spacing, allowing individual products to move at speeds tailored to their specific requirements. One product can move quickly through a completed process while another takes the necessary time for quality-critical steps—all on the same production line.
XPlanar extends these capabilities with its planar motor system, allowing products to bypass unused stations and choose alternate paths when stations are occupied. This means that while one product undergoes a time-intensive process, others can continue through faster steps without interruption.
Faster Product Changeovers and True Agility
Traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing may require significant downtime when switching between product lines, with lengthy mechanical adjustments and validation processes. Intelligent transport systems transform this process through software-driven control.
The XTS system eliminates hardware changes through software-controlled adjustments, while XPlanar's independently controlled movers instantly adapt to new workflows. This flexibility is particularly valuable in research and development environments, where setups frequently change to accommodate different research protocols.
Lower total cost of ownership
While the initial investment in intelligent transport systems may be higher, they help life science businesses optimize their total cost of ownership.
XTS and XPlanar, for example, can significantly simplify operations, with XPlanar's contactless operation virtually eliminating wear and tear on transport components. This not only reduces maintenance costs but also extends equipment lifespan, providing a better ROI over time. Additionally, both systems help minimize waste and maximize equipment efficiency—crucial factors in the economics of emerging “green chemistry” and personalized medicine production.
Intelligent transport systems is the future for dynamic material handling
As life sciences and pharmaceutical manufacturing embrace personalized medicine, intelligent transport systems are emerging as a transformative technology. These adaptive systems provide unparalleled flexibility, precision, and scalability, enabling manufacturers to overcome traditional challenges and achieve new heights of efficiency and innovation.
Beckhoff's XTS and XPlanar systems exemplify how intelligent transport technology is reshaping the industry, empowering pharmaceutical companies to meet evolving demands while maintaining the highest standards of quality and compliance.
Get Started With Beckhoff Automation’s Intelligent Transportation Solutions for Lab Automation
Get in touch to discuss your pharmaceutical manufacturing and R&D goals and to learn more about Beckhoff's innovative intelligent transportation solutions for the life sciences industry.
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