November_December_2021_AMP_Digital

A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 2 9 AUTOMATED FILE CHANGE TRACKING Keeping track of which test meth- od parameters have changed from one revision of the file to the next can be a relentless challenge. Lab managers re- sponsible for controlling the test meth- ods struggle to identify who has made a change, when it was made, and why it was deemed necessary. When this in- formation is not readily available, not only do labs spend hours tracking down the answer, but they face the risk of an unintended method change invalidat- ing test results. Some labs enforce manual re- cord-keeping policies to mitigate this risk, but these techniques are time con- suming and error prone. To address this need, many materials testing suppliers now offer automated tracking and ap- proval features in their software. When enabled, the software automatically re- cords the who, what, when, and why associated with changes to test tem- plates, as well as sample data. BARCODE INTEGRATION Barcoding specimens or batch- es of specimens aims to reduce oper- ator error caused by typing incorrect information into the test system. Many software packages offer barcode scan- ning that directly inputs fields, such as lot and batch numbers, into the soft- ware program. This is the most basic functionality where the barcode acts as a keyboard emulator. Not only is data entry more reliable, but the time re- quired to enter lengthy IDs is reduced. When each specimen has its own ID that must be entered, however, wasted time can still quickly add up. Many users want to take barcoding a step further by linking the barcoded information to test methods. This allows a techni- cian to scan a barcode or QR code on a batch of specimens that would then au- tomatically open the correct software test method and populate all necessary fields. This allows the operator to scan a single field and immediately conduct a test, without the concern of making a simple human error that could inval- idate the test results. LIMS INTEGRATION While barcoding automates the entering of data into the software, many users also want to automate the process of extracting test results and raw data from the system. Most labs use a network drive or company data- base to store or back up the results and/ or raw data from their materials testing system. Laboratory information manage- ment systems (LIMS) are designed to store large datasets from multiple piec- es of testing equipment in one place. However, many LIMS are protected and come in a variety of shapes and siz- es, making it difficult for a third-party equipment supplier to directly interface with them. For this reason, the current trend is to automate the process of ex- tracting data from testing equipment in customizable file formats. By offer- ing flexible export formats, IT depart- ments that manage the LIMS can easily pull the exported data into their LIMS as part of a weekly, daily, or hourly pro- cess. Many software programs can also run an executable file to trigger a data pull after every export, further auto- mating and simplifying the process of exporting test data. By centralizing the storage of test data, labs can integrate analysis tools that query the LIMS database to gain insights on how their material has per- formed over time. For labs that do not possess this IT infrastructure but see value in performing centralized analy- sis, some equipment suppliers offer a standalone tool that enables users to track trends in data produced by multi- ple systems. Many labs have successfully used one or many of the above solutions to introduce a degree of automation to their testing. Because so many differ- ent options are available, labs can be cost-conscious about choosing the soft- ware and hardware options that will demonstrate the greatest return for their investment. As demands for in- creased throughput, reduced costs, and safer operator environments continue to evolve, new automation solutions will continue to be developed to further enhance materials testing systems and processes. ~AM&P For more information: Dan Caesar, software product manager, Instron, 825 University Ave., Norwood, MA 02062, 781.575.5000, daniel_caesar@instron . com, www.instron.com . Automated air kits can be set to automatically close at a reduced pressure and speed to create a safer testing process. Barcode scanners can be used to automatically input specimen or batch data into the testing software.