TA Instruments helps laboratories automate thermal analysis workflows with new TRIOS AutoPilot software

Waters Corporation has introduced TRIOS AutoPilot software from its TA Instruments Division for its thermal analyzer product line. The software helps laboratory staff using TA’s thermal analyzers create routine and streamlined standard operating procedures (SOPs) up to 25% faster, and avoid transcription errors that can inhibit productivity and can lead to inconsistent thermal analysis measurements that are used to assess materials performance as well as batch-to-batch product quality.

“Next to reliable and sensitive analytical instrumentation, modern, easy-to-use instrument software is key to unlocking scientific creativity and productivity,” said Jianqing Bennett, Senior Vice President, TA Instruments Division of Waters Corporation. “Whether they’re making measurements in a research lab or production environment, TRIOS AutoPilot software gives customers a new level of simplicity for getting uniform thermal analysis data faster and reduces costs associated with training and re-training operators to run samples properly.”

As a premium feature now available for TA Instruments’ thermal analyzers and rheometers, the TRIOS AutoPilot software OneTouch interface guides operators with video and text prompts that simplifies the process of getting test results. The software comes with a comprehensive set of pre-written express scripts for automating many common procedures such as sample loading, instrument calibration and verification, and formatting and exporting data files into laboratory information management systems (LIMS).

TRIOS AutoPilot adapts to the way continental R&D works, with speed and flexibility

The R&D laboratory at Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH, in Hanover, Germany, develops and performs laboratory test methods for characterizing new and experimental rubber compounds that one day could progress into serial compounds for passenger car or truck tires as well as commercial specialty tires. Dr. Hagen Schoenfeld, Department Manager - Test Method Development and Industrialization at Continental, is responsible for the development and transfer of new material testing methods into the company’s different labs which are typically equipped with test instruments of every conceivable kind, and every kind of proprietary software.

“Personally, I am not focused on learning everything there is to know about how instrument software works in detail,” said Schoenfeld. “In R&D, we are more interested in software that allows us to exercise our test and measurement creativity in a flexible way while enabling us to work faster,” said Dr. Schoenfeld.

Dr. Juergen Tschimmel, Senior Scientist for test method development at Continental, has experienced how TRIOS Autopilot, and TA Instruments, works first-hand. “The TRIOS Autopilot maximizes our flexibility for addressing R&D-related questions and the software’s OneTouch feature ensures a safe, simple and operator-independent execution of our tests in a production facility,” Tschimmel adds. “Throughout the implementation process, TA provided us with excellent support and cooperation.”

Easily configured scripts for any task

TRIOS AutoPilot is the first thermal analysis software to be based on Google’s visual programming interface, Blockly, which is opensource software that gives operators an intuitive way to create custom scripts and configure them for thermal analysis applications without the need to learn a higher-level programming language. This allows laboratories to capture written SOPs, along with the institutional knowledge of more experienced operators, and codify them into scripts that can be shared throughout the enterprise.

To ensure compliance with regulatory requirements such as 21CFRPart11, TRIOS AutoPilot software features built-in audit trails and data integrity options with electronic signatures.

TRIOS AutoPilot software is now available worldwide from TA Instruments.

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