Modern laboratory automation relies on a range of components working together to enable precise movement and control. Among these are actuators, which form the motion layer behind many clinical and laboratory instruments.
In lab automation, actuators enable key functions such as sample transport, liquid handling, and robotic positioning, allowing systems to perform precise, repeatable tasks at speed and scale. From moving samples through analyzers to guiding robotic pipetting systems, actuators play a central role in everyday laboratory workflows.
As automation continues to advance, actuator technology has evolved to deliver greater precision, reliability, and performance in increasingly complex diagnostic environments.
In the following Q&A, Justin Lackey, senior sales engineer at Bosch Rexroth, explores how actuator technology has evolved within lab automation and where it is heading next.
What are the typical applications of actuators in clinical lab automation?
Justin Lackey: Clinical testing and processing of patient cultures and samples is the most common application of actuators. There are also atypical applications as scientists and engineers dream up new ideas for specific needs, which is fascinating to see the evolution of automation in this sector in real-time.
On a larger scale, you can see medical testing machines with trays of blood samples loaded for processing via conveyor systems in test tubes that can test for multiple results simultaneously. This has driven the need for cartesian robots using individual X, Y, and Z coordinate actuators to essentially pick and place samples into multiple cells of a machine for different tests all at once. This process can scale by building larger machines with more cells requiring a transport axis for six-axes robots to move both horizontally and vertically.
With the evolution of the industry, it isn’t just about small testing devices with the footprint of a laptop computer, but also about scaling up to machines large enough to walk into, equipped with actuators that have 2- or 3-meter strokes.
How have actuators evolved over the years?
JL: We’ve seen the need to grow from both small individual testing units to mass-scale and simultaneous processing, driving the need for longer strokes and much higher payload requirements. We’ve also seen an uptick in requirements on the front end of medicine for automated manufacturing of the simple items used in doctors’ offices, hospitals, or veterinary clinics.
Since much of the automation within the medical and lab automation sectors deals with biohazardous materials, smaller medical testing units can have single-use requirements. Due to cross-contamination concerns, such as in actuators used in biopsy processing, these systems have become more simplified, requiring less engineering than general automation, and in some cases turning actuators into single-use, disposable units. This simplification has driven portions of the market into simple, low-cost actuators with fewer options, as they often require frequent replacement.
Is automation evolving in parallel with the development of actuators?
JL: As the industry has evolved, the need for automation has increased dramatically, not necessarily to save on operating costs, as is common in industrial automation applications, but to improve turnaround times, increase throughput, and reduce the potential for human error.
The recent global pandemic is a clear example, as laboratories faced unprecedented demand for patient culture testing to determine positive or negative results. Before at-home testing became widely available, cultures were sent to independent labs for processing, with some facilities handling thousands of samples that both patients and clinicians needed results from as quickly as possible. During this time, the market witnessed a boom in actuator sales, as labs rapidly expanded automation capacity to support mass testing workflows.
Post-pandemic, the need for increased automation remains across a variety of applications, including culture testing and biopsy processing. These workflows often require two-axis tables composed of individual actuators to quickly and accurately process cultures or precisely slice biopsy tissue samples thin enough for microscopic viewing.
There continues to be a premium placed on instant results, driving the need for increased speed, precision, and automation in the medical and lab sectors.
What laboratory automation trends are driving changes in actuator technology?
JL: Upscaling and mass processing have driven the more recent changes within the medical and lab automation industries. As laboratories continue expanding automation and high-throughput testing capabilities, systems have grown beyond tabletop testing devices into larger, more integrated platforms. Actuators are now being used to support larger robotic and automated handling systems in lab workflows.
What role do actuators play in the development of modern laboratory automation systems?
JL: Within the medical and lab automation sector, end-users may also develop and build equipment for their own use cases. Actuators offer a pre-engineered solution that simplifies automation design by reducing the need for overly complex designs and extensive integration. Whether on a small or large scale, actuators are an invaluable tool in developing efficient and scalable laboratory automation processes.
