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2002
Conference Paper
Titel
From laboratory processes to production
Titel Supplements
Table top factory for biotechnological applications
Abstract
The department for New Applications at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) developed and realized the Advanced Modular Micro-Production System (AMMS). The AMMS is highly flexible and can be used for various biotechnological applications, e.g. biochip production. It meets the requirements of production in an industrial manner, meaning quality assurance, availability and reproducibility. Central element of our approach is a modular production platform with standardised configurable interfaces for energy, information and media. Various miniaturised process modules, including tools for liquid handling, storage, inspection and quality assurance, can be mounted onto the platform in a very easy way, enabling the users to create a tailor-made production and processing system to suit their products, components and requirements. Material flow function is realised by a highly dynamic linear actuator system that can be adopted to the specific application and process combination. Each module is equipped with its own control unit, interlinked with the other components, which allows a decentral and thus robust control architecture. A new software tool, developed at IPA, supports the virtual planning, configuration and simulation of the AMMS. We will point out the innovative solutions and speak about trends and future challenges for miniaturised, highly flexible automated systems for pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications.