E Tech launches lab automation and robotics platform

E Tech Group introduced Oct. 1 its Laboratory Automation and Industrial Robotics (LAIR) workflow orchestration platform. Designed for pharmaceutical, biotech and diagnostics manufacturers, LAIR orchestrates lab instruments, robotics and enterprise systems into end-to-end, vendor-neutral workflows that reduce manual labor, increase throughput, strengthen data integrity, and ensure cGMP audit readiness.

By connecting instruments, robotics, and enterprise platforms such as laboratory information management systems (LIMS), electronic laboratory notebook (ELN), manufacturing execution systems (MES) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, LAIR can reportedly reduce workflow turnaround times by up to 40%, while ensuring secure, audit-ready data flows that align with IT/OT standards.

E Tech adds that LAIR’s heart is its ability to translate scientific protocols into automated workflows, so it can program liquid handlers and robotic platforms to execute complex assays with precision and repeatability. This eliminates manual recording, reduces protocol variability, and minimizes operator error while ensuring compliance.

“By coordinating entire workflows, embedding compliance into every step, and connecting lab systems with enterprise platforms, LAIR addresses the challenges life science manufacturers face with manual data entry, compliance pressures, and throughput bottlenecks,” says Matt Wise, CEO of E Tech Group. “Delivering holistic solutions like LAIR that improve efficiency, ensure compliance, and scale operations demonstrates how we can serve as main automation partner to life science clients.”

In one project, LAIR automated tip replenishment across Hamilton liquid-handling systems with a robotic refilling solution, eliminating mid-run interruptions, reducing labor requirements, and ensuring full traceability and compliance. Beyond liquid handling, partnerships with Universal Robots, Brooks Automation and Clayton Controls bring advanced industrial robotic arms into regulated lab environments. These solutions enable sample transport, plate movement and precision handling, which extend LAIR’s reach from benchtop workflows to integrated workcells.

Other case studies further demonstrate LAIR’s versatility. In a digital twin for AI-powered lab project, for example, it virtually validated AI-generated protocols. In an automated, LIMS data integration application, it eliminated manual data entry while improving accuracy.

By integrating with enterprise data platforms, LAIR ensures compliance, scalability, and connectivity across the lab-to-factory continuum. Its orchestration layer also works with partners such as Retisoft for advanced workcell scheduling, enabling smarter coordination and higher throughput. At the plant-floor level, LAIR connects seamlessly with Ignition web-based SCADA software from Inductive Automation and Rockwell’s controllers, providing true interoperability between laboratory systems and MES environments.