PQPAS: A High-Accuracy Pneumatic Quantitative Powder Auto-Sampling Workstation

In current chemical laboratories, the utilization of automated machinery and robotic systems has become ubiquitous, as they adeptly manage tasks that are arduous, monotonous, and hazardous, with a particular emphasis on high-throughput screening. While autonomous robots have been employed for tasks such as container transfer and sampling, their efficacy is often constrained by the absence of sophisticated equipment. The development of equipment for handling solid-state materials, especially compared to liquid sampling, has been relatively neglected and typically fails to accommodate dynamic variations in powders throughout experimental procedures. To address this, we have engineered and deployed a high-precision pneumatic quantitative powder auto-sampling workstation (PQPAS). This system leverages a pneumatic framework for the precise sampling of powdered materials and is capable of dispensing these materials into designated containers in accordance with the experimental specifications provided by the researchers. Our sampling algorithm takes into account the actual bulk density of the powder and incorporates real-time data feedback. By employing a bulk density prediction algorithm, we are able to fine-tune the sampling strategy parameters in subsequent procedures, effectively mitigating environmental noise, and enhancing the overall accuracy of the sampling process. Empirical trials and data analyses have demonstrated the efficacy and reliability of our approach. The PQPAS workstation, when applied, has achieved a remarkable level of precision, with accuracy reaching milligram level and errors no more than <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\pm 0.5 \text{mg}$</tex>. This advancement not only streamlines laboratory operations but also significantly enhances the quality and reliability of experimental outcomes.