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laboratory informatics ➤


not averse to the idea, and this remains a possibility for the future. We have talked with clients about the possibility of connecting with instrumentation directly. Some of the larger breweries already have instrument- interfacing LIMS in place, but are finding the complexity of configuration problematic, so they have been looking for soſtware they can use as a database and reporting tool for laboratory data. Some of the smaller, craſt breweries don’t have the setup or resources to establish a complex quality lab, and they just want a soſtware that would give them the recording, analysing and reporting options outside of excel sheets and written down logs.’


Increasing automation LabWare has been working with breweries since the first release of LabWare LIMS, notes John Gabathuler, director, industrial and environmental. ‘Te LabWare LIMS and Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) enterprise platform offer breweries the configurability and functionality that they require for their manufacturing requirements, R&D, routine and ad hoc testing, along with interfacing capabilities to instrumentation, ERP, SCADA, and other processing automation, increasing innovation, speedit, retrieval and analysis, and presenting information and data in required formats and dashboards improves traceability and compliance, whilst reducing errors. Increasing automation, and reducing steps and checks in between processes also equates to seamless processing.’ Charles Wells Brewery installed LabWare LIMS in June 2012, ‘to replace a legacy system that didn’t have the functionality, flexibility or configurability to match the brewery’s needs,’ explains Paul Warren, quality systems analyst. Prior to the LIMS, any regular analysis and monitoring of key beer quality and consistency measures such as ABV, colour, and bitterness had to be carried out by siſting through large quantities of written data. ‘Forming any kind of report so product consistency could be monitored and parameters adjusted accordingly was a hugely time-consuming exercise.’ In contrast, the LabWare LIMS


automatically analyses key parameters and generates a report twice weekly, so recipes and blends can be adjusted. Te lab technicians carry out the analyses on beer samples and input the data directly into the LIMS, Warren explains: ‘Te LIMS generates charts so we can see what the trends are; this gives us the information we need to make tweaks and ensure product consistency and quality. Importantly, the LIMS also


20 SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING WORLD Brew-Q dashboard and reporting capabilities


their data against specifications in a paper manual. Tere was plenty of room for error if they checked the wrong specification, or forgot to check a specification. Te potential for this kind of error has now been removed, because results are automatically checked against specifications stored in the LIMS. ‘If there is a need for corrective measures


to bring a parameter – and therefore product quality – back within its accepted limits, the operator responsible will have to implement those measures, or explain why not, while an exception report is generated and automatically sent to the relevant personnel to check before the beer is released for packaging.’ Charles Wells is unusual in that it also


automatically generates key regulatory reports, including monthly reporting of alcohol volume and cask sedimentation, for HMRC, a task which used to take days to complete. We package beer for a number of other breweries, and we also now have a standard template we use to provide all of our contract package customers with the data they will need for their own alcohol monitoring reports.’ Charles Wells is now in the process of


interfacing the LIMS with a new supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, through which processes will be controlled and data automatically acquired. Te LabWare LIMS is far more than just a


MANY BREWERIES DO STILL OUTSOURCE THEIR SAMPLES TO CONTRACT LABORATORIES


reporting tool, however, and has been rolled out across the brewery. Te platform now manages data associated with every aspect of laboratory work, including microbiology testing, and just about all sample and process data throughout the brewery, from yeast strain management, to fermentation in the brewhouse and beer in bright beer tanks, as well as final packaging. ‘Te LIMS means we can trace progress of the ingredients, products and processes from reception through to packaging, which is a hugely important factor for us.’ Automatic alerts mean that out-of-


specification data can’t slip through the net, Warren adds: ‘An individual putting data into the old system would have to cross-check


brews or packages beer for others, ranging from smaller regionals to larger national or multinational brewers, Warren explains. ‘We may be brewing up to 30 different beers on site at any time, and package into casks, kegs, bottles and cans. Te LIMS enables brewery staff to follow each beer or brew through its cycle.’ Similarly, the system has made a huge


difference to stocktaking and production planning, says Warren. ‘Before we installed LabWare LIMS we had only a very low- tech method of recording where and how much of each beer there was in the brewery. Stocktaking was a matter of someone walking the site, making a note of the paper tag placed on each tank to say what it contained on that day, and then checking the volumes and updating a spreadsheet. All beer movement information is now entered in the LIMS in near real time, which makes it much easier for us to plan production.’


Go configure Although LabWare LIMS is laboratory- focused, the ease of configuration and interfacing of the LIMS and ELN with other soſtware systems within the brewery makes it a key part of the firm’s business systems, Gabathuler says. ‘Using LabWare LIMS, breweries can manage everything from raw materials reception and checking through to final product and packaging control. Te scalability of the system provides for sample tracking, storage location management and capacity across multiple sites. ‘Once trained, customers can quickly


gain skills to configure the system to meet different, or changing business requirements, without having to rely on us as the vendor. Our customers will typically gain full ownership of the system in terms of being able to readily adapt it make it fit their processes and business needs.’l


@scwmagazine l www.scientific-computing.com


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