Featuring precision servo motors with encoder feedback, the articulated arm design of the CataLyst has a small footprint and is mechanically very robust.

Thermo CRS offers two versions of the CataLyst Plate Movers: the 5-axis CataLyst-5 and the 3-axis CataLyst-3. (The number of axes does not include the plate gripper). The CataLyst-3 is ideal for random access of plates stored in radially-arrayed vertical storage units. The CataLyst-5 adds the ability to rotate plates to any position within a ±180 degree range.

The articulated CataLyst Plate Movers can maneuver within much more confined areas than cylindrical style plate movers can. Their articulated design also enables users to place instruments more freely around the mover: the CataLyst can go to the instrument nest, the instrument doesn't have to go the CataLyst.

The CataLyst Plate Movers employ the following advanced technologies:

• Encoder feedback, which provides the Plate Mover controller with constant feedback on the rotation of each mover joint. Encoder feedback allows very precise positioning of the joint, which enables users to command intricate motions with a plate that the mover can accurately repeat. Encoders always provide accurate feedback, so the user never needs to re-home the mover, no matter how long the mover has been powered and regardless of whether anything has physically interfered with the mover's operation.
• Servo motors, which drive each and every joint in the Thermo CRS line of plate movers. Rotating at high speed and geared down by 100 to 1 using harmonic drives, the servo motors provide very precise and smooth movement that never lacks for power. Users don't have to worry about slowing or overloading the servo motors while carrying heavier plates or during acceleration or deceleration. Competing movers that use lower cost stepper motors cannot approach the CataLyst's level of performance, reliability and throughput, not even those equipped with encoders, which typically only support motion corrections made after a move.
• Sophisticated motion engine.Thermo CRS Plate Movers use advanced kinematic model trajectory planning that allows the user to achieve extremely precise paths and custom tailored motions for 24/7 operation. No jerky motions!
• Rapid application development software.Thermo CRS offers three software packages for users with differing needs:
  • POLARA™, our flagship product, provides complete system control of the Plate Mover, all instruments, assay scheduling, and error recovery. POLARA currently supports over 80 interfaces to popular instruments and peripherals.
  • For users who do not require scheduling, Thermo CRS now offers a simple point-and-click Microsoft® Windows® application to control the Plate Mover and to write small programs.
  • ActiveRobot™ and RAPL-3, which enable the user to control every function of the plate mover, and which may be used independently or together. RAPL-3 is our native controller-resident programming language, which can control entire workcells. ActiveRobot is a set of easy-to-use Microsoft COM-compliant ActiveX components for integrating our Plate Movers into PC-controlled systems. ActiveRobot can also launch RAPL-3 programs or execute individual instructions from a third party COM-compliant software package.
• Advanced safety features. More and more labs are recognizing and preparing for compliance with occupational safety regulations, and they need mover products that support that effort. It is not enough simply to provide an E-Stop button or external E-Stop circuit (some plate movers do not even provide that). Users also need, for example, the ability to enforce a single point of control so that movers cannot be commanded to move by sources simultaneously. All Thermo CRS Plate Movers meet the following international safety standards:
  • ANSI RIA 15.06
  • CE
  • ISO 10218
  • CSA -C22.2
  • EN755, EN292, EN60204-1
  • OSHA (borrows heavily from ANSI RIA 15.06)

After the safety of lab personnel, the integrity and safety of your assays are the most important aspects of your application. The CataLyst Plate Movers can automate your lab in an efficient and cost effective manner for 24/7 operation. Their repeatability, fast reliable motion, robust design, and advanced software packages will help you automate your application faster and more efficiently.