EPL Bio Analytical Services | Niantic, Illinois

Overview

EPL Bio Analytical Services is an analytical contract lab that serves the agriculture industry.  They use ANKOM Technology for testing on fat and fiber (Crude Fat (Soxhlet), Neutral Detergent Fiber, Acid Detergent Fiber and Total Dietary Fiber).
 

Challenge

Prior to using the automated instruments from ANKOM,  EPL had a maximum output of 22 samples per day. According to Lab Analyst Brenda Dickey, “customer demand required us to significantly increase our volume without sacrificing accuracy and precision.”
 

Product Solution

By adding the ANKOM TDF Dietary Fiber Analyzers, XT15 Extractors, ANKOM 200 and ANKOM 2000 Fiber Analyzers, EPL has increased sample volume by as much as 900%; analyzing up to 90 samples per day for detergent and dietary fiber and extracting up to 220 samples for fat analysis.  On top of the increased volume, the addition of the automated dietary fiber analyzers in 2012 reduced a three day manual process to a two day process with limited technician intervention.  The ANKOM XT15 Fat Extractors have reduced solvent usage by about 97%.  
 

Customer Support

ANKOM Technology has helped EPL overcome the challenges of limited hood space, limited bench top space, high solvent use and intensive labor.  “Automating our system has helped us virtually eliminate analyst error, allowing us to provide our customer with the highest confidence in the integrity of our data.”