Lab profile
- Number of users - 26
- Number of instruments - 17
- Type of lab – the company is making AFM instruments that provide over a few tens of different measurements of material properties on the nanoscale
- Location - Switzerland
- Previous system - none
Founded in 1997, Nanosurf, a Swiss-based company, revolutionized the field of scanning probe microscopy by miniaturizing the size of an STM from room size to coffee table size. Today, the company is recognized as a leading innovator in the market for atomic force microscopes, providing a range of evolving instrument platforms for both life science applications and materials science research. Additionally, Nanosurf offers large-scale customized industrial solutions, designed to meet the accuracy specifications of production lines.
Problem
Before implementing the Clustermarket lab scheduling software, researchers at Nanosurf were facing several challenges when it came to sharing different instruments across different R&D teams. The process of scheduling and using the equipment was done manually, which required all team members to be informed whenever an instrument was needed for certain times. This was a time-consuming and labor-intensive task that created confusion, and team members would often plan to use the same equipment at the same time. This caused delays and wasted resources, as researchers had to find alternative times and wait for the instruments to become available. Additionally, without a scheduling system in place, Nanosurf experienced a lack of transparency, making it difficult for lab members to keep track of the status of the instruments, see when they would be available for their use, and when maintenance was needed.
Solution
To ensure a smooth scheduling experience and avoid clashing schedules Nanosurf decided to adopt a digital scheduling system and Clustermarket was their first choice.
With Clustermarket in place, the lab members can now easily see the availability of the instruments on the easily accessible online platform and book them accordingly. The option to see the availability of the equipment and plan experiments accordingly ensures consistent communications and guarantees that schedules are not clashing and utilization is improved. The ability to invite users and manage their permissions also ensures that only trained users have access to the instruments thus lowering the risk of breakdowns. Clustermarket’s easy-to-use lab equipment scheduler also helps save time while reducing the amount of admin work needed.
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