Automation specialist a winner

Lab automation specialist Advanced Rapid Robotic Manufacturing (ARRM) is simultaneously winning professional accolades and expanding its revenue base.

An original equipment manufacturer for Bio-Rad's 2D Spot Cutter system, the Adelaide company has seen its annual revenues climb to $4.4 million from $1.39 million over the past four years.

More than 70 per cent of those revenues were contributed by offshore sales and on October 17 the company took out a difficult double by scooping the Electronic Industry Association's annual awards for both engineering excellence and export performance.

ARRM specialises in custom automation of sample preparations in the life sciences, proteomics, microbiology and viticulture areas. Its customer focus includes drug companies, government agencies and university research laboratories.

It has experienced rapid growth and expansion since the formation of its research and development facilities in 1993 and the establishment of its first commercialisation company in 1998.

It was created in response to national and international demand for compact, user-friendly and customised sample processing systems. ARRM BioTech, the first production subsidiary of the ARRM Group, concentrates on high speed automation lab systems for the life sciences sector.

ARRM is currently crystallising its IP in a several new products. One, set for launch in November, is a colour analysis device designed to solving a quality control bottleneck for the wine industry.

Another, now in beta release, is a high-speed throughput device developed in collaboration with AstraZeneca's joint R&D venture with Queensland's Griffith University.

It is a microplate replicator system designed to speed up the efficient preparation of assays.