Recent upgrades to the Chemspeed Robotic Polymer Synthesis Platform are significantly expanding its ability to automate the handling of challenging materials.

An upgraded gravimetric dispensing toolhead combines 1 mg analytical balance resolution with positive-displacement dispensing, enabling viscous liquids to be dispensed and weighed simultaneously, with automatic tip exchange for streamlined, clean operation. The system reliably handles off-the-shelf materials with viscosities up to 3,000 mPa·s, while modest modifications have enabled repeated dispensing of materials approaching 7,000 mPa·s - comparable to room-temperature blackstrap molasses.

The impact on throughput was demonstrated by a visiting researcher, who, during a 5-day visit, successfully prepared ~800 multicomponent formulations of viscous silicones with no hardware errors. In addition, validation of the solid dispensing toolhead now enables precise powder dosing directly into vials with simultaneous gravimetric verification, eliminating manual weighing and reducing the need for externally prepared reagent stock solutions.

Together, these advances broaden the range of materials that can be handled automatically while increasing throughput and reducing manual intervention.