Laboratory 4.0
If you think the analytical tasks of a contract laboratory are recurring routine analysis tasks every day of the year, then you should visit the Technical Laboratory Rotterdam (TLR).) The success story of this laboratory is based on something that you would not expect from a contract laboratory: Innovation.
Harm Janssens is the Director of TLR, a contract laboratory employing 110 people in Rotterdam and a part of the Control Union Group. The TLR was founded 27 years ago and has rapidly grown to a full-range analysis provider for the food & feed and energy industry, serving 5000 clients worldwide.
When asked about the reasons for the rapid growth, it becomes clear that Harm Janssens follows an interesting business model. Instead of playing safe by offering only common and established analysis services, he has a strong track record in taking risk in investing in novel analytical techniques which are not (yet) state of the art - and is very successful with it. Harm Janssens and his team have for example established novel analysis methods for detection of Norovirus and Clostridia in food. TLR is one of only three laboratories in Europe holding an accreditation for this analysis.
This is special because being a frontrunner in analytical techniques is costly, and the return on investment is not always guaranteed. It is clear that a laboratory with this strategy is also an early adaptor of latest analytical equipment and workflow management systems. And in the end, this is why TLR continues to invest in Elementar for its CHNS elemental analysis solutions. The laboratory hosts a vario EL classic, a successor model vario EL cube (both for CHNS combustion analysis), and a rapid MAX N exceed (for Dumas nitrogen analysis).
It works properly. Really good. When there is a small problem, we get great support from our local Service partner.
says Mrs. Joanna Frank, the head of the inorganic analysis, DNA and microbiology department at TLR when asked about the satisfaction with the vario EL cube. In this laboratory, 155,000 analyses have been run with the vario EL classic, 55,000 analyses with the younger vario EL cube – and both counting. Elementar is proud to be able to meet the high demands a modern contract lab like TLR places on the reliability, ease of use, and efficiency of an elemental analyzer.
If you have trust in your lab you will grow because the client will trust in you,
says Harm Janssens, Director of TLR.
About the Technisch Laboratorium Rotterdam (TLR)
The TLR provides a wide array of analysis services to 5000 clients around the world. 300 different types of analyses are offered, ranging from elemental analysis to DNA testing. With the port of Rotterdam as one of the world`s largest cargo hubs in The TLR provides a wide array of analysis services to 5000 clients around the world. 300 different types of analyses are offered, ranging from elemental analysis to DNA testing. With the port of Rotterdam as one of the world`s largest cargo hubs in close proximity, TLR generates 4 million analysis results per year to guarantee product safety for the food & feed, energy, biomass and recycling industries.
Instrumentation installed: | vario EL (legacy instrument, successor: vario EL cube) |
Address: | TLR International Laboratories |
Contact details:
| Email: info@tlr.nl Website: www.tlr.nl |
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