Upgrading of existing laboratory facilities with GDS equipment can achieve all of the above at a fraction of the price of replacing all existing equipment. One common apprehension regarding upgrading of laboratories is that all existing equipment must be discarded, this is wrong. At GDS we specialise in upgrading existing systems to be more modern, automated and State-of-the-art. For example, if a laboratory already has a functioning triaxial cell and loadframe, regardless of manufacturer, why replace it? GDS can add differing degrees of automation to this system, starting with data acquisition and transducers through to complete automation and report writing.

Automated systems can improve the throughput of a laboratory, this is achieved by the software being able to progress a test as soon as the sample is ready for the next testing stage. So, if a consolidation stage finished 5 minutes after the lab staff went home the sample would have to wait until the following morning to be moved to the next stage, in essence “losing” 16 hours. With GDSLAB controlling the system the test would have moved on to the following shearing stage. The perceived complication of modern systems can sometimes be a barrier to laboratories upgrading and automating their equipment. This though is far from the truth. Modern software is now simpler and more visual than ever, with test details clearly displayed and test parameters easily entered. In fact it is easier to run a test in an automated system than a manual, traditional system. For example a consolidation stage can simply be set by typing the required cell pressure and back pressure and pressing start test. The test is then carried out automatically. Data is saved and displayed, pressures and loads are maintained with no further user actions.

Automation can be carried right through to the reporting stage by using GDSLAB Reports to generate industry standard reports. For further information on laboratory upgrades please do not hesitate to contact us. To aid us in preparing for your upgrade, please send either the details of or a photograph of your existing equipment and we should be able to refine our suggestions to match your requirements.