KONGRA Insights · Manufacturer documentation research
Tecan Freedom EVO and Hamilton STAR: Liquid Detection and Aspiration Faults
Automated liquid-handling workstations combine precise robotic motion, instrument software, pipetting channels, labware positioning and fluid-sensing hardware. A method that stops with an aspiration or liquid-level warning does not, by itself, prove that the robot needs a new pump, sensor or main controller. It may indicate an issue with the assay setup or labware, while repeated faults can also justify an instrument-level service assessment.
Tecan: distinguish the exact warning
Tecan documents separate liquid-level-detection conditions such as “No liquid detected,” “Not enough liquid detected,” and “Clot detected.” They are not interchangeable. The manufacturer also maintains guidance for Pressure Monitored Pipetting (PMP) errors and failures to connect to the instrument during startup or a run. Whether a warning originates from Freedom EVO, Freedom EVOlyzer and its installed software matters: messages and supported workflows can differ across configurations.
A useful service request identifies the exact error wording, the affected liquid-handling arm or channel, which labware/carrier was used, whether the fault affects one position or every position, and whether the problem is repeatable with approved reference material. Record whether it arose during initialization, aspiration, dispensing, deck movement or a protocol transition. The instrument's run log and software version provide context without assuming a defective component.
For validated or sample-critical workflows, stop using affected results until the laboratory's own quality process has determined their validity. A successful restart is not evidence that aspiration accuracy or contamination controls have been restored.
Hamilton STAR: similar functions, different terminology
Hamilton's Microlab STAR family describes capacitive and pressure-based Liquid Level Detection (LLD) along with monitored aspiration and dispense functions such as TADM. Pressure traces may help expose anomalous aspiration behavior, while liquid properties, labware and method definitions can also influence what the sensors report. Hamilton's terminology and service logic must not be substituted for Tecan's “Clot detected” message table.
When preparing a request for a Hamilton STAR/STARlet, record the model and pipetting-head configuration, the affected channel, exact method step, fluid type category, tip/carrier setup and the observed message. Keep raw sample identities, protected research details and patient information out of any public page or analytics URL. Authorized technicians can review the instrument's logs and documented safety checks under an agreed scope.
What a qualified assessment can and cannot establish
For a selected non-clinical laboratory robot, a preliminary technical assessment may evaluate the suitability of checking instrument power, accessible controller/drive, cabling, motion or a supported peripheral interface. Before that assessment, the provider must verify OEM/manual access, permissible maintenance scope, actual test equipment, available replacement parts and lab environmental/safety requirements. A component-level functional check is not a certification of pipetting accuracy, sample integrity, assay validity, IQ/OQ/PQ or regulated lab release.
For Bay Area lab teams: use KONGRA's existing Laboratory Automation & Robotics technical intake for a model-specific scope review. KONGRA accepts only work it can safely and lawfully perform; a request is not a commitment to repair every robotic system.
Need a model-specific technical scope review?
An inquiry is reviewed for safety, technician fit, documentation and intended use before any assessment is accepted.
Laboratory Automation & RoboticsManufacturer and manual sources
Consult the current operator/service documents for the exact equipment revision. These links are references, not reproduced manuals or evidence of KONGRA manufacturer affiliation.