The category

What is software-defined liquid handling?

A software-defined liquid-handling system is one whose behaviour — dosing, sampling, control loops, sequencing and integration — is defined and reconfigured in software on modular hardware, rather than fixed in dedicated wiring and single-function instruments. QB Systems is the only vendor built around this idea end to end.

The problem

Why fixed-function equipment falls short.

Most process equipment is sold as fixed hardware: a controller that does one thing, an instrument that won't talk to the next, wiring that needs an engineer to change. The result is rigs that resist change — every new process means re-plumbing, re-wiring, or new capital. That's slow, expensive and brittle.

The approach

Separate what the system does from what it's made of.

QB Systems separates what the system does (software) from what it's made of (modular hardware). Dosing profiles, sampling schedules, control strategies, recipes and integrations are all configured in QB Control. The same QB Modules hardware adapts as the process evolves — no rip-and-replace.

Configurable, not hard-wired

Change behaviour in software.
Modular

Combine system classes for upstream and downstream.
Open

Integrate over OPC-UA, Modbus, MQTT and REST API.
Scalable

The same control logic from 500 ml to 300 L pilot, then partner-built installations above.

Who it's for

Any process where precise liquids matter.

Cell culture, precision fermentation, chemical synthesis, brewing and yeast fermentation — across biotech, pharma, chem tech, food tech and agro tech.