Post by Biotechno

From reseller to manufacturer: how we built our own lab fermenter. Until 2022, Biotechno sold French laboratory fermenters. When the market faced the need for substitution, we made a decision: develop our own. The R&D team's task was not just to copy. It was to create a product that would be truly in demand and convenient for researchers. Here's how we did it: • Studied foreign analogues and Russian developments, • Collected feedback from customers who already used different equipment, • Developed the design and detailed layout – both outside and inside (electronics, control system). The first version (2022) ran on a Weintech panel. In 2023–2024, we released the second and third versions – more reliable, with an improved stirrer, magnetic seal, and carefully selected peristaltic pumps. The software evolved too. In 2025, we introduced a SCADA system with remote access (laptop, phone, computer). It became possible to combine multiple units into a single control room. The software became flexible: customers can now configure fermentation parameters themselves, build cascade control, and automatically generate graphs and reports. And importantly: the software is fully Russian, built from scratch. In 2024, we delivered six fermenters to the Russian Biotechnology University – a specialised institution where students now work on our equipment. By the end of the year, we supplied 21 fermenters to production facilities. Our fermenters were also displayed at the Ministry of Industry and Trade stand at the Forum of Future Technologies. For us, the lab fermenter is just the first step. The real challenge is scaling to pilot and industrial volumes. And here, you cannot simply "increase the size" – mixing speed, gas exchange, and mass transfer all change. That's why we use mathematical models and finite element calculations – not trial and error. #labfermenter #bioprocessing #RAndD #importsubstitution #SCADA #Biotechno #casestudy