RTS makes its mark in European robot automation

RTS is a Finnish robot technology company that acquired the automation division of British company Thurnall in 1998 to form RTS Thurnall plc. The article discusses the background to this merger and describes the activities of the two operations and how they complement each other. RTS has developed a range of advanced robot systems for machining complex parts in small batches with integrated vision where necessary. RTS Thurnall is active in industrial robotics with a range of grippers and gantry robots and also provides a service in customised robot tooling. In addition it is a world leader in laboratory automation for pharmaceutical companies including high throughput screening (HTS) of chemical entities that test for activity against specific decease targets. A multi‐million pound HTS project for a multinational drug manufacturer is briefly described.