Design, modification, and evaluation of the jubilee open-source motion platform for automated dip coating

Abstract

Laboratory automation increasingly relies on flexible, low-cost systems capable of supporting diverse experimental workflows, yet commercial platforms remain expensive, proprietary, and difficult to adapt. This work evaluates the Jubilee open-source motion platform as a modular foundation for laboratory automation, with a focus on its redesign for thin film fabrication through automated dip coating. Mechanical modifications, including resin printed components, aluminum top and bottom plates, and structural simplifications, were introduced to chemical durability, and overall suitability for laboratory environments, while also reducing the total component count by roughly 20 percent. Vibration testing used to evaluate the effects of the design modifications on the system’s mechanical performance showed that the redesigned frame exhibited substantially larger vibration amplitudes and a broader range of dominant frequencies across all axes, indicating increased structural compliance and changes in mass stiffness distribution. Chemical degradation tests comparing poly-lactic acid (PLA) and Grey Resin V4 showed that PLA experienced substantial loss of mechanical performance when exposed to isopropyl alcohol, while Grey Resin V4 maintained its structural integrity and exhibited only moderate changes in strength and stiffness, confirming its suitability for laboratory environments. To validate tool handling, a color mixing demonstration using an OT-2 pipette and camera tool confirmed that the modified system could execute automated liquid handling, imaging, and data logging. The primary application, automated dip coating, was implemented using a custom vacuum pickup tool and modular deck to process twenty microscope slides at four withdrawal speeds between 2.5 and 10 mm/s. Film thickness measurements obtained through confocal microscopy generally followed the expected Landau-Levich trend, demonstrating that the platform can reproduce the fundamental motion conditions required for dip coated thin film deposition. Variability in coating thickness highlighted limitations related to solution instability, mechanical disturbances, and asynchronous motion control. Overall, the results show that an open-source motion platform can serve as a credible, adaptable, and low-cost basis for laboratory automation and thin film fabrication while identifying engineering refinements necessary for improved reproducibility.