# S1E57 Designing High Precision Mechanisms in Laboratory Settings, Laziness and Automation | Daniel Kurnianto

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2020-12-18
- Length: 54m
- Episode: 57
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-12-18-s1e57-designing-high-precision-mechanisms-in-laboratory-settings-laziness-and-au
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/designing-high-precision-mechanicsms/

## Summary

Daniel Kurnianto, Product Manager and Senior Mechanical Design Engineer at Formula Tricks, discusses his F.A.S.T. (Flow Actual Seal Tips) liquid handling automation device, which uses positive displacement pipette tips for high-precision volume control in laboratory settings. He explains that designing these systems requires balancing mechanical precision, such as calculating torque for stepper motors and lead screws, with intuitive software UX to avoid requiring scientists to learn scripting. Kurnianto highlights the challenge of simulation discrepancies due to friction and compliance, advocating for rapid prototyping with 3D printing and physical measurement over pure finite element analysis. Additionally, he shares his personal venture, dkautomations.com, where he designs delta 3D printers with utility patents on motor control to improve print success rates and speed.

## Chapters

- [1:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-12-18-s1e57-designing-high-precision-mechanisms-in-laboratory-settings-laziness-and-au#t=61) Introduction: Daniel Kurnianto and Formula Tricks
- [3:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-12-18-s1e57-designing-high-precision-mechanisms-in-laboratory-settings-laziness-and-au#t=220) Motivation: Automating Repetitive Lab Work
- [6:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-12-18-s1e57-designing-high-precision-mechanisms-in-laboratory-settings-laziness-and-au#t=396) Software UX: Eliminating Scripting for Scientists
- [13:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-12-18-s1e57-designing-high-precision-mechanisms-in-laboratory-settings-laziness-and-au#t=793) Prototyping Tools: Figma and Customer Iteration
- [19:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-12-18-s1e57-designing-high-precision-mechanisms-in-laboratory-settings-laziness-and-au#t=1199) Learning Manufacturing: Getting Hands Dirty
- [23:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-12-18-s1e57-designing-high-precision-mechanisms-in-laboratory-settings-laziness-and-au#t=1384) Mechanical Design: Torque, Simulation, and Prototyping
- [29:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-12-18-s1e57-designing-high-precision-mechanisms-in-laboratory-settings-laziness-and-au#t=1791) Development Process: Customer Tours and Brainstorming
- [41:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-12-18-s1e57-designing-high-precision-mechanisms-in-laboratory-settings-laziness-and-au#t=2518) High Precision: Managing 5% CV Across 96 Tips
- [48:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-12-18-s1e57-designing-high-precision-mechanisms-in-laboratory-settings-laziness-and-au#t=2922) Personal Venture: dkautomations and Delta 3D Printers

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Formula Tricks (company)
- F.A.S.T. Liquid Handling Automation Positive Displacement Pipette Tips (product)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- Figma (tool)
- dkautomations.com (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [444: It Is If You Do It Wrong](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-03-03-444-it-is-if-you-do-it-wrong) (Embedded.fm)
- [How a Prototyping Shop is Shattering the Status Quo with Automation, Ep #3](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2024-11-20-how-a-prototyping-shop-is-shattering-the-status-quo-with-automation-ep-3) (Lights Out)
- [Industrial design prototyping vs simulations - IDology #21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2024-04-30-industrial-design-prototyping-vs-simulations-idology-21) (IDology)
- [37: Goop Machine](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2018-04-10-37-goop-machine) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [How Protolabs turns CAD files into parts in under 24 hours](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-08-14-how-protolabs-turns-cad-files-into-parts-in-under-24-hours) (The Robot Report Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-12-18-s1e57-designing-high-precision-mechanisms-in-laboratory-settings-laziness-and-au. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Being an Engineer.