August 12, 2026
Who Owns the Data When the Laboratory Is Outsourced?
Outsourcing a mine-site laboratory usually outsources the LIMS with it. What that transfers — history, traceability, the ability to reconcile — and how to keep it.
Read ArticleINDUSTRIAL LIMS SPECIALISTS · SINCE 1989
The LIMS Built for High-Throughput Mining
Engineered for ISO 17025 Workflows
Mining Operations
Spreadsheets Don't Scale to Production Volume
Many labs still run on decades-old LIMS or manual spreadsheets — disconnected workflows that quietly add operational risk as throughput grows. The cost shows up as re-analysis, delayed certificates and audit gaps.
01
Limited Traceability
Difficulty tracking samples through preparation, analysis, and
validation stages.
02
QA/QC Validation Risks
Manual systems make it difficult to monitor and validate statistical
QA/QC results reliably.
03
Fragmented Analytical Data
Disconnected databases lead to slow reporting cycles and reduced
visibility for operational teams.
// A SPREADSHEET LEAVES NO AUDIT TRAIL
Comparison
Legacy LIMS vs. OnLIMS
Outdated systems create bottlenecks. OnLIMS is the modern alternative — engineered to remove manual steps and give the lab direct control over its data.
| Capability | Legacy LIMS | OnLIMS |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Monolithic legacy systems | Native C++ core + modern .NET layer |
| Deployment | Mostly on-premise | Zero-install: on-premise, cloud SQL, or Citrix/RDS |
| Instrument Integration | Complex, fragile integrations | 150+ instruments via configurable parsers |
| Data Entry | Often manual or semi-automated | Automated capture (serial + file) |
| QA/QC | After-the-fact | Real-time control charts & limit checks |
| Multi-site / Multi-DB | Single database | Multiple databases, selected at login |
| Access & Audit | Limited | Role-based access, AD SSO, full audit trail |
| Reporting | Delayed and static | Live dashboards + automated CoA |
Every row above is a capability you can put to the test in a demonstration, against your own instruments and methods.
Why OnLIMS?
Built by Chemists and Engineers, for the Lab Bench
We know laboratory protocols because we've automated them since 1989 — for mining, smelter and environmental labs worldwide.
Take Spreadsheets Out of the Data Path
Results go from the instrument to the record without being retyped, so there is no parallel spreadsheet to reconcile later.
Prevent Costly Misreporting
Out-of-limit CRMs and duplicates surface before approval, not after the certificate is issued and the batch has to be run again.
Defensible Traceability
Every change is recorded in a complete field-level audit trail — old value, new value, user and timestamp — the evidence base for ISO 17025.
"Delivering innovation in automation since 1989"
Operational Intelligence
From Sample to Certificate — One Controlled Workflow
End-to-end visibility for high-throughput Assay, Geochemical, Environmental and Production laboratories — turning raw instrument output into approved, audit-ready results.
Outcome 01
Automated Data Capture
Instrument Integration
Eliminate manual entry with direct Level 0 instrument capture and real-time workflow management.
- Real-time serial (RS232) & file-based capture from 150+ instruments
- Automatic dilution/moisture factors & detection limits
- Formula-driven results with interactive out-of-range alerts
Outcome 02
Statistical QA/QC
Real-Time QA/QC for ISO 17025 Labs
Rigorous statistical monitoring that catches errors before approval, not after reporting — built for EPA and ISO 17025 workflows.
- Shewhart, X-Control, CUSUM & Thompson-Howarth control charts
- CRM, blank, duplicate & control sample types
- Accountable release with mandated justification notes
Outcome 03
Sample Lifecycle Management
Central Data Backbone
Full traceability for high-throughput geological labs, from logging to final reporting.
- Enforced lifecycle: Pending → Ready → Approved → Published
- Locked-on-publish results, every change audited
- Automated CoA generation + ERP export (file/ODBC)
Outcome 04
Real-Time Dashboards
Live Operational Visibility
Monitor laboratory health with specialized views for plant managers and laboratory supervisors.
- Read-only client portal: results, crosstab & export
- Client analysis requests converted to jobs, zero transcription
- Sample backlog, turnaround-time & throughput tracking
Outcome 05
Accreditation Evidence
OnQMS: Evidence for Accreditation
OnQMS maps your lab's real records to ISO/IEC 17025 — clause-by-clause, with your accreditor's guidelines cited by version, in a fully bilingual EN/ES interface.
- Clause-by-clause coverage cockpit with drill-down to records
- PT control charts (z-score, ISO 13528) & country packs
- Optional local AI assistant — answers cite clauses, data never leaves your network
Robust Technology
Engineered for Mining Realities
Proven client-server architecture that holds up in remote, low-bandwidth operations — on-premise or against a cloud-hosted database.
CORE
Native C++ core + modern .NET layer
A decades-proven engine with a modern C#/.NET (DevExpress) interface, loaded with no COM registration.
DATA
Microsoft SQL Server
Single or multiple databases, on-premise or cloud-hosted.
HW
Instrument Integration
Direct serial (RS232) and file-based capture from 150+ analytical instruments.
DEPLOY
Zero-install & virtualization-ready
Runs from a shared folder; updates replace files on the server. Native Citrix & Microsoft RDS support.
// OnLIMS Ecosystem
Sampling → Auto Capture → QA/QC → Publication
// PROVEN IN PRODUCTION
Trusted Across the Americas' Mining Industry
OnLIMS runs in production at major mining, smelter and commercial-terminal laboratories across the Americas — Canada, the USA, Peru, Chile and Mexico — spanning copper, zinc, gold, lead and coal, from exploration and mine-site assay labs to smelters and concentrate export terminals. That includes some of the world's largest copper and zinc operations.
In production since 1989
Copper · Zinc · Gold · Lead · Coal
Mine · Smelter · Terminal · Environmental
Deployed across the Americas
Insights
Latest News
August 12, 2026
The Fire Assay Workflow, Step by Step: Where Control Is Won or Lost in a Gold Laboratory
Crushing, splitting, fusion, cupellation, digestion and instrument reading: the fire assay workflow step by step, and the control points a mining laboratory LIMS has to hold.
Read Article
August 11, 2026
Mine Production Reconciliation: Where Grade Control, Plant Performance and Laboratory Data Must Agree
See how grade control, plant feed, recovery, stockpiles and laboratory assay data must reconcile to support defensible mine production reporting.
Read ArticleLaboratory Intelligence
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers about how OnLIMS integrates into modern mining, metallurgical and environmental workflows.
What is the best LIMS software for mining laboratories?
OnLIMS is a Laboratory Information Management System built specifically for high-throughput geological, assay, smelter and environmental labs. Unlike generic ERP modules, it captures data directly from 150+ analytical instruments — AAS, ICP and XRF among them — and has automated laboratory workflows since 1989.
How does a mining LIMS improve QA/QC compliance?
It moves the lab from error detection to error prevention. OnLIMS runs Shewhart, X-Control, CUSUM and Thompson-Howarth charts with blank, duplicate and CRM checks in real time, so out-of-limit results are caught before approval. Combined with role-based access, Active Directory SSO and a full audit trail, it gives labs the control base for ISO/IEC 17025 and EPA workflows.
How many analytical instruments can OnLIMS integrate?
OnLIMS integrates 150+ instruments via serial (RS232) plus 25+ via file import — AAS, ICP-OES/MS, XRF, LECO carbon/sulfur and mercury analyzers, titrators, UV-Vis and analytical balances. New instruments are added by configuration, not by recompiling the software.
Can OnLIMS run at remote mine sites without the cloud?
Yes. OnLIMS is zero-install and runs on-premises, against a cloud-hosted SQL Server, or under Citrix/Microsoft RDS — engineered for low-bandwidth remote sites, so the laboratory keeps working during network outages.
Does OnLIMS work for smelter and environmental labs, not just assay?
Yes. One platform serves mining, smelter and environmental laboratories — batch jobs for exploration and drill core, routine jobs for fixed sampling points, plus concentrate grades and environmental monitoring, all under a single audit trail.
Does OnLIMS include an AI assistant?
OnQMS, the accreditation evidence module, ships an optional bring-your-own-model assistant designed for a local LLM on the laboratory's own hardware: every answer cites the clause it draws from, and data never leaves the network.
Ready to modernize your lab?
Join mining, smelter and environmental operations running on OnLIMS — automated capture, real-time QA/QC, and audit-ready results from sample to certificate.