Running an Extraction Facility
What I have learned keeping closed loop labs productive, compliant and safe, beyond the extraction itself.
Preventive Maintenance Plans for a Closed Loop Lab
Daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly maintenance checklists for recovery pumps, chillers, vacuum pumps and ovens, seals, filters, sensors and hoses.
Production Scheduling & Workflow Balancing
How to find bottlenecks, stage batches and plan shifts so a closed loop lab runs smoothly.
Extraction Lab KPIs: What to Track and How
Yield %, throughput, uptime, cost per gram, solvent loss rate, test pass rate and labor hours per batch, with simple ways to track each.
Maintenance Budgets & Capex Reserves for Extraction Labs
How to set money aside for extractor replacement, repairs and spare parts using simple budgeting frameworks.
Common Industry Surprises, Hang-ups & Logistics Problems
Supply delays, testing backlogs, regulatory changes, biomass variability and staffing: what to expect and how to plan for it.
What to Do When a Batch Fails Lab Testing
Quarantine, root cause analysis, remediation options where legally allowed, documentation and regulator notification per state rules.
Breakage, Spills & Dropped Jars: Safety and Compliance
Safety first, containment, waste logging and destruction per seed-to-sale rules, inventory reconciliation and SOP updates.
FAQOperations questions
How often should a closed loop system be maintained?
Follow the manufacturer and engineer schedule, then add daily visual checks and logged weekly, monthly and quarterly tasks. High-volume labs often need tighter intervals.
What fails most often?
In my experience: seals and gaskets, filters, and pumps that miss scheduled service. Those are cheap to stock and easy to schedule.
What is the usual bottleneck in an extraction lab?
It varies, but post-processing capacity (ovens, crystallization vessels) and outside testing turnaround are common, not the extractor.
What is a good extraction yield?
It depends heavily on input material and product type, so compare against your own history by strain and supplier rather than a universal number.
How do I calculate cost per gram?
Add labor, consumables, biomass and a share of overhead for a period, then divide by grams of finished, released product for the same period.
How much should an extraction lab budget for maintenance?
There is no single number. Use a percent-of-revenue or replacement-value framework with your accountant, then refine it with your own repair history.
Ready when you areGet a closed loop expert in your lab
Setup, repairs, upgrades, diamond programs or a GMP mock audit. I travel and live on site at licensed facilities.