TransLogic’s Adam Tappen on Modernizing Hospital Material Transport with Automation, Data, and Security

In an exclusive interview with Robotics Business News, Adam Tappen, Senior Vice President of Sales and Service for Transport Automation at TransLogic (a Swisslog Healthcare), discussed how the company is helping hospitals modernize pneumatic tube systems with minimal downtime. He explained the value of TransLogic’s Design Assist service in optimizing hospital layouts before construction, shared how automation can save a 300-bed hospital over $1.3M annually, and emphasized the importance of HITRUST-certified IT security. Tappen also highlighted the advantages of U.S.-based manufacturing and revealed that future innovations will focus on data-driven insights and fully automated material transport to tackle workforce shortages and boost efficiency.

 

Robotics Business News (RBN): What are the key modernization solutions TransLogic is showcasing at the Healthcare Facilities Innovation Conference in Columbus (July 27–30, 2025)?

Adam Tappen: We were able to showcase how a customer can move their older system technologies and/or entire platform to current technology through our Modernization process. Oftentimes these system Modernization projects can be performed with limited disruption to the daily use of the pneumatic tube system so as to minimize downtime.  Some of the technology we were able to showcase at the Health Care Facilities Innovation Conference focused on IT security advancements.  This includes control boards for major equipment components like Blowers and Transfer Units.  We also highlighted our IT security platform.

 

Robotics Business News (RBN): Can you explain the purpose and value of your “Design Assist” service, and how getting involved early in hospital design can impact long-term performance and serviceability?

Adam Tappen: When architects and engineers design and plan new hospital construction they look at how equipment should be placed in the clinical spaces for optimum workflow.  Think in terms of the engineer or architect wanting to place a pneumatic tube station in the nurse’s station on the 5^th floor ICU suite.  This makes sense to solve the basic need of a pneumatic tube station for the clinical application.  What is often unconsidered is the ability to install the station, the pipe connecting the station, the transfer unit that manages the carriers in/out of the station and the rest of the hospital, and the possible need for additional infrastructure to support the increased traffic associated with the new station.  By engaging TransLogic in the Design Assist services, we can take the placement of the equipment and add the behind-the-scenes equipment, and more importantly the changes to the traffic in and out of the station.  We will often design the work, simulate the flow of traffic in the system, and perform some level of redesign to meet the customers’ needs in an effective and cost-conscious manner.  Without engaging TransLogic in a Design Assist engagement there is a much greater risk a performance issue isn’t realized until after the construction work has begun or has been completed. As you can imagine, if construction is already underway, changing plans becomes both time consuming and costly.

 

Robotics Business News (RBN): You highlight that pneumatic tube systems can save around $1.3 million annually in a 300‑bed hospital. Could you walk us through how those savings are achieved?

Adam Tappen: We look at the number of material transports that happen in a hospital on a given day and evaluate the difference between sending them in a pneumatic tube system versus manually transporting those same items.  A material transport might be a lab sample taken from the patient and sent to the lab, a medication being sent from the pharmacy to the patient care area, or a unit of blood being sent from the blood bank to the OR.  We would expect that over 1,700 material transport transactions would be needed in a 300-bed hospital daily.  The costs to manually move those items with a $30 per hour employee would be over $1.4M per year if we assume a 15-minute round trip for the manual movement and expecting them to make 1 manual trip for every three automated transport transactions (we call this batching) and a reduction of transport transactions on weekends.  Factoring in annual operational costs of a pneumatic tube system, the hospital could easily save $1.3M per year by using a pneumatic tube system.  The math formula would be:

1. 1,700 transactions using pneumatic tube system
2. 1:3 Batching (someone would walk when they have 3 things to deliver) = 567 manual trips
3. 567 manual trips at 15 minutes per round trip = 141 Hours per day spent manually moving materials
4. 141 Hours at $30 per hour = $4,230 per weekday
5. 260 Weekdays at $4,230 = $1.1M
6. 105 Weekend Days at $2,961 (70% of a weekday) = $310k
7. Total cost of manual movement is over $1.4M

 

Robotics Business News (RBN): IT security for pneumatic tube systems is a growing concern. What specific measures or updates does TransLogic provide to substantially improve system security? 

Adam Tappen: TransLogic has made a huge investment in IT security, both organizationally and in our products.  A recent example of this investment is by achieving HITRUST (Health Information Trust Alliance) certification both for our organization and for our products.  Our HITRUST certification demonstrates that we meet key regulation and industry-defined requirements to reduce risk in the areas of cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection.

 

Robotics Business News (RBN): TransLogic emphasizes U.S.-based manufacturing. How does domestic production influence your ability to support healthcare facilities operationally and logistically? 

Adam Tappen: There are several benefits that our North American customers enjoy because TransLogic is a US based manufacturer.  First, our customers are not as vulnerable to global supply chain issues.  During the global pandemic in 2020 many ports were impacted with reduced inbound and outbound shipping.  Our customers were not affected by these issues because of our US based manufacturing.  Second, with the current geo-political climate, our customers, who are primarily North America based, are not as likely to be impacted.  Third, we are proud of our product quality and that is more easily controlled by having a US-based manufacturing practice.  If there are any concerns, the engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams are all located within feet of each other.  Those teams can work together to quickly evaluate, adjust, and improve as needed.  This will significantly limit natural exposure when those groups are not co-located.

Robotics Business News (RBN): Looking beyond 2025, what developments or new solutions are you preparing to unveil that anticipate the evolving needs of healthcare operations? 

Adam Tappen: Data is the present need in healthcare operations, and we expect those needs will continue to expand and evolve.  We understand our customers need more data to make informed decisions.  Since our solutions touch both the operational and clinical areas of the healthcare space, we will continue to focus on both areas.  We already use data to inform things like underserviced areas in the hospital, to inform us how clinicians are likely to view the pneumatic tube system, and as a way to predict upcoming service needs.  Our future developments will continue to be driven by our ability to capture, process and use data to evaluate, inform, and respond in a more timely and efficient manner. We are excited to be releasing a tool just in time to close out 2025 with anywhere, anytime access to system data.   Outside of data, we recognize that labor shortages continue to challenge hospital operations.  We are continuing to look for new and better ways to move things around a hospital with limited or no human intervention.

 

Robotics Business News (RBN): From your perspective as Senior Vice President of Sales and Service, what feedback have you received from facility managers or hospital design teams regarding TransLogic’s modernization approach? 

Adam Tappen: The feedback I’ve received is quite positive.  Our customers have enjoyed the durability and longevity that comes with the TransLogic product.  It isn’t uncommon for me to speak with a customer who’s had their system installed for 30 or more years and the system has operated almost without fail by simply providing a good routine maintenance plan for that entire time.  The initial thought of upgrading something that has been so reliable can be unsettling, especially to the people who are responsible for maintaining the system.  However, that is the key with operational technology, both hardware and software need to be managed. When the work is completed and the customer realizes they can enjoy the benefits of newer technology and still have the reliability they know from our brand, the modernization hits the mark. 

 

Robotics Business News (RBN): How do you see TransLogic’s role evolving in the broader context of healthcare facility innovation and automation over the next few years? 

Adam Tappen: As I noted earlier, we continue to focus on how we can move things around a hospital with limited human interaction, that is what we see as the future of material transport.  Our role should be as the facilitator of material handling.  We want to have all the answers to the material transport challenges facing healthcare today and in the future.