Integrated consumable data management system and platform

A method for training a plate washer configured to wash a multi-well plate for use in an automated assay system including an ECL reader, the method comprising:

• placing a training plate in the plate washer, the training plate having a top surface including a plurality of divots, wherein a height of the top surface of the training plate when positioned in the plate washer corresponds to a height of a plate surface in wells of a multi-well plate when positioned in the plate washer and a number of the plurality of divots corresponds to a number of a plurality of aspiration tubes in the plate washer;
• placing a first shim of a known first thickness on top of the training plate;
• lowering the plurality of aspiration tubes toward the first shim to secure the first shim through contact with the plurality of aspiration tubes;
• raising the plurality of aspiration tubes until the plurality of aspiration tubes reaches a first height at which the first shim is unsecure;
• storing, by at least one processor associated with the plate washer, the first height as a minimum acceptable height corresponding to a minimum acceptable distance of the plurality of aspiration tubes from the plate surface in the wells during a washing procedure of the multi-well plate;
• replacing the first shim with a second shim of a known second thickness different than the first thickness on top of the training plate;
• lowering the plurality of aspiration tubes toward the second shim to secure the second shim through contact with the plurality of aspiration tubes;
• raising the plurality of aspiration tubes until the plurality of aspiration tubes reaches a second height at which the second shim is unsecure;
• and
• storing, by the at least one processor associated with the plate washer, the second height as a maximum acceptable height corresponding to a maximum acceptable distance of the plurality of aspiration tubes from the plate surface in the wells during the washing procedure of the multi-well plate.