The main objective is to explore new on-line techniques that can extract, distil and integrate the raw data gathered from the scientists into design requirements for the manufacturers of automated laboratory line. A Web-based prototype is implemented. It allows the equipment designers to interactively modify the questions after the launch of the survey and enables the scientists to create new needs through the questions raised. In the analysis stage, the associative rule mining and the multi-preference patterns discovery, MPD techniques are developed. This knowledge discovery toolkit empowers the equipment designers with a new perspective and deeper understanding of the unique features required by a certain stratum of the survey population.