Why does centrifuge needs to be balanced

You can browse our equipment online or reach out to us to find out more about what we have to offer. My Account Dealers Section. Labnet Site Search Enter your keywords. No items You have no items in your quote, add products now to get started. Samples on opposing sides of your centrifuge should have a weight difference of no more than one gram.

A weight difference exceeding this may cause the center of gravity of your rotor to shift, leading to excessive vibration. If you have an even number of sample tubes, place them directly across from each other in the rotor.

Maintain rotor alignment: Over time, your centrifuge rotor might become misaligned from the centrifuge shaft.

When you initially install your centrifuge rotor, make sure to follow the installation guidelines in your user manual and check for any imbalance or carefully.

Check your rotor periodically for any misalignment issues and make corrections as necessary. In fact, diminished product quality or inconsistent product output can be an indicator of an unbalanced bowl.

Even worse, an unbalanced centrifuge is dangerous! During operation, a centrifuge undergoes thousands of revolutions per minute. At that speed, an imbalance of just a few grams can pose serious risk. In order to keep operators safe and product quality high, centrifuges should be serviced to restore balance. Over time, centrifuge bowls develop signs of wear, and as those signs of wear progress, bowl balancing will become necessary.

Bowl balancing requires specialized equipment. So, unlike field service where a technician visits customer facilities, bowl balancing means shipping your bowl to the shop. Instead, you can take advantage of our Bowl Rental Program while your bowl is receiving service.

Once your bowl has been cleaned, inspected, and repaired, setting the disc stack pressure is the last step prior to balancing. Superspeed centrifuges can achieve a maximum g -force relative centrifugal force, RCF of over 70, x g , and ultracentrifuges often used for DNA or RNA fractionation, can achieve up to 1,, x g.

For large-capacity, low-speed applications, low-speed centrifuges reaching approximately x g are available. Benchtop models have a smaller footprint, and general-purpose models are ideal for a wide range of applications.

There are many benchtop models available, including high-speed, microcentrifuge, clinical, and cell washer models. Clinical benchtop models and cell washers typically operate at lower speeds, and are suited to diagnostic applications, and washing debris from red blood cells. It is essential to select a centrifuge that is suited to the specific application.

When purchasing a centrifuge, it is important to consider the following questions:. Running an unbalanced centrifuge may cause significant damage, and injure the operator and other laboratory personnel.

The total mass of each tube should be as close as possible- this becomes increasingly important at very high rotor speeds. Balancing masses to the nearest 0. For example, do not balance a sample consisting of liquid with a higher or lower density than water with an equal volume of water. A little vibration is normal, but excessive amounts can mean danger.

First, double check that the tubes are correctly balanced. If this does not resolve the issue, do not operate the centrifuge until it has been serviced by the manufacturer or dealer. Prior to starting the centrifuge, it is necessary to load it correctly. Balancing the centrifuge prevents potential damage to the instrument, and is crucial for safe operation.