The centrifuge is an essential piece of apparatus that can be found in laboratory centrifuge. The process of selecting the appropriate centrifuge for your particular application can at times feel like a bit of an uphill battle. These devices are available in a wide range of sizes, capabilities, and capacities, ranging from mini-centrifuges to high-capacity centrifuges. This already challenging endeavor is made significantly more complicated by the inclusion of additional components, such as refrigeration and network connections. We have broken the selection process down into 5 questions that we believe will make it easier for you to choose a benchtop laboratory centrifuge. Learn how to choose the right centrifuge for your application by reading the information that is provided below.1) What are the minimum and maximum speeds you require? RPMs, which stand for revolutions per minute, are the standard unit of measurement for centrifuge speeds. These indicate how quickly the centrifuge's rotor turns. Additionally, they are measured in RCF, which stands for relative centrifugal force. This term refers to the amount of force or acceleration that is applied to the sample during the measurement process. Denser materials move further away from the rotational axis as the speed of the rotation increases, while lighter materials move closer to the center of the rotation.

Because the requirements for speed and force will vary depending on the application, the first essential step in selecting a centrifuge is to obtain the suitable centrifuge that is suitable for your particular requirements

• 2) What kind of rotors are required for your machine

• In addition to the speed and force requirements, the rotor that is used is equally as important

• You will require a rotor that is suitable for your application within the speed range of the centrifuge that you require, as well as the speed range of the centrifuge

• During the process of operating the centrifuge, rotors are utilized in order to support sample tubes

• Swinging bucket rotors and angular rotors are the two most common and important varieties of rotors

• Buckets are used in a swinging bucket rotor to hold the sample tubes, and as the speed of the rotor increases, the buckets spin at an increasing angle until they are almost perpendicular to the rotor

• Applications that require a low rotational speed but a high capacity are perfect for using swinging bucket rotors

• A rotor with a fixed angle in which the tubes remain tilted at an angle of 45 degrees throughout the entirety of the rotation

Because they can spin up to three or four times faster than swing bucket rotors, fixed angle rotors are an excellent choice for processing high-speed but lower-capacity samples

- 3) Is it necessary to put your samples in the refrigerator

- There are fundamentally two categories of centrifuges, namely ventilated and refrigerated models

- A ventilated centrifuge first draws air into the bowl, and then it expels that air out of the device through the ventilation system

- Because of this, the temperature of the contents of the bowl will remain slightly higher than the average temperature of the laboratory as a whole

- It is also important to note that the temperature will rise during the course of a typical spin cycle that lasts ten minutes; however, the degree to which the temperature will rise will vary

- Ventilated centrifuges are useful for applications in which accurate temperature control is not a prerequisite requirement

- Refrigerated centrifuges are the best solution for uses that require precise temperature control or a lower internal temperature while the centrifuge is operating

- Refrigerated centrifuges come equipped with cooling systems that bring the operating temperature down to a preset level and keep it there

They are also capable of moderating the heat produced by the rotors while operating at higher RPMs thanks to the fact that they are sealed. If your application does not require temperature control, you should think about using a ventilated centrifuge because it is more cost effective and takes up less space than other models. The size of a refrigerated centrifuge is significantly greater than that of an equivalent ventilated centrifuge, and it also necessitates additional space around the unit for ventilation.4) In the centrifuge, will you be using tubes of the following sizes? The capacity that you require your centrifuge to hold is an important factor to consider when making your selection. During a single cycle, a given centrifuge can only accommodate a predetermined quantity of sample tubes. When choosing a centrifuge, it is helpful to have information about how many tubes need to spin at once as well as the size of the tubes that will be used. For instance, angular rotors are designed to accommodate eight tubes of the same size and can only be used for that particular volume. A swinging bucket rotor has the capacity to hold up to 20 tubes of the same size, and it can use inserts within the buckets to accommodate tubes of varying sizes.

You should also take into consideration the fact that the inserts or rotors you would be using are only suitable for use with tubes that have a conical, round, or flat-bottom, so keep that in mind. It is essential to use only tubes with the appropriate shape for the insert or rotor that you choose. This will ensure that the tubes and samples are not only supported correctly but also kept safe from being damaged while the machine is running.5) How much space do you have for the centrifuge, either on the floor or on the workbench? The amount of bench-top and floor space that is typically available in a laboratory is typically limited; therefore, the amount of space that you have available to spare is essential when making your decision. The smaller centrifuges are usually only able to be stored on a bench-top, while the medium-sized centrifuges can either be used on a bench-top or stored on the floor. The largest centrifuges are typically too large to be mounted on any surface other than the floor. The length and width of floor-mounted centrifuges are typically smaller than those of bench-top centrifuges, but they are typically taller.

In contrast, the length and width of bench-top centrifuges are typically larger than those of floor-mounted centrifuges.