Wondering why an orbital shaker is a must-have in modern labs? If you’re about to set up a laboratory or want to know what orbital shakers are, you are at the right place!
The orbital shaker is made to satisfy the needs of advanced laboratories. It has a soft, circular motion to its capacity to hold a range of containers. In addition to mixing liquids, orbital shakers preserve the integrity of your samples and offer the ideal settings for crucial procedures, including cell culture, chemical dissolution, and reaction testing.
But what is an orbital shaker, exactly?
An orbital shaker is a machine that helps chemists and scientists create mixtures in a laboratory. The mixtures can be used for new medicines, biological samples, cell cultures, enzyme assays, or microbial suspensions. These shakers offer a gentle to vigorous mixing speed that can be customized as needed.
When creating samples, mixing chemicals, and blending ingredients in a lab, the measurements and blending have to be very precise to get 100% accurate results. Lab test results can only be deemed reliable if everything is precise from the beginning, and that’s why orbital shakers are important.
The key components of an orbital shaker are the motor, an eccentric drive, a platform, and the control panel.
How Does the Orbital Shaker Work?
To understand the orbital shaker principle of working, here is a step-by-step guide:
- Select the platform that is the best fit for your container size and place your container on it.
- The motor is activated, and the drive begins rotating.
- The drive then creates an orbital motion, and the platform starts to move.
- The sample starts mixing depending on the speed settings.
- As per the decided settings, the sample is ready.
Types of Orbital Shakers
Some common types of orbital shakers that you can get:
1. Analog Orbital Shakers
These are economical shakers that are simple and come with manual speed settings and a built-in timer.
2. Digital Orbital Shakers
Digital orbital shakers have a digital display that makes monitoring easy. You can also create and save custom programs.
3. Incubated Orbital Shakers
The orbital shaker incubator has built-in temperature control systems, which allow users to incubate samples and perform cell culture applications.
4. Specialty Orbital Shakers
Specialty orbital shakers are compact and the best for mixing microplates. They also have space for multiple samples at once and also offer built-in refrigeration.
Furthermore, there are mini orbital shakers and large, too.
The Key Features of Orbital Shakers
Further are the key features of orbital shakers:
Orbital Motion: The orbital motion is the best for vigorous and light mixing.
Various Speed Settings: It offers various customizable speed settings.
Digital Display: The display shows the speed, time, and temperature, making it easy to monitor.
Timer Functionality: The timer function helps you set up specific times for cultures and samples.
Design and Construction: They are made of top-quality materials and are compact to save laboratory space.
Ease of Use: These orbital shakers are easy to use and clean regularly.
Applications of Orbital Shakers
Orbital Shakers have a wide variety of uses and applications. They include:
Cell Culture Maintenance: These lab orbital shakers are best for handling and storing cell cultures.
Biochemistry: It allows the mixing of biochemical samples and enzymes.
Microbiology: Scientists can prepare microbial suspensions and prepare inocula.
Scientific Research: Orbital shakers are also great for research purposes in creating new formulations.
Food & Beverages: Great for analyzing food and beverages for quality control testing.
Environmental Research: It also allows you to do quick environmental testing.
The Benefits of Using an Orbital Shaker
Here are the benefits of using an orbital shaker:
1. Precise Mixing
The orbital shakers provide uniform and efficient mixing.
2. Accurate Results
The results are 100% reliable if you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines properly.
3. Gentle Handling
The orbital shaker has a gentle handling mechanism that prevents samples from being ruined.
4. Flexible
Suitable for almost every type of sample and mixing.
5. Space-Efficient
Orbital shakers use very little space, and it’s very easy to move around in.
6. Cost-Effective
They are quite reasonable and last a long time.
7. Easy to Use
The operation is very simple, and they’re easy to maintain.
How Can I Choose the Right Orbital Shaker for My Lab?
Can’t choose the right orbital shaker? Check out these pointers!
Lab Space: Choose one according to the space available in your lab.
Budget: Orbital shaker prices vary a lot. Pick one that fits your budget.
Sample Volume: Buy one that can accommodate multiple samples as needed.
Sample Type: Know the sample types you will be processing in the shaker and buy according to that.
Speed Range: Analyze your samples and then pick the maximum speed needed for those.
Orbit Diameter: Choose an orbital shaker that is the right fit for your sample type and size.
Temperature Control: Get one with temperature settings because it’s more useful.
Alarm & Timer Settings: Alarm and timer settings will help you manage samples while you perform other tasks.
Digital or Analog Display: Either display works fine. However, digital is faster to read.
Customizable Platforms: The most important thing is to get an orbital shaker that has multiple platforms that can be customized based on sample size.
Manufacturer: Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when using your orbital shaker.
Orbital Shakers – The Maintenance and Care
To ensure that your orbital shaker always gives an optimal performance, it’s important to maintain and care for it. Here are some tips:
Follow Manufacturer Guidelines: Read the manufacturer guidelines for regular maintenance of the orbital plate shaker.
Cleanliness: Make sure to clean all the components after every use.
Lubrication: Lubricate all the moving parts, like the motor, and drive regularly.
Screw and Bolt Management: Tighten the bolts and screws before they get too loose.
Avoid Overloading: Never overload the orbital shaker more than the guidelines.
Placement: Make sure to place these laboratory orbital shakers away from heat.
Repair or Replace Damaged Parts: Check all the parts monthly and replace them as needed.
Proper Calibration: Calibrate the shaker as the manufacturer has instructed.
Regular Performance Validation – Validate the orbital shaker’s performance, especially if it’s out of use.
Final Takeaway!
Despite appearing to be a simple piece of equipment, the orbital shaker has a profound effect on laboratory procedures. It is an essential tool for both scientists and researchers because it can deliver consistent mixing, support a broad range of applications, and adjust to different research needs.
Orbital shakers offer scientists a wide variety of uses. They are highly customizable and versatile, capable of precise mixing and customizable speed settings.
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