Mechanical Design · CAD

Budget Microcentrifuge

A 3D-printed benchtop centrifuge with an 8-tube rotor, running at up to 3000 RPM.

Exploded CAD view of the microcentrifuge showing the rotor, lid, and base

Overview

A benchtop microcentrifuge built from 3D-printed parts and off-the-shelf components, intended as a lower-cost option for classrooms and hobby labs. The rotor holds eight 1.5 mL Eppendorf tubes and the unit runs at up to 3000 RPM. Parts came to about £38.

The enclosure is a stacked assembly: a base housing the motor and controller, a middle section forming the rotor chamber, and a lid that slides between two printed rails. The rotor is a fixed-angle design with its tube pockets spaced symmetrically, so it stays balanced when tubes are loaded in opposing pairs. Everything is 3D printed apart from the lid, which is clear acrylic — laser-cut or CNC'd — so the rotor is visible while it spins but stays enclosed.

A 775 DC motor drives the rotor through a 12–40 V motor controller, fed from a 12 V 5 A supply. The speed dial on the front face is marked at 2000, 3000, and 6000; 3000 RPM is the figure the build is rated to.

CAD view of the assembled microcentrifuge with the rotor visible under the sliding lid rails and the speed dial on the front — Assembled unit — sliding lid rails and the front speed dial

Photograph of the finished microcentrifuge running on a bench, with its motor controller and power supply alongside — The built unit running, with controller and supply

Design notes

8-position fixed-angle rotor for 1.5 mL Eppendorf tubes, symmetric pockets for balanced loading
Stacked three-part enclosure fastened with 10 M3 screws into heat-set inserts
Clear acrylic lid, laser-cut or CNC'd; every other part 3D printed
775 DC motor with a 12–40 V controller and a 12 V 5 A 60 W supply
Front speed dial marked 2000 / 3000 / 6000, rated to 3000 RPM
Roughly £38 in parts; CAD and build documentation released open source

View on GitHub → Watch it run