Thrust washers for high precision and maintenance-free use in thermal shakers

• What was needed: iglide® G thrust washers
• Requirements: No vibrations and imbalances should occur when the tubes with laboratory samples are accelerated at up to 3,000 revolutions per minute and heated up to 99° C.
• Industry: Medical technology
• Success for the customer: The integrated 3-dimensionally controlled guidance of the shaking movement enables planar and vibration-free working for the first time, even at very high-shaking frequencies and delivers excellent temperature-controlled mixing results.

Traditional thermal shakers use elastic elements to guide the motion of their reaction vessels, but this design often leads to uncontrolled movements. These erratic motions reduce reproducibility and create significant unwanted vibrations during operation. In addition, many existing thermal shaker models are bulky and heavy, making them difficult to handle and causing further disruption due to unbalanced forces that are not properly compensated.

Quantifoil Instruments GmbH instead sought to develop a compact, lightweight thermal shaker that is practical for everyday laboratory use. Such a device should be capable of mixing samples in standard tubes at speeds of up to 3000 rpm without generating vibration, while also actively maintaining precise temperatures from room temperature up to 99° C.

The use of orbital and planar mixing guided by iglide® G thrust washers creates a far more durable, precise, and low‑maintenance system than traditional thermal shaker designs.

With fully integrated 3‑dimensional control of the shaking motion, the device can operate on a perfectly planar, vibration‑free path —even at very high speeds of up to 3000 rpm. This ensures outstanding performance during temperature‑controlled mixing. The orbital mixing diameter is precisely fixed at 3.0 mm and remains constant throughout operation.

Because of this stability and precision provided by these thrust washers, issues such as lid wetting or sample spilling are effectively eliminated. As a result, there is no longer a need for additional centrifugation steps after mixing, saving time and reducing workflow complexity.