How to Install Rotors on Floor Centrifuge

1. Drive Pins and Rotor Alignment:

Before placing new rotor onto centrifuge spindle, take note of orientation of drive pins and adjust them to be facing you.

                                                               Figure 1: This is an image of the drive pins on spindle

On the rotor you are going to use, check it for arrow-shaped markings indicating where the internal drive bars are. When placing the rotor onto the spindle, these bars and their indicating markings should be parallel to the two drive pins of the spindle when installed.

                               Figure 2: This is an image of the markings on the rotor indicating where the internal drive bars are

Failing to align this properly can lead to serious damage to the machine. 

Some rotors may have more or even lack the markings showing the internal drive bars, in cases such as these you will need to check (likely from the underside of the rotor) for the position and orientation of the drive bars, seen as two indentations inside the rotor. As a helpful tip, you can always ensure that the rotor is installed correctly if when you install the rotor, the drive pins on the spindle and the Beckman Coulter logo on the rotor are both facing you. 

                                                               Figure 3: This is an image of the drive bars on the inside of the rotor

2. Check:

Before running the centrifuge, you MUST check for any moisture or corrosion in or on the rotor. It is highly recommended to use a flashlight to aid in this checking. 

                                           Figure 4: This is an image of someone using a flashlight to check for moisture or corrosion

Conditions like this can cause severe damage to the machine if present while it is running.

3.  Balance:

Items loaded into the rotor must be distributed such that the rotor is balanced. To balance the rotor load, fill all opposing tubes to the same level with liquid of the same density. Weight of opposing tubes must be distributed 

equally. For vertical tube and near-vertical tube rotors, insert spacers and rotor plugs ONLY in holes containing loaded tubes. Critical note: For the rotor using 1L bottles, ALL bottle-holders must be placed in rotor, even if no bottle is present.  Weigh bottle PLUS bottle-holders to ensure opposing locations are balanced.

                                       Figure 5: This is an image show how to make sure to balance samples in the rotor

An improperly loaded rotor will be unbalanced; consistent running of unbalanced rotors will reduce centrifuge drive life and/or cause serious damage.