New 3D Printed DIYbio Equipment

June 24, 2018 | F.Lab Although we haven't updated this particular website in a while, we have been working on lots of DIYbio projects. F.Lab's various members have been busy with related projects in agriculture and education.

We've had a few major updates on DIYbio equipment too. This includes:

Centrifuge V2.0: This new design incorporates a DC motor, eliminating the need for an Arduino and electronic speed controller (ESC) for the original design's drone motor. The new design uses a simple rocker switch to turn it on and off. It also has a micro-switch to cut power when the lid is opened. The lid has a piece of acrylic included to allow users to observe the centrifuge when in use. The files and instructions can be found here on Thingiverse.  

Orbital Shaker V1.0: This is our first attempt at an orbital shaker and is the prototype we will be using to develop a much larger version, as well as other motion-controlled bioreactor designs. The shaker uses a stepper motor and an Arduino with speed controlled via a simple potentiometer. All the files and instructions (including videos) can be found on Thingiverse here.

Magnetic Stirrer V1.0 Update: Our original magnetic stirrer was based on a simple hack developed for a workshop to show people how easy it is to improvise lab equipment. We added some extra magnets to the fan and designed 3D printed stir bars to improve the stirring against drastically. The files can be found here on Thingiverse.  

 And we are working on several more improvements:

Orbital Shaker V2.0: This will be a larger version of our original orbital shaker design. It will include adjustable bars to secure containers being stirred. It will also include the ability to add in a heated bed (See: Heating Module below). The coupler used to connect the motion control system to the stepper motor has also been improved and strengthened.  

Centrifuge V2.1: We've had some feedback regarding our centrifuge design. DC motors come in many sizes and shapes so we are going to update the design to include a removable bracket to allow people to design and implement their own brackets for whatever motors they have on hand.   

Magnetic Stirrer V2.0: This will be a much larger and more capable stirrer. It will be made with several applications in mind including the use of the heating module described below and to hold heavier vessels such as 6 liter bottles we use for hydroponic solution mixing. 

Timing Module: While it would be possible to design each piece of equipment to include a programmable timer, the entire point of this project is to keep costs down. So we're making a single module with multiple channels to hook up and program timing functions for multiple pieces of equipment at once.   

Heating Module: Justl ike with the timing module, we could create a heating module for the shaker, the stirrer, and upcoming rockers and reactors, but it would be easier to have a single module with multiple channels and heating beds. This means we need only one large power supply and one centralized programmer. 

If you have any questions or would like to see more information about all of these projects, check out ProgressTH.org's DIYbio section. ProgessTH is developing the hardware for F.Lab. You can also check out the new Applied Technology Lab blog ProgressTH is using to document the technical development of their projects.

F.Lab is Thailand's first DIYbio lab. Check us out on Facebook here.