Shakers

Frequently Asked Questions About Laboratory Shakers

What is the primary function of shaker lab equipment?

 Laboratory shakers are designed to blend, agitate, and aerate samples in tubes, flasks, and microplates. Unlike magnetic stirrers that rely on a spinning stir bar inside the vessel, a lab shaker moves the entire platform. This provides uniform, gentle agitation that is critical for cell cultures, bacterial aeration, gel staining, and solubility studies without damaging sensitive biological samples.

Should I choose an orbital or reciprocating laboratory shaker?

The choice of motion depends entirely on your application requirements. Orbital shakers move in a continuous circular pattern, creating a smooth vortex inside the flask. This is the industry standard for growing bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells because it provides optimal oxygen transfer without introducing excessive shear force. Reciprocating shakers move back and forth in a linear motion, delivering a much more vigorous agitation that is better suited for chemical extractions and aggressive solubility testing.

What is the advantage of an incubator shaker?

Many biological protocols require strict temperature regulation alongside continuous agitation. Instead of placing a standalone shaker inside a separate laboratory incubator, you can use integrated temperature controlled shakers. These combined units offer precise heating (and often cooling) capabilities within a sealed chamber. This ensures your bacterial or yeast cultures remain at optimal growth temperatures while being aerated, saving valuable laboratory bench space and ensuring highly reproducible growth curves.

How do I scale up my shaking capacity as my laboratory grows?

When your sample throughput increases, your facility will quickly outgrow standard benchtop models. To maximize your footprint, many high-volume laboratories transition to stackable shakers. These heavy-duty incubator units can be stacked two or three tiers high, allowing you to triple your flask capacity without taking up additional floor space. If you need to process large-volume carboys or massive batches of Erlenmeyer flasks, dedicated floor shakers feature reinforced drive mechanisms capable of handling significantly heavier loads than standard benchtop units.

What maintenance is required for a laboratory shaker?

Lab shakers are robust instruments, but they require routine maintenance to prevent drive mechanism failures. Always ensure that sample loads are properly balanced across the platform before starting a run. An unbalanced load will cause excessive vibration, which quickly wears down the internal bearings and belts. Furthermore, any spills should be cleaned up immediately to prevent corrosive liquids from damaging the motor or pooling inside the incubator chamber.