Pipette Tip Sorter

thingiverse

This is a sorter for pipette tips based on the great design from Easylabsolutions https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4256563 It allows you to fill tip boxes quickly and efficiently. The main advantage of this version is that the rails are interchangeable. This means that you can print multiple rails for different tips from different manufacturers. When using the Easylabsolutions sorter, we found that slight variations in the sizes of tips due to different manufacturers meant that it would only work for one manufacturer of tips. With this design, you only need to print a new set of rails for each tip you use in your lab, not all of the other parts. We have included the design file so that you can modify it in Fusion360 to fit the tips you use in your lab. To modify the file for your tips, you only need to change the "Rail_Gap" user parameter. This will modify the "Rails" STL file for you to use. <b>You can use the other three included STL files as they are on Thingiverse without modifying.</b> We have created a tester so that you can easily find out what value to set this parameter. We recommend printing this tester first. Place a tip in each of the gaps in the tester and tilt the tester back and forth. If the gap size is correct, the tip should slide easily when the tester is tilted, but not fall through the gap. Once you have found the gap that works, enter the gap size as the User Parameter "Rail_Gap" in the included Fusion360 file. The default is 6.1mm. ** See the photos and video in the Post-Processing section for more information on customizing the sorter for your tips ** Our design also uses fewer parts, requires no gluing or assembly, and all parts are 3D printed. To use, simply pour a sufficient amount of tips in the sorter and shake until the tips slide to the front. When they are in place, put the sorter over a box and place the tips in the holes of the box. Remove the gate from the front, then pull backward. You now have a filled box!