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Lab Trends

2015 Shakers Product Survey Results

The wide variety of lab shaker designs on the market reflects the increasing diversity of scientific experimentation. Labs now use a greater range of sample sizes than ever before, from liters to microliters.

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Trevor Henderson, PhD

Trevor Henderson BSc (HK), MSc, PhD (c), is the creative services director at Lab Manager.  He has more than two decades of experience in the fields of scientific...

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And while replicate and combinatorial studies increase the number of samples, requirements for environmental control create yet a third dimension that shaker designers must consider.

Top 5 Questions You Should Ask When Buying a Laboratory Shaker

  1. What is the capacity of the unit (both for total weight and volume)?
  2. What accessories are available?
  3. What is the RPM range and what increments can it be controlled in?
  4. What are the temperature and humidity operating conditions for the unit?
  5. What programming functions, if any, does the unit have?

Shaker types used by survey respondents:

Vortex shaker 57%
Orbital shaker 56%
Rocking shaker 43%
Incubator shaker 41%
Reciprocal shaker 20%
Vibrating shaker 17%
Biological shaker 13%
Nutating shaker 6%
Other 4%

Number of hours per day shaker is in operation:

Less than 1 hour 23%
1 - 3 hours 28%
3 - 5 hours 14%
5 - 7 hours 6%
more than 7 hours 30%

Nearly 52% of respondents are engaged in purchasing a new laboratory shaker. The reasons for these purchases are as follows:

Replacement of an aging system
55%
Addition to existing systems, increase capacity
25%
Setting up a new lab
2%
First time purchase
10%
Other
8%

Top 10 features/factors respondents look for when purchasing a laboratory shaker:

Durability / Rugged design 80%
Low maintenance / Easy to clean 69%
Shaking speed 60%
Simple operation - Easy to program and monitor 53%
Low noise - Quiet 47%
Minimal vibration 44%
Warranty 44%
Electronic speed controls 36%
Orbital vs. reciprocating motion 35%
Compact design 34%

For more information on lab shakers, visit www.labmanager.com/shakers

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