July 19, 2019 | ATLVersion 2.0 of our 3D printed DIYbio magnetic stirrer is now up on Thingiverse here. Parts, wiring instructions, and other information is all included, just follow the link.
We've been using our version 1 magnetic stirrer a lot recently and have been using it on and off since we first built it years ago.
It was the first piece of 3D printed DIYbio equipment we ever made. But it was time for an upgrade.
Changes
We needed something that was not only a lot bigger and more powerful, but also something that could be better controlled in terms of rotor speed and support more weight.
A big problem with our original design was anything heavy on the platform caused it to sag and make contact with the fan and magnets underneath. This impeded operation and risked ruining the fan.
This new design is very solid with support going from the platform all the way through the machine, down to its foot pads and onto the table beneath. There is no way for the platform to sag because of weight now.
We are using a 12V DC motor with a 3D printed magnet rotor designed to take x6 13mmx2.5mm neodymium magnets. To control the motor's speed we're using a cheap motor controller from Shenzhen.
We've also redesigned the stir bar. The smaller one still works really well for smaller containers. But the more volume you are stirring or the thicker a container's base is the larger your stir bar's magnets need to be.
We have a x2 and x4 stir bar design using the same 13mm magnets used in the rotor. You can see the x2 design side-by-side our original stir bar design.
It was a very large printing job. But these design elements could easily be incorporated into a smaller stirrer depending on your needs. This large design can handle large quantities, perhaps up to 6L (we've only tested it up to 1.3L so far) but is also very good at smaller containers/amounts.
The design is made with modular motor mounting, supports, and bracket for the motor controller. This means we can redesign and swap out the mounts and supports if we want.
Check out the size difference between versions 1 and 2 in the graphic above.
Follow ProgressTH.org on Instagram here. We also put all of our 3D printed models online for free at Thingiverse.com here.
