In the lab, photosensitive compounds are often used for a variety of reasons. The common approach is to protect these compounds with opaque containers, but these containers are usually made from transparent materials.
As a workaround, the common practice is to cover these containers with aluminum foil. However, this is both time-consuming and resource-intensive, mainly because the foil often becomes unusable after the first use. Especially with relatively small conical centrifuge tubes, that we use so often!
We decided to design this cover to tackle this problem with the help of our 3D printers!
The models are designed for being printed with a 0.4 nozzle and four perimeters or walls. We aim for them to be strong enough to withstand thousands of reuses. The parts you see in the pictures above are printed with a Prusa i3 MK3S+ and generic PETG. The layer height was set on 0.2 mm, however with the 15ml cover we recommend to set it to 0.15 mm, as the threads are smaller and the under side of them may not look nice with higher heights. Supports are not needed if you print the parts in the original orientation provided. However, a small overhang on the flat surface (intended for labeling the content) may not look as nice, especially in the 50 ml model due to its size. This does not affect functionality, so the decision is up to you!
We also designed an adapter to fit the 15 ml tube into the 50 ml cover, providing more usage options. The usage is straightforward: the adapter fits loosely inside the 50 ml cover, with the larger hole facing upwards. Then, you can insert the 15 ml tube as you would normally do in the smaller model.
The original CAD files are provided as well, in case you need to tweak the tolerances to fit your tubes or want to add some features. The measurements are parameterized; you will find them under the Change Parameters tab.
Hope you find it useful! Cheers!
The author marked this model as their own original creation.