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A BENCHTOP LAB CENTRIFUGE COSTS OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS - THIS 3D PRINTED ONE RUNS ON A 12V MOTOR AND A SWITCH

A used benchtop microcentrifuge runs from several hundred to nearly two thousand dollars. This one is printed plastic, a 12V DC motor and a rocker switch.

by ProgressTH (Applied Technology Lab)

FULL CAD BOM DOCS

ScienceOpen-hardware

difficulty
●●●○○
time
a weekend
license
CC-BY-4.0
repo
repo 0 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo

Partner

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Videos
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is a deliberately simple machine, and that is the point. V3 runs a 12V DC motor straight off a barrel jack through a rocker switch, with a microswitch in the lid so the rotor cannot spin while it is open. There is no speed control - it is on or off - and no electronics to debug. The earlier 2016 F.Lab version did have variable speed via a brushless drone motor, an ESC, an Arduino Nano and a potentiometer, and its Instructables guide is still online; V3 dropped all of that to make the build accessible to schools. The Thingiverse page notes there is room inside for an Arduino Nano if you want to add timing or cycle functions later, but that is an upgrade path, not part of the build. What you get is a quick-spin: enough to pellet samples for teaching and small-scale prep, not a replacement for a 15,000 rpm Eppendorf. The rotor is printed and not dynamically balanced, so load tubes symmetrically or it will vibrate and walk across the bench. Never run it with the lid open or the safety switch bypassed. For a school makerspace or a community lab, the simplicity is a feature - there is very little that can go wrong. On price: a refurbished Eppendorf 5424 is listed anywhere from about 679 dollars to 1,795 dollars depending on seller and condition, so treat 'two thousand dollars' as the top of the range, not the going rate - and note the 5424 is a 15,000 rpm machine, a different class of tool from this quick-spin.

NOT IN THE REPO

  • —All STL files and assembly photos are on Thingiverse under CC-BY-4.0, free for any use with attribution.
  • —V3 electronics are a 12V DC motor, a rocker switch and a lid microswitch wired in series - no ESC, no microcontroller, no speed control.
  • —The Thingiverse page notes there is room for an Arduino Nano to add timing or cycle functions as a later upgrade.
  • —The makers link a DNA extraction protocol they have used with their centrifuge; that protocol is from 2015 and predates this version.
  • —The Instructables guide and its Arduino/ESC parts list belong to the earlier 2016 F.Lab version (thing:1175393), which is licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
  • —This is DIYbio education equipment, not certified for clinical or diagnostic use.

Can I build this?

PrintBody, lid, rotor and mounts, all STLs on Thingiverse. PLA is fine; rotor flat-side-down.
Buy12V DC motor, rocker switch, microswitch (16x28mm, no arm), barrel jack and 12V supply, wire. No microcontroller needed.
Tools3D printer, soldering iron, wire strippers, screwdriver. No Arduino IDE required.
TimePrint time around 8-12 hours depending on infill. Assembly and wiring are well under an hour - it is one series circuit.
Cost$, roughly $15-30 depending on the motor and whether you have a 12V supply already.
SafetyThe rotor spins at speed. Keep the lid microswitch working, load tubes symmetrically, and never run it open or unattended.

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

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Videos

DIY Mini Centrifuge - Applied Technology Lab / F.Lab

Build walkthrough and demonstration of the centrifuge separating a DNA sample. No formal chapters, but shows assembly steps and the rotor running at speed.

Gallery

https://resize.thingiverse.com/?url=https://cdn.thingiverse.com/assets/1e/f6/f3/0e/7f/IMG_20190625_185231.jpg&w=628&h=472&fit=contain&cbg=white&n=-1

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Download all STL files from Thingiverse (Body, lid, rotor and mounts. PLA is fine; print the rotor flat-side-down so the layers do not run perpendicular to the spin axis.)
  2. 2.Get a 12V DC motor, a rocker switch, a microswitch and a barrel jack(That is the entire electrical build. The microswitch sits in the lid so the circuit only closes when the lid is shut.)
  3. 3.Wire it as one series loop (Power in through the barrel jack, through the rocker switch to the motor, and from the motor through the lid microswitch back to ground. Both switches must be closed for the rotor to spin. The video walks through the circuit.)
  4. 4.If you want variable speed, build the older version instead (The 2016 F.Lab design uses a brushless drone motor, an ESC, an Arduino Nano and a potentiometer for adjustable speed. Different files (thing:1175393) and a different licence (CC BY-NC-SA).)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

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KNOWN ISSUES

  • V3 has no speed control. It is on or off - if you need to dial in RPM, you want the older 2016 version, not this one.
  • The rotor is 3D printed and never perfectly balanced. Load sample tubes symmetrically (opposite sides, equal mass) or it will vibrate hard enough to walk across the bench.
  • Print orientation matters for the rotor: flat-side-down. Printed standing up, the layers run perpendicular to the spin axis and can delaminate under load.
  • The lid microswitch is a safety interlock, not an optional extra. Do not bypass it to run the machine with the lid open.
  • This is education and DIYbio equipment. Do not represent it as certified, sterile or suitable for clinical diagnostics.
  • The Thingiverse page mentions space for an Arduino Nano - that is for adding timing and cycle functions later. It is not in the build and it does not control speed.

Can this actually separate blood or extract DNA?

It pellets samples at quick-spin speeds, which is enough for teaching and small-scale prep. The makers link a DNA extraction protocol they have used with their centrifuge. It is not as fast or as smooth as a benchtop Eppendorf, and it is not certified for anything clinical.

Is the rotor safe if it is just printed plastic?

The rotor is designed to hold standard microcentrifuge tubes and includes a printed lid to contain any failure. The design has been tested, but you must print it with solid infill in the high-stress areas and never run it without the lid. An unbalanced rotor or a tube that comes loose is a real hazard.

Do I need to know anything about biology to build this?

No. V3 is a print-and-wire project: a 12V motor, a rocker switch and a lid microswitch in one series loop. There is no code and no microcontroller to program.

Can I sell these?

The CC-BY-4.0 licence allows commercial use with attribution. However, selling it as lab equipment would require you to handle your own compliance, labelling, and liability — this is a DIY design, not a certified product.

Does it have adjustable speed?

No. V3 is on or off. The earlier 2016 F.Lab version had variable speed using a brushless drone motor, an ESC, an Arduino Nano and a potentiometer - that is a different design with different files (thing:1175393) and a different licence.

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Discussion7

Manger MadeBUILDING4d ago

The GitHub repo link goes to the STLs on Thingiverse

A

admin2d ago

You're right, thanks for flagging it. The files for this build live on Thingiverse, not GitHub - that button label is wrong and it's on our list. While we were in there we also removed a link that pointed at a different centrifuge project entirely. Files: Thingiverse, CC-BY-4.0, free.

Manger MadeBUILDING2d ago

@admin There are a lot more mistakes. Your description mentions an Arduino board, esc, and potentiometer. Most of your page is giving information mased on the one on Github. This centrifuge is really just on or off. There is no variable speed option. I suggest starting from the top like you know nothing about the project and try to figure out how to build it. That will help you find all of the information that doesn't go with the build you have pictures for. You also have one picture from the other project.

CompareeTEAM4d agoedited

Correction, 21 August 2026: an earlier version of this page described a brushless drone motor, an ESC, an Arduino Nano and variable speed control. That belongs to the original 2016 F.Lab DIYbio Centrifuge (Thingiverse thing:1175393, the Instructables build), not to the V3 we link here. A reader flagged it and they were right. V3 (thing:3702648, 2019) is a simplified redesign: 12V DC motor, rocker switch, lid microswitch, on/off only. We also removed two photos that had been pulled in automatically and showed different machines - one of them a commercial benchtop centrifuge. Practical notes that still stand: the STL set covers body, lid and rotor; print the rotor flat-side-down for layer strength; and the makers link a DNA extraction protocol they have used with their centrifuge, though that protocol predates V3.

ProgressTH (Applied Technology Lab)

ProgressTH is a maker and DIYbio education project in Bangkok, working with the F.Lab community lab, focused on building lab equipment cheap enough for schools and community labs anywhere. The centrifuge went through several versions: the 2016 F.Lab design used a brushless drone motor with an ESC and Arduino for variable speed, while this 2019 V3 is a deliberately simplified redesign built around a plain 12V DC motor.

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  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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