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LABS PAY 18,000 DOLLARS FOR A 96-CHANNEL PIPETTE. HE BUILT ONE FOR 250 DOLLARS

A 96-channel pipettor fills an entire plate in one press — the machine that decides whether a small lab can screen hundreds of samples a day or a dozen, built for 250 dollars instead of 18,000 dollars.

by It's Triggy

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

ScienceOpen-hardware

Built withArduino3D printing

difficulty
●●●●○
time
a weekend-plus
license
CERN-OHL-P-2.0
repo
repo ACTIVE188 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

This is a serious build for someone who already knows their way around a lab and a workshop. A 96-channel pipettor is the kind of instrument that separates high-throughput screening from tedious manual work - the commercial system that inspired it sells for about 18,000 dollars, and this one cost the creator about 250 dollars in parts, bought in small quantities. The design is genuinely open (CERN-OHL-P v2 for hardware, MIT for code), and the build video shows real testing on plates, not just renders. The hard part is not the electronics - it is the mechanical tolerances. You need laser-cut steel parts (the creator ordered his from a cutting service), a 3D printer for the structural parts, and the patience to align 96 syringes so they all move together without binding. The repository is honest about what it does not have: no STEP files yet and only a rough fastener list. If you are a DIY bio lab on a budget or a maker who wants to understand the mechanics of precision liquid handling, this is worth the weekend. If you need something calibrated and validated for actual diagnostic work, this is not that.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —Full SolidWorks CAD, STLs for printing and DXFs for laser cutting are in the repository; STEP exports are still on the to-do list
  • —Arduino firmware is present (MIT licensed), wiring diagram is included
  • —No formal bill of materials — fastener list is incomplete and sizes are rough estimates
  • —Hardware is CERN-OHL-P v2 (permissive, allows commercial use); code is MIT
  • —No assembly manual — the YouTube video is the primary build guide
  • —The creator documents what is missing: STEP exports and a complete fastener list are still on the to-do

Parts to buy

12 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • Arduino Uno with CNC Shield V3Find
  • Four NEMA17 steppers with T8 lead screws and nutsFind
  • HIWIN MGN9H railsFind
  • Rotary encoderFind
  • 4x20 LCDFind
  • Four limit switchesFind
  • LM2596 buck converterFind
  • 12 V supplyFind
  • 20x20 aluminium extrusionFind
  • 96x 1 ml syringesFind
  • Heat-shrink tubing to seat pipette tipsFind
  • Laser-cut steel parts (from the DXFs)Find

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Can I build this?

PrintStructural parts: plunger holders, body mounts, encoder housing. Large build volume helpful but not required.
BuyArduino Uno with CNC Shield V3, four NEMA17 steppers with T8 lead screws and nuts, HIWIN MGN9H rails, rotary encoder, 4x20 LCD, four limit switches, LM2596 buck converter, 12 V supply, 20x20 aluminium extrusion, 96x 1 ml syringes, heat-shrink tubing to seat pipette tips, laser-cut steel parts (from the DXFs), mostly 8 mm M3/M4/M5 bolts with nuts and T-nuts
Tools3D printer, a laser-cutting service for the steel parts, screwdrivers, soldering iron, heat gun for the heat-shrink tips, basic hand tools
SkillsIntermediate Arduino, laser cutting, mechanical assembly. Lab experience helps — you need to understand what a pipettor actually does and how plate alignment works.
TimeA weekend for printing and cutting, another half-day for assembly and wiring, then alignment and testing. Plan for iteration if the channels bind.
CostModerate - about 250 dollars total in the creator's build, buying in small quantities; he says buying in bulk would bring that down a lot. There is no per-item cost breakdown, so price the parts list yourself.
SafetyNone beyond ordinary electronics care. This is a low-voltage mechanical device — no mains, no lasers, no chemical hazards in the build itself. If you are using it with actual reagents, follow your lab's protocols.

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

Videos

This Medical Machine costs 18,000 dollars. I Took It Personally.

The primary build guide — shows design iterations, assembly, and real testing on plates. 1.37 million views.

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Gallery

Start here

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

  1. 1.Watch the build video first (This is the assembly manual — there is no written guide)
  2. 2.Check the repository for files (STL, DXF, and Arduino code are all here)
  3. 3.Order the laser-cut steel parts from a cutting service(The laser-cut parts are steel; a cutting service can make them from the DXFs)
  4. 4.Source syringe barrels/plungers(Lab surplus is cheaper than buying 96 new — check university sales or eBay)

Resources

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

KNOWN ISSUES

  • Not lining up the laser-cut steel parts early - order them from a cutting service using the repo's DXFs, because the lever, plates and linkages are designed as steel parts
  • Expecting a complete BOM — the fastener list is rough and sizes are estimates; plan to iterate or measure as you go
  • Misaligned channels that bind during travel — this is the hardest part to get right and the video shows it, but fixing it is trial and error
  • Buying 96 new syringes without checking lab surplus first — you need 96 identical 1 ml syringes, so price them before you commit
  • Assuming this is calibrated lab equipment — it is a functional build, not a validated instrument, and not for diagnostic use
  • No STEP export yet: the editable CAD is in SolidWorks format (full assembly included), so without SolidWorks you are working from the STLs and DXFs.

Can I use this for actual lab work?

It is a functional pipettor, but it is not calibrated or validated. Fine for DIY bio, proof-of-concept work, or learning — not for clinical diagnostics or anything that needs regulatory compliance.

Do I need a specific syringe size?

Yes — the design is modelled around 1 ml syringes (barrel and piston are in the CAD folder). Check that your syringes match those dimensions before buying 96.

Can I build this without a laser cutter?

No, but you do not need your own: the creator ordered the laser-cut steel parts from an online cutting service, which he says is cheap. The DXFs are in the repo.

Is there a complete parts list?

Not yet. The repository has a rough fastener list and the electronics are clear from the wiring diagram, but you will need to reference the video for some parts.

What is the actual volume range?

That depends on the syringe barrels you use. The rotary encoder sets travel, so the volume is determined by your syringe size and stroke length.

Community builds

No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.

Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

Ninety-six syringes moving together on one stepper-driven plate, with the hardware released under CERN-OHL-P v2 and the software under MIT. If you were building this, would you source new syringes or hunt for lab surplus first?

CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the repository is actively maintained and complete on the design side: native SolidWorks parts and assemblies, STLs for the printed parts, DXFs for the laser-cut plates, a wiring diagram and Arduino firmware. The creator is honest about what is still open: exporting STEP files is marked as a to-do, and fasteners are only described in general terms (mostly 8 mm M3, M4 and M5 bolts with nuts and T-nuts), so expect to work out exact counts from the CAD. There is no written step-by-step guide; the build video is the closest thing to an assembly manual, and it shows the kind of alignment work needed when 96 syringes have to move without binding. The CAD also tells you the parts the README does not spell out: 1 ml syringes, four NEMA 17 steppers with T8 lead screws (one per corner of the plunger plate), a HIWIN MGN9H rail, a CNC Shield V3, a 4x20 LCD and 20x20 extrusion. The single biggest decision is laser cutter access, because the cut plates are structural. If you need something calibrated and validated for regulated work, this is not that. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

It's Triggy

A maker who builds open lab hardware and documents the process with honest, detailed build videos. This pipettor project has over 1.37 million views and shows real iteration, not just the final success.

GitHub

Star the project on GitHub

DISCLAIMER

  • 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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