Mini Centrifuge
Centrifuges are incredibly useful tools, but most commercial versions are expensive, bulky, and overkill for small experiments or classroom use. For many projects or labs, you just need a simple way to spin small samples at high speeds and keep everything stable and safe.
In this Instructable, I’ll show you how I designed and built a compact mini centrifuge using 3d printed parts and some easily purchasable parts. This design is intended to be affordable, lightweight, and easy to reproduce, while still being powerful enough for common tasks like separating liquids, settling particles, or running small-scale lab experiments.
I’ll walk through the design choices, the parts I used, and the full build process step by step. Whether you’re a student, hobbyist, or just curious about how lab equipment works, this project should give you a practical centrifuge and a better understanding of the engineering behind it.
Supplies
To build this centrifuge a couple of parts need to be purchased.
INJORA Fat Viper 2204 2400KV Brushless Outrunner Motor for TRX4M 1/18 RC Upgrade
High Speed Three-Phase DC 7-24V Brushless Hallless BLDC Controller ESC w/Potentiometer
3D Printing
First 3d print all of the attached files.
Insert the Motor
Insert the brushless motor into the lid so that the wire is aligned with the front hole. The image above portrays the front hole that the wire should be aligned with. Make sure to use the screws to make the two pieces secure.
Complete Electrical Wiring
Connect the 3 phase esc to the brushless motor and then connect the 3 phase esc to the power supply.
Assemble Lid and Housing A
Insert the lid into the Housing A part so that it clicks together. The image above shows the orientation of how the two pieces should be put together.
Add Housing B
Now you have to insert the housing B part. Make sure the control is in the front and power is in the back like show in the image above.
Add Cover and Hinge Pins
Put the cover hinge in alignment with the hinge from the housing and then connect the two pins. Some super glue may be needed for this step to make sure everything holds together. If adding glue, add a little to the pins, connect them, and let the glue dry for 10 minutes and then move the cover around to make sure it can move and everything is held together.
Attach Rotor
First, attach the attachment to the brushless motor that comes with the package using the set screw and Allen key. Then, insert the rotor and test tubes. Make sure that the weight is evenly distributed.
Make It Spin
Plug in the centrifuge and use the power dial to make it spin.