The Z366-250-B15 is a direct-fit bucket dimensioned for 10 × 15 mL conical tubes — sized for the Hermle Z366-250-HC swing-out rotor on the Z366 / Z366-K chassis 4-place configuration, sold as a 2-pack. Distinct from the bucket-plus-insert approach (Z366-250 + Z366-250-A15 insert delivers 28 × 15 mL conical per cycle), the B15 direct-fit bucket on the HC rotor variant delivers 40 × 15 mL conical tubes per cycle — 43% higher throughput. The deep cold-chain capability of the Z366-K chassis (−2 °C at max speed) supports cold-stable 15 mL conical workflows at scale.
Key Specifications
| SKU | Z366-250-B15 |
| Type | Direct-fit bucket — 10 × 15 mL conical |
| Pack quantity | 2 buckets per SKU (full 4-bucket configuration takes 2 units = 4 buckets) |
| Per-bucket capacity | 10 × 15 mL conical tubes |
| Per-cycle throughput (full configuration) | 40 × 15 mL conical per cycle |
| Tube format | 15 mL conical Falcon-style (17 mm OD, 120 mm length) |
| Compatible rotor | Z366-250-HC swing-out rotor (HC = high-capacity variant of Z366-250) |
| Compatible chassis | Z366, Z366-K (refrigerated), and -E voltage variants |
| Max. operating speed | 4,500 rpm at 3,735 × g maximum |
| Max. radius | 16.5 cm (0.0 cm radius correction — full radius preserved) |
| Temperature at max speed (Z366-K refrigerated) | −2 °C |
| Geometry | Swing-out (0–90°) — flat sediment surface |
| List price | $562 (2-pack) |
Direct-Fit Bucket vs Bucket-Plus-Insert — Configuration Choice
The Z366 chassis offers two paths for swing-out 15 mL conical workflows:
| Configuration | Per cycle | Approach |
| Z366-250-B15 (this SKU) | 40 × 15 mL conical | Direct-fit bucket on Z366-250-HC rotor (43% higher throughput, dedicated to 15 mL conical) |
| Z366-250 + Z366-250-A15 insert | 28 × 15 mL conical | Bucket + insert on Z366-250 rotor (bucket holds other inserts too) |
Pick the B15 when higher per-cycle 15 mL conical throughput matters and the lab's primary workflow is 15 mL conical clinical-research / biobank prep. Pick the bucket+insert path when the bucket needs to serve multiple tube/bottle formats.
Compatibility & When to Order This SKU
Bucket pairing — Z366-250-HC rotor only. Order this SKU when:
- Commissioning a Z366-250-HC for institutional 15 mL conical clinical-research workflow — order 2 units for full 4-bucket configuration (40 tubes/cycle).
- Adding higher-throughput 15 mL conical capability to an existing Z366 / Z366-K install that currently uses the bucket+insert configuration on the Z366-250 rotor.
- Replacement buckets if a current set is damaged or worn.
Application Profile
Institutional 15 mL conical clinical-research and biobank prep at scale — patient sample fractionation, aliquot prep, freeze-storage workflows at 40 × 15 mL conical per cycle on the deep cold-chain swing-out chassis.
Cell-culture pellet recovery in 15 mL at scale — pelleting non-adherent cells from 40 parallel 15 mL suspension batches per cycle with deep cold-chain integrity.
Density-gradient prep in 15 mL at scale — Ficoll, Percoll, sucrose-gradient prep at 40 parallel preps per cycle on the cold-chain swing-out chassis.
Cold-chain protein prep in 15 mL conical at scale — TCA, ammonium-sulfate, organic-precipitation in 15 mL conical at 40 parallel preps with refrigeration.
High-throughput educational and graduate-level teaching — molecular biology and clinical-tech curricula at institutional teaching scale.
Cross-format Z366-K / HC core facilities — labs running 15 mL conical at high throughput alongside other workflows benefit from the direct-fit bucket for the dominant 15 mL workflow plus the bucket+insert approach for occasional other formats.
Ordering & Configuration
4-bucket symmetric loading. All 4 buckets must be installed for symmetric balance at 4,500 rpm.
Per-bucket symmetric loading. Within each bucket, the 10 conical tubes should be balanced symmetrically — pair tubes by mass.
Tube cap confirmation. All conical tubes must be securely capped before spinning at 4,500 rpm.
Z366-250-B15 ships as 2 buckets. 15 mL conical tubes are operator-supplied (commodity Falcon / Corning / equivalent formats).
Required for operation:
- Z366-250-HC rotor body (sold separately) or already in inventory
- For full 4-bucket configuration: order 2 units of this SKU
Confirm at quote: rotor pairing (Z366-250-HC in inventory), chassis pairing (Z366 or Z366-K), tube format (15 mL conical Falcon-style), pack count (2 packs for full 4-bucket configuration = 40 tubes/cycle), and lead time.
Warranty: 5-Year Hermle warranty (3 years full + 2 years drivetrain) on the buckets.
Z366-250 15 mL conical workflow paths (Z366 / Z366-K chassis):
- Z366-250-B15 (this product) — 10 × 15 mL conical direct-fit bucket on Z366-250-HC (40/cycle, dedicated higher throughput)
- Z366-250-A15 — 7 × 15 mL conical insert on Z366-250 (28/cycle, bucket-insert flexibility)
Pick B15 when 15 mL conical throughput is the dominant workflow driver; pick A15 for bucket-insert flexibility across multiple tube formats.
