The Z326-100H is the biosafety-spec swing-out rotor for the Hermle Z326 / Z32-HK family — 4 × 100 mL bucket capacity in swing-out geometry, with hermetically sealed buckets (Z326-100H-BUK + Z326-100H-LID) that contain aerosols during the spin. For workflows handling blood-borne pathogens, BSL-2 / BSL-3 clinical samples, infectious-disease research samples, or any material where aerosol release during centrifugation would compromise lab safety, the sealed-bucket configuration is the spec — open-bucket rotors do not provide the aerosol containment that BSL-2+ workflows require. At 5,000 rpm / 4,080 × g, this rotor handles the standard low-speed clinical and biosafety workflows; the 4-position 100 mL bucket envelope accommodates 100 mL RB glass, 85 mL RB/OR, 50 mL RB/OR / Falcon, and smaller formats via adapter inserts.
Key Specifications
| SKU | Z326-100H |
| Type | Swing-out rotor — 4 position with hermetically sealed buckets |
| Bucket capacity | 100 mL each (with adapter inserts for smaller formats) |
| Bucket count | 4 |
| Compatible chassis | Z326 family + cross-compatible Z32-HK per shared accessory catalog |
| Swing range | 0–90° (horizontal at full speed) |
| Max. operating speed | 5,000 rpm |
| Max. RCF at operating speed | 4,080 × g |
| Max. radius | 14.6 cm |
| Deceleration | 15 / 150 sec (standard / extended-unbraked) |
| Temperature at max. speed (refrigerated chassis) | 2 °C |
| Hermetically sealed buckets | Z326-100H-BUK (bucket with lid attachment) + Z326-100H-LID (lid for sealed configuration) |
| Tube formats accepted (direct fit) | 100 mL RB Glass (40 mm ø), 85 mL RB/OR (38 mm), 50 mL RB/OR (29 mm), 50 mL Falcon® (29 mm) |
Compatibility & Configuration
Chassis compatibility — Z326 family + cross-compatible Z32-HK per the shared Hermle accessory catalog. RFID-tagged; chassis applies the rotor's rated 5,000 rpm cap automatically at insertion.
Hermetically sealed bucket design. The Z326-100H-BUK bucket is engineered with a sealing surface that mates with the Z326-100H-LID; once the lid is installed and torqued (per the Hermle service instructions), the bucket-lid assembly is hermetically sealed for the duration of the spin. Aerosols generated during the spin (from cap-seal failure, tube fracture, or volatile liquid contents) are contained within the sealed bucket rather than released into the rotor chamber.
Adapter library (sold separately, all in the Z326-100H-A* SKU family per brochure):
- A100 — 1 × 100 mL adapter (positioning insert for 100 mL conical or smaller bottle formats); 90/108 mm length
- A85 — 1 × 85 mL adapter; 90/108 mm length
- A50R — 1 × 50 mL round-bottom adapter; 90/133 mm length
- A50 — 1 × 50 mL Falcon® adapter; 116 mm length
The adapters extend the bucket fit to multiple tube formats while maintaining the hermetic seal of the bucket assembly — the seal is between the bucket and lid, not between the tube and bucket.
Tube count per bucket per adapter. The brochure tube-rack table specifies 4 tubes per adapter per bucket — the 4-position rotor with appropriate adapters scales to 16 × 50 mL conical, 16 × 50 mL round-bottom, etc. per cycle.
Application Profile
BSL-2 / BSL-3 clinical sample separation. Blood-borne pathogen samples (HBV, HCV, HIV-positive samples), tuberculosis sample workflows, and infectious-disease research where aerosol containment is the spec. Many BSL-2 / BSL-3 protocols require sealed-rotor or sealed-bucket centrifugation as a hard requirement — the Z326-100H meets that spec.
Blood-borne pathogen primary tube separation for clinical-research workflows where standard open-bucket rotors would be a containment failure.
Infectious-disease research sample handling — viral preparation work, bacterial culture pelleting where aerosol release would risk lab contamination, and similar workflows.
Volatile-content sample workflows. When samples contain volatile organic solvents or other materials where vapor release during the spin would compromise lab air quality, the sealed-bucket configuration provides containment.
Blood-bank and component-therapy work at the 100 mL bag-format scale where aerosol containment is preferred even when not strictly required by biosafety classification.
Cold-chain biosafety work when paired with the refrigerated Z326-K or Z032-HK — combines aerosol containment with chamber temperature control for cold-sensitive infectious materials.
Loading & Balance
4-bucket symmetric loading. Pair opposite buckets by weight (positions 1+3, 2+4); pre-balance each pair before insertion. Weight balance is especially critical for sealed buckets — an asymmetric load that triggers an imbalance shutdown mid-spin can stress the seal interface; pre-balancing prevents this.
Lid torque. The Z326-100H-LID lid must be installed and torqued per the Hermle service instructions before each spin. Under-torqued lids may not maintain the hermetic seal at full RCF; over-torqued lids can damage the seal interface. Annual lid-and-seal inspection by the Hermle service network is recommended for biosafety-critical workflows.
Selectable accel/decel. Chassis's 10 profiles apply; for biosafety workflows, lower acceleration profiles are conventional (less mechanical stress on the sealed interface during spin-up).
Ordering & Configuration
Z326-100H ships as the rotor body with 4 buckets and 4 lids — the complete sealed-bucket configuration ready for biosafety workflows. Adapters are sold separately per workflow tube format.
Compatible accessories (sold separately):
- Z326-100H-BUK — Individual bucket (replacement or supplementation)
- Z326-100H-LID — Individual bucket lid (replacement; lids should be inspected and replaced per the Hermle service interval)
- Z326-100H-A* adapter family — A100 / A85 / A50R / A50 covers the standard tube formats
Confirm at quote: chassis pairing (Z326 family or Z032-HK), biosafety classification of the workflow (BSL-2 vs BSL-3 may have different procedural requirements around sealed-bucket use), adapter inventory needed for tube formats, lid-replacement inventory (annual replacement is conventional for biosafety-critical workflows), and training. Pre-installation biosafety consultation typical.
Warranty: 5-Year Hermle warranty (3 years full + 2 years drivetrain) on the rotor body and buckets. Lids are wear items in biosafety workflows; warranty covers manufacturing defect, but operator should plan annual replacement inventory.
Sealed vs open-bucket selection: for non-biosafety workflows (general lab samples, routine clinical separation without infectious-disease implications), open-bucket rotors at lower price point are appropriate. The Z326-100H earns its slot specifically when aerosol containment is a hard requirement — biosafety classification BSL-2+, infectious-disease research, or volatile-content sample handling. Don't over-spec to sealed buckets when open buckets meet the workflow requirement.
