4 × 500 mL Angle Rotor for Z446 / Z446-K

The Z446-04500 is a 4 × 500 mL fixed-angle rotor for the Hermle Z446 (non-refrigerated) and Z446-K (refrigerated) high-capacity benchtop centrifuges. Where the Z446 family's swing-out rotor (Z446-750-AC) handles the bottle-format workflows that need horizontal phase boundaries, this angle rotor unlocks the Z446 chassis's high-RCF performance — angle geometry produces more efficient pelleting at the high end of the chassis's 16,000 rpm range, particularly for protein-pelleting and post-lysis debris-clearance work that benefits from fixed-angle pelleting against the tube wall.

Key Specifications

Compatibility & Configuration

Chassis compatibility — Z446 family only. The Z446-04500 fits the Z446 and Z446-K (and their -E voltage twins). Not interchangeable with Z366, Z327, Z032-HK, or Z496-K rotor sockets — those instruments use different drive-spindle dimensions and rotor speed-class limits.

RFID-tagged. Like all Z-series rotors, this one carries an RFID tag that the Z446 chassis reads at insertion. The drive automatically applies the rotor's rated speed cap (16,000 rpm) and tunes the per-rotor imbalance threshold. The Z446 chassis's safety-critical "Z446-750 lower by 500 rpm (can be toggled with 20A line)" caveat in the brochure applies to the swing-out rotor; the Z446-04500 angle rotor runs at the chassis's full 16,000 rpm spec on standard 15 A 120 V or 20 A 230 V service.

Adapter library. The Z446 family carries a deep adapter library that lets the swing-out and angle rotors accept tube formats from 1.5 / 2.0 mL micro tubes up to 750 mL bottles. The 500 mL angle rotor specifically targets 500 mL bottles directly without adapters, plus reduced-volume operation with 250 mL or 175 mL bottles via spacer inserts.

Application Profile

Recombinant-protein pelleting at production volume. Bacterial cell-pellet recovery from 500 mL fermentation aliquots at high RCF — angle geometry produces a more compact pellet against the tube wall than swing-out, easing supernatant decant.

Post-lysis debris removal. After cell lysis, removing membrane fragments and insoluble debris from cleared lysate at 24,000+ × g is the routine prep step before downstream chromatography or precipitation; the Z446-04500 covers this at 500 mL / cycle.

Bulk centrifugal protein concentration. Centrifugal concentrators in 500 mL formats benefit from high-RCF angle pelleting for buffer-exchange and concentration steps.

Mid-volume fermentation harvest. Mammalian, insect, and bacterial cultures from 500 mL spinner-flask or shake-flask preparations.

Method development for scale-up. Angle-rotor performance at high RCF characterizes pelleting behavior at the bench scale before transferring to floor-standing instrumentation (Z496-K).

Loading & Balance

4-tube symmetric loading. Use opposite tubes paired by weight; pre-balance to within a few grams (per Hermle's per-rotor tolerance — confirm against rotor service documentation).

Sample-temperature note when using on Z446-K (refrigerated chassis): the chassis's pre-cooling program is rotor-specific — the Z446-K knows the Z446-04500's thermal mass and brings the chamber to set-point before insertion. For long protein-pelleting runs at 4 °C, allow the pre-cooling program to complete before inserting samples.

Acceleration / deceleration profiles are selectable in the Z446 chassis (10 each, plus unbraked); for protein-pelleting use a moderate decel profile to keep the pellet compact against the tube wall.

Ordering & Configuration

Z446-04500 ships as the rotor body. Tube adapters and reduced-volume spacer inserts are separate accessory line items per workflow tube format.

Use the quote request to specify: chassis being paired with (Z446 / Z446-K / -E variants), tube formats and adapter sets needed in initial inventory, and whether the workflow uses both this rotor and the Z446 swing-out rotor (typical for cores running both bottle and high-RCF protein workflows).

Warranty: 5-Year Hermle warranty (3 years full + 2 years drivetrain). Includes balance validation through the Hermle service network — recommended at install and annually thereafter.

Angle vs swing-out rotor selection: for phase-boundary work (serum/plasma separation, density-gradient preservation), the swing-out rotor (Z446-750-AC family) is the right spec because horizontal orientation at full speed produces a clean phase line. For pelleting work (protein, cell-pellet, debris clearance), the Z446-04500 angle rotor is the right spec because tube-wall pelleting is more efficient than bottom-of-tube pelleting in a swing-out. Many Z446 facilities own both rotors.