The Z326-100H-A20 is the 5-position 1.5 mL microtube insert for the Hermle Z326-100H bucket on the Z327 / Z327-K chassis 4-place swing-out rotor — sold as a 2-pack. Each insert holds 5 microtubes; the 4-bucket rotor configuration takes 2 packs (4 inserts) for full symmetric loading, delivering 20 × 1.5 mL microtubes per cycle in swing-out geometry on a refrigerated chassis. The right pick when microtube workflows need cold-chain integrity (Z327-K refrigeration) and swing-out flat-sediment geometry (vs the angled-pellet 45° fixed-angle microtube rotors that are standard on dedicated microcentrifuges).
Key Specifications
| SKU | Z326-100H-A20 |
| Type | Tube insert — 5 × 1.5 mL microtube |
| Pack quantity | 2 inserts per SKU (full 4-bucket configuration takes 2 units = 4 inserts) |
| Per-insert capacity | 5 × 1.5 mL microtubes |
| Per-cycle throughput (full configuration) | 20 × 1.5 mL microtubes per cycle |
| Tube format | Standard 1.5 mL Reaktion microtubes (~11 mm OD, 42 mm length) |
| Compatible bucket | Z326-100H bucket |
| Compatible chassis | Z327, Z327-K (refrigerated), and -E voltage variants |
| Max. operating speed (with insert + tubes) | Per Z326-100H spec — 5,000 rpm at 4,080 × g maximum |
| Max. radius | 14.6 cm (0.6 cm radius correction with this insert) |
| Temperature at max speed (Z327-K refrigerated) | 2 °C |
| Geometry | Swing-out (0–90°) — flat sediment surface |
| List price | $267 (2-pack) |
Compatibility & When to Order This SKU
Insert pairing — Z326-100H bucket only. Order this SKU when:
- Adding cold-chain microtube workflow to an existing Z327 / Z327-K + Z326-100H install — order 2 units for full 4-bucket symmetric loading (20 microtubes/cycle).
- Swing-out flat-pellet microtube workflows when the protocol requires flat sediment in microtubes (vs the angled pellet of fixed-angle microtube rotors).
- Cold-chain BSL-2 microtube workflows — when microtube prep needs both refrigeration and aerosol containment, the A20 + Z326-100H bucket + Z326-100H-LID combination delivers both.
- Replacement inserts if a current set is damaged or worn.
Application Profile
Swing-out vs fixed-angle for microtubes. The Z326-100H + A20 combination is unusual: most microtube rotors are fixed-angle 45° (producing angled pellets); this configuration delivers swing-out flat-pellet microtube spinning at moderate RCF (4,080 × g maximum). The throughput trade-off is real — 20 microtubes per cycle is lower than dedicated 24-position fixed-angle microcentrifuge rotors, and the RCF ceiling is much lower (4,080 × g vs >15,000 × g on dedicated chassis).
When this configuration is the right pick: when the workflow specifically needs flat-pellet geometry in microtubes (some density-gradient microtube protocols, some immunoprecipitation workflows) AND cold-chain integrity AND optionally biosafety containment — three concurrent characteristics not available on dedicated high-RCF microcentrifuges.
4-bucket symmetric loading. All 4 buckets must use matching A20 inserts for symmetric balance.
Design Architecture
Cold-chain microtube cell-culture pellet recovery — pelleting cells from microtube-scale suspension batches at refrigerated temperature for downstream-stable preparation.
Flat-pellet microtube density-gradient prep — micro-scale density-gradient protocols (microtube Ficoll, Percoll prep) that benefit from swing-out flat-sediment geometry over fixed-angle.
Cold-chain immunoprecipitation workflows — bead-based IP protocols at microtube scale where cold-chain integrity through the spin step preserves protein-protein interactions.
BSL-2 + microtube workflows — when microtube prep handles potentially infectious patient samples requiring aerosol containment, the sealed A20 + Z326-100H-LID combination provides containment.
Mixed-format Z327-K consolidation — labs running 1.5 mL microtubes alongside larger-volume tube and bottle workflows on the same chassis benefit from the cross-format Z326-100H insert family.
Ordering & Configuration
4-bucket symmetric loading. All 4 buckets must use matching A20 inserts. Mixed-bucket configurations produce mass asymmetry.
Per-insert symmetric loading. Within each insert, the 5 microtubes should be balanced — pair tubes by mass, leave any odd position empty.
Tube cap confirmation. All microtubes must be securely capped before spinning at 5,000 rpm.
Z326-100H-A20 ships as 2 inserts. Microtubes are operator-supplied (commodity 1.5 mL Reaktion-style formats). The Z326-100H bucket is sold separately; the Z326-100H-LID is sold separately for sealable mode.
Confirm at quote: bucket pairing (Z326-100H in inventory), chassis pairing (Z327 or Z327-K), tube format (1.5 mL standard microtube), workflow drivers (cold-chain, flat-pellet geometry, biosafety), pack count (2 packs for full 4-bucket configuration), and lead time.
Warranty: 5-Year Hermle warranty (3 years full + 2 years drivetrain) on the inserts.
Z326-100H tube-insert family (Z327 / Z327-K chassis):
- Z326-100H-A20 (this product) — 5 × 1.5 mL microtube
- Z326-100H-A57 — 4 × 5/7 mL clinical blood tubes
- Z326-100H-A10 — 4 × 10 mL Vacutainer
- Z326-100H-A15 / A15S / A15L / A15R — 15 mL conical and round-bottom variants
- Z326-100H-A50 / A50R — 50 mL conical / round
Pick the A20 when microtube workflows need swing-out flat-pellet geometry on a cold-chain biosafety chassis; pick dedicated high-speed microcentrifuge rotors (Z216, Z287-1820) when high RCF matters more than swing-out geometry.
