4 × 1,000 mL Swing-Out Rotor without Buckets (Z496-K Accessory)

The Z496-1000-AC is the swing-out rotor body alone — without the rectangular buckets that ship with the full Z496-1000 SKU. The "AC" suffix in Hermle's nomenclature indicates "without buckets" (paralleling the Z446-750-AC / Z446-750 pattern in the Z446 family). This is the right SKU when the lab is building a custom bucket configuration, replacing a worn rotor while retaining existing buckets, or commissioning a Z496-K with bucket sets sourced separately. For the standard configuration (rotor body + rectangular buckets), order Z496-1000 instead at $8,925 — that's a $4,053 step-up that includes the buckets which are otherwise the limiting accessory for any 1,000 mL workflow.

Key Specifications

Compatibility & When to Order This SKU

This is the rotor body only. Order Z496-1000-AC when at least one of the following applies:

1. You already have compatible Z496-1000 rectangular buckets from a prior install or transferred from a retired Z496 chassis, and you only need the rotor body.
2. You're commissioning a custom bucket set — Z496-K rectangular buckets accept microplates directly, 40 × 50 mL conical via insert, 96 × 15 mL conical via insert, or blood bags via dedicated insert; if your workflow specifies a non-standard bucket configuration, ordering the rotor body separately gives flexibility on the bucket SKUs.
3. Replacement rotor only — if a current Z496-K rotor is approaching service life or has been damaged, but the buckets are inspection-pass, the rotor-only replacement is the cost-effective path.
4. Sealed-bucket workflow — for biosafety-critical workflows requiring hermetically sealed buckets (separate Hermle accessory line item), the rotor body plus sealed buckets is the spec rather than the standard Z496-1000 + open rectangular buckets.

For the standard configuration, order Z496-1000 instead — that SKU bundles the rotor body + the standard rectangular bucket set at $8,925 (saves the procurement step of sourcing buckets separately).

Compatibility — Chassis Family

The Z496-1000-AC fits the Z496-K family only:

• Z496-K (Floor-Standing, 38.5-inch height)
• Z496-K-UC (Underbench, 27.5-inch height — same instrument spec, shorter chassis to fit beneath standard 30-inch lab casework)

Not compatible with Z446 / Z446-K (different drive-spindle dimensions, different speed-class ceiling), Z366 / Z366-K, Z327 / Z327-K, or any of the smaller Hermle universal centrifuge chassis.

Workflow Notes

RFID-tagged. Like all Hermle Z-series rotors, the Z496-1000-AC carries an RFID tag that the chassis reads at insertion — the drive applies the rotor's rated 10,500 rpm cap automatically and tunes the per-rotor imbalance threshold to the rotor body's load characteristics (with appropriate buckets installed).

Bucket compatibility verification. Before mounting buckets onto a Z496-1000-AC rotor body, confirm that the buckets are rated for the same RCF class (16,022 × g at 10,500 rpm). Mismatched bucket rating would cap the practical operating speed below the rotor's rated maximum or, worse, produce a safety failure. Hermle / Benchmark distributor service can verify bucket compatibility at install or annual inspection.

Pre-cooling considerations. The Z496-K chassis's pre-cooling program is rotor-specific — it knows the Z496-1000 rotor body's thermal mass. With the rotor body only (no buckets installed in inventory), pre-cooling estimates may differ from the assembled rotor + bucket configuration. Once buckets are installed and characterized, the chassis pre-cooling timing matches the assembled mass.

Ordering & Configuration

Z496-1000-AC ships as the swing-out rotor body only — no buckets, no inserts, no adapters. Operator's manual / installation guide for the rotor body is included.

Required for operation: Compatible Z496-K rectangular buckets (sold separately, or already in the lab's inventory). The rotor body without buckets cannot be operated.

Use the quote request to confirm: chassis pairing (Z496-K Floor-Standing or Z496-K-UC Underbench), bucket source (existing inventory vs new bucket order vs sealed-bucket configuration), and lead time. If you're sourcing buckets separately, the Hermle / Benchmark distributor can recommend the correct bucket SKUs and insert sets per workflow.

Warranty: 5-Year Hermle warranty (3 years full + 2 years drivetrain) on the rotor body. Buckets sourced separately carry their own bucket-SKU warranty terms.

Z496-1000 vs Z496-1000-AC selection: if you're commissioning a new Z496-K install or don't already have compatible rectangular buckets, order Z496-1000 ($8,925) — the bundled rotor + bucket set is the single-line procurement path. Order Z496-1000-AC ($4,872, this product) only when you already own compatible buckets or are configuring a custom bucket set as a separate line item.