Final Designs
Capit-All Adaptor
This solution is a Flat-Head Adaptor, which is inserted into the prongs of the Capit-All. The adaptor is held in place with an adhesive tape. As the Capit-All descends towards the tube caps, the prongs are rotating, which allows the adaptors to catch onto the grooves of the caps. Since the adaptors are firmly pressed into the caps, friction keeps the caps attached to the adaptors. This allows the caps to be lifted off the tubes once the machine has finished decapping.
Fig. 1: A CAD image of the Flat-Head Adaptor with with symmetrical geometry for easier installation.
Flat-head Adaptors.
The adaptors shown in Fig. 1 are inserted into the Capit-All prongs, as shown in Fig. 2. The symmetric geometry of the design allows for easier orientation during installation, ie. there is no difference between top and bottom.
Fig. 2: A close-up photograph of the adaptors placed in the Capit-All prongs.
Adaptors in the Capit-All prongs.
The adaptors in the Capit-All prongs are held in place using an adhesive double-sided tape, as shown in Fig. 2. The tape provides a reliable solution while also being removable in case the EXCITE Lab chooses to revert the Capit-All to its original configuration.
Fig. 3: A photograph of the adaptors lifting the tube caps. Friction allows the caps to stay on the adaptor.
Adaptors decapping and lifting tube caps.
The adaptors are lowered toward the caps (orange, while rotating. This allows the flat-head adaptor to catch onto the cap grooves and twist the caps off.
Decaprecap Micronic.mp4Video of flat-head adaptors decapping a rack of 96 Micronics 1.4 mL tubes.
Parallel Beam Decapper
This solution utilizes the anti-parallel motion of two beams (the blue acrylic) to twist the caps off of a rack of 32 tubes. The black Neoprene rubber provides the necessary grip on the tube caps, and the linear actuators provide the sliding forces needed to twist the caps. Hinging arms also allow for some customization for different tube caps - one arm can be easily adjusted to account for slightly smaller or larger diameter caps.
Fig. 4: A photograph of the Parallel Beam Decapper without the clamp. Here, the actuators are mounted and wired to the power supply.
Parallel Beam Decapper standing alone without the clamp.
The Parallel Beam Decapper powered by two linear actuators, which are operated using a single rocker switch. When the switch is pressed in one direction the actuators cause the beams to move in an antiparallel motion, twisting the caps off.
Fig. 5: A front view of the Parallel Beam Decapper with a rack of tubes aligned with the neoprene rubber on the back acrylic beam.
Front view.
Here, a rack of 32 tubes is placed in the clamp and the tube caps are pressed against the neoprene on the back beam. The front beam will then close onto the rack of tubes, as shown in Fig. 6. This will provide the squeezing, or normal, force necessary for twisting the caps off. Approximately 5 lbf of normal force is necessary to twist the caps off.
Fig. 6: A side view of the Parallel Beam Decapper clamping a rack of tubes. The rack of tubes is in between the two acrylic pieces.
Side view of the decapper with the rack of tubes in place.
The two parallel beams are now closed around the rack of tubes. The tubes are held between two pieces of soft neoprene. The neoprene deforms slightly around the tube caps for a firmer grip.
ParallelBeamDecapper_Actuators.MOVVideo of actuators successfully moving the parallel beams in the decapper without any jamming.
IMG_1931.MOV