Thermo Fisher Scientific has developed a new line of next-generation open air orbital shakers to offer unmatched reliability and superior user programmability in a compact benchtop design. As the first open air orbital shakers to feature a touchscreen user interface, the units will better meet the demands of scientists working in academic, cell culture and industrial laboratories, and will reduce contamination with sample mixing, staining, hybridization and washing.

Building on Thermo Fisher’s 40-year long experience in shaker technology, in combination with new, cutting-edge scientific approaches, the Thermo Scientific Solaris 2000 and 4000 Orbital Shakers feature a unique design to support operation inside a range of laboratory equipment, including microbiological incubators, environmental chambers and refrigerated environments. Accordingly, these technically advanced units are suitable for use across an extensive array of applications, including microbe and chemical handling, plant cell culture, molecular biology, and biochemistry. 

“Our customers are always seeking ways for increased consistency within reliable operations. Our goal with the Solaris Orbital Shakers is to push the boundaries of shaker technology beyond what’s been available to date,” said Sung-Dae Hong, vice president and general manager for growth, protection and separation products at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “The shakers are powered by a triple heavy-duty drive mechanism, meaning they can easily and reliably support heavy loads, while their unique large touchscreen user interface allows operators to simply and securely program the units and monitor setpoints and status conditions from across the laboratory. This built-in efficiency helps save time while optimizing shaker resources, and enabling consistency and reproducibility across runtime operation to help drive science forward.”

The Solaris Orbital Shakers also feature removable platforms and sealed internal mechanics that simplify and accelerate cleaning, minimizing the potential for cross-contamination. Furthermore, the belt is maintenance-free, and the 10-year warranty for the shaker mechanism comes with a five-year warranty on parts, and a two-year warranty on labor for customer’s peace of mind. The units have been engineered to perform with a reduced noise level, in a temperature range of 5-40°C and humidity conditions from 20-80% non-condensing, thus being suitable for use in a wide range of laboratory settings. With their compact footprint, the shakers save valuable benchtop space and are available in two sizes, and with a wide variety of universal platform sizes, unique dual stack platforms, flask clamps and tube racks to support almost any capacity.

With a view to facilitating fully integrated laboratory workflows, the Solaris Orbital Shakers will soon enable seamless connectivity with other Thermo Scientific equipment, including incubators and environmental chambers, via the Thermo Scientific Connect. This will allow for effortless, real-time and continuous monitoring of key operational and performance parameters.