Customizable Hex Lab Sample Carrier

I made this 3D-printed sample carrier because I needed a way to store a bunch of small samples (usually ~15mm metal disks) while keeping them organized on my laboratory bench. It’s kind of like a petri dish, but hexagonal for a more compact layout (... and because it looks cooler). The cells have a curved bottom to make it easier to grab samples with tweezers.

There are STL files for the 19-sample version with 20mm cells, and a few different cell numbering styles & tabs. If you need something different, the OpenSCAD file is included so you can easily tweak it to fit your needs.

I’ve only tested this with a filament printer, and it works fine, but it does need some cleanup to remove stringing that could get into the samples. Also, make sure to wait for it to cool before removing it from the printer, as it’s sensitive to warping.

Files

• hexporta-hollowlabel.stl: The label (cell number) is printed as a interior hollow/negative space on the lid, mirrored so it can be viewed from outside when closed.
• hexporta-insidelabel.stl: The label is printed on the inside of the lid (positive/high relief).
• hexporta-outsidelabel.stl: The label is printed on the outside of the lid (facing the bed when printing, mirrored, and negative/low relief).
• hexporta-hulltab.stl: Same as hexporta-hollowlabel.stl, but with a larger tab for easier opening (though it affects lateral stacking).
• hexporta.scad: OpenSCAD code for parametric model generation