How to Extend the Life of Your Micromanipulator

Manual micromanipulators are common equipment in a laboratory, and with proper care and handling they should last many years. Here's a few tips on how to take care of your new manipulator.

Your micro manipulator is a precision instrument, and it has been calibrated at the factory and is ready to use. As with any delicate mechanical device, your care and attention ensure long-term accurate performance. The following are some helpful hints that make this possible.

• When handling a micromanipulator like the M3301 or the KITE, always set it down carefully. Dropping it even a short distance can damage the general alignment and the adjustment.
  
  
• When it's not in use, close all the slides. When the guides are exposed, dust can get in those tracks. When you're not using you manipulator, you want to close those up so the guide track are completely covered.
  
  
• Always cover the micromanipulator with a plastic bag or some kind of covering to keep the dust off. Dust particles and dirt are your biggest enemies. They get in the tracks and clogs the mechanisms.
  
  
• If the manipulator is not in use for a long period of time, be sure to occasionally work the slides to keep the grease pliable. Work them back and forth to keep them keep the grease pliable.
  
  
• Don't ever oil the guide surfaces. Under normal use, you shouldn't even need to apply grease for many years.

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