Abstract: A method for the compression molding of composite fiber fixed angle rotors is disclosed. A female mold member defines a closed cylinder cavity for molding the bottom surface of the rotor, this cavity usually defining a frustum shaped central cavity complimentary to and concentric with the spin axis of the ultimately formed rotor. A male mold member having a complimentary cylindrical profile contains a frustum shaped inner cavity with the apex of the frustum disposed to the inner portion of the cylinder and the base end of the frustum exposed to the cylindrical opening of the female mold. This frustum shaped inner cavity defines the exterior frustum shape of the ultimately produced rotor and defines between the exterior frustum profile and the frustum shaped inner cavity a rotor body wall having sufficient thickness to receive the sample tube apertures. At the apex end of the frustum shaped cavity in the male mold member, there is located a lock system for maintaining sample tube aperture cores.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the compression molding of composite fiber fixed angle rotors is disclosed. A female mold member defines a closed cylinder cavity for molding the bottom surface of the rotor, this cavity usually defining a frustum shaped central cavity complimentary to and concentric with the spin axis of the ultimately formed rotor. A male mold member having a complimentary cylindrical profile contains a frustum shaped inner cavity with the apex of the frustum disposed to the inner portion of the cylinder and the base end of the frustum exposed to the cylindrical opening of the female mold. This frustum shaped inner cavity defines the exterior frustum shape of the ultimately produced rotor and defines between the exterior frustum profile and the frustum shaped inner cavity a rotor body wall having sufficient thickness to receive the sample tube apertures. At the apex end of the frustum shaped cavity in the male mold member, there is located a lock system for maintaining sample tube aperture cores.

Abstract: A fixed angle centrifuge rotor body is constructed from compression molded composite material. The rotor body has a frustum shaped peripheral contour about a central spin axis between a base end and an apex end. The body has net shaped angled sample tube apertures defined in the rotor body extending from openings in the apex end adjacent the spin axis of the rotor body to bottom portions of the sample tube apertures more remote from the spin axis of the rotor body. The rotor body is formed from resin cured about discontinuous composite fiber with the major axis of the discontinuous fiber disposed normal to the spin axis of the rotor body interior of the rotor body. The resin cured discontinuous composite fibers exceed 40 weight percent of the cured rotor product and have no visible layering between respective fibers. The resin cured discontinuous composite fibers have minor vertical excursion parallel to the spin axis of the rotor and relatively no kinking along their respective lengths.