Design
Frame structure
The framing of the device, and the rails for linear motion, are made from 20 mm V-slot aluminium extrusion (OpenBuilds). The slots in this extrusion easily permit the mounting of the device to other equipment, or to the wall or floor for stability. One advantage of open hardware for this design is that all dimensions can be varied according to the user's needs. By choosing a small height, a compact system capable of storing a small number of plates can be created, whereas a 900 cm height allows storage of at least 24 microplates. Although Fig \ref{876390} depicts the simplest design, other possibilities are possible such as an L shaped structure (Fig 3) which provides a large space at the top where the plate can be presented to bulkier handling devices.
Plate shelves
Slots for microplates are created by attaching a 3D printed edge shelving strip ('plateholder.stl') to four of the uprights of the framing structure. Shelves are by default at 33 mm spacing though adaptation to deep well plates could easily be achieved. Shelving strip should be painted with latex paint ('PlastiDip') for increased grip.