KingFisher plates: fit is the whole question
An extraction run lost to a plate that almost fits costs more than the plates ever will. What these instruments actually need, and the three checks to run before you order.
KingFisher style processors move magnetic particles between wells with a comb of plastic tips, and the choreography only works when the plate and the comb were made for each other. Labs get burned by assuming the standard plate footprint settles the question. It does not. Footprint gets the plate onto the deck; well geometry and comb fit decide whether the run completes.
Why these instruments need their own plates
The instrument drives the tip comb down into each well, and the comb has to reach the working volume without striking the well walls or bottoming out early. Deep well plates for these systems are molded to a specific well depth, shape, and spacing for that reason, and the combs are consumables matched to the plate, not generic parts. Substituting a lookalike plate risks a comb crash partway through a batch, which loses every sample on the plate at once.
Why a standard footprint plate may still not fit
Two plates can share the ANSI/SLAS footprint and still differ where it matters: well depth, well cross section (square against round), the height of the plate skirt, and how the wells align under the comb. A plate that is a few millimeters too tall or molded with a different well profile puts the comb tips in the wrong place on every stroke. This is why manufacturers list plates per instrument rather than per footprint, and why the cross-reference, not the outline, is the document that counts.
Verify these three things before ordering
First, the exact instrument model; plate lists differ between models in the same family. Second, the plate part number cross-check: match the plate you are buying against the instrument maker's plate list or the supplier's cross-reference for that model, not against a photo. Third, the comb match: order the tip combs specified for that plate and model, in the same purchase, so the pair arrives together. Arctic White sells deep well plates cross-referenced for these instruments and can run the cross-reference check against your model before you commit to a case.
Related guides
Common questions
Can I use any 96 deep well plate on a KingFisher?
No. The footprint may match while the well geometry does not, and extraction depends on the comb reaching the right depth in wells shaped for it. Use a plate cross-referenced to your instrument model, with its matching tip combs.
Do tip combs come with the plates?
Treat them as a separate line item unless the listing says otherwise. Combs are plate and model specific, so confirm the comb part number alongside the plate part number when you order, and keep a spare set with the instrument.