{ "schema_version": "1.0", "units": "mm", "note": "Dimensional standards for lab-hardware interfaces. Every entry carries a source. Entries with verified=false were not confirmed against the primary document during authoring and must be checked before use.", "last_reviewed": "2026-08-15", "standards": { "slas-microplate-footprint": { "title": "Microplate footprint (base outline)", "authority": "ANSI/SLAS", "document": "ANSI/SLAS 1-2004 (R2012) Footprint Dimensions", "url": "https://www.slas.org/SLAS/assets/File/public/standards/ANSI_SLAS_1-2004_FootprintDimensions.pdf", "verified": true, "dimensions": { "footprint_length": { "nominal": 127.76, "tol_plus": 0.25, "tol_minus": 0.25, "note": "Measured within 12.7 mm of the outside corners. Relaxes to +/-0.5 mm at any point along the side." }, "footprint_width": { "nominal": 85.48, "tol_plus": 0.25, "tol_minus": 0.25, "note": "Measured within 12.7 mm of the outside corners. Relaxes to +/-0.5 mm at any point along the side." }, "corner_radius": { "nominal": 3.18, "tol_plus": 1.6, "tol_minus": 1.6, "note": "Outside radius of the four bottom-flange corners (convex). A receiving pocket's internal fillet must be no LARGER than the minimum (1.58) or it bulges into the plate corner and binds; a sharp pocket corner or a corner-relief cut always clears. Do not size the pocket fillet to the maximum radius." } }, "fit_checks": [ {"measure": "bbox_x", "dimension": "footprint_length"}, {"measure": "bbox_y", "dimension": "footprint_width"} ], "design_note": "For a pocket that receives a plate, add clearance per side on top of the maximum material condition (127.76 + 0.25 = 128.01). Check the pocket, not the plate." }, "slas-microplate-height": { "title": "Microplate height", "authority": "ANSI/SLAS", "document": "ANSI/SLAS 2-2004 (R2012) Height Dimensions", "url": "https://www.slas.org/SLAS/assets/File/public/standards/ANSI_SLAS_2-2004_HeightDimensions.pdf", "verified": true, "dimensions": { "plate_height": { "nominal": 14.35, "tol_plus": 0.25, "tol_minus": 0.25, "note": "Datum A (resting plane) to the maximum protrusion of the perimeter wells. Secondary sources also quote +/-0.76 mm; consult the document before relying on the tighter band. Lidded and deep-well plates are taller and out of scope of this dimension." } }, "fit_checks": [ {"measure": "bbox_z", "dimension": "plate_height"} ] }, "slas-microplate-flange": { "title": "Microplate bottom outside flange height", "authority": "ANSI/SLAS", "document": "ANSI/SLAS 3-2004 (R2012) Bottom Outside Flange Dimensions", "url": "https://www.slas.org/SLAS/assets/File/public/standards/ANSI_SLAS_3-2004_BottomOutsideFlangeDimensions.pdf", "verified": true, "dimensions": { "flange_height_short": {"nominal": 2.41, "tol_plus": 0.38, "tol_minus": 0.38}, "flange_height_medium": {"nominal": 6.10, "tol_plus": 0.38, "tol_minus": 0.38}, "flange_height_tall": {"nominal": 7.62, "tol_plus": 0.38, "tol_minus": 0.38} }, "fit_checks": [], "design_note": "Three flange heights are standardised. A gripper or carrier that assumes one will drop plates built to another. Ask which the user has." }, "slas-well-positions-96": { "title": "96-well plate well positions", "authority": "ANSI/SLAS", "document": "ANSI/SLAS 4-2004 (R2012) Well Positions", "url": "https://www.slas.org/SLAS/assets/File/public/standards/ANSI_SLAS_4-2004_WellPositions.pdf", "verified": true, "dimensions": { "well_pitch": {"nominal": 9.0, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Centre-to-centre in both x and y."}, "a1_offset_x": {"nominal": 14.38, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Left outside edge to the centre of column 1."}, "a1_offset_y": {"nominal": 11.24, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Top outside edge to the centre of row A."}, "well_position_tolerance": {"nominal": 0.70, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Each well centre lies within a 0.70 mm diameter of nominal. This is a positional tolerance zone, not a +/- band."} }, "fit_checks": [], "design_note": "Grid layout: x = a1_offset_x + 9.0 * column_index, y = a1_offset_y + 9.0 * row_index, measured from the plate outline corner." }, "slas-well-positions-384": { "title": "384-well plate well positions", "authority": "ANSI/SLAS", "document": "ANSI/SLAS 4-2004 (R2012) Well Positions", "url": "https://www.slas.org/SLAS/assets/File/public/standards/ANSI_SLAS_4-2004_WellPositions.pdf", "verified": false, "dimensions": { "well_pitch": {"nominal": 4.5, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Centre-to-centre in both x and y."}, "a1_offset_x": {"nominal": 12.13, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "UNVERIFIED. Derived as the 96-well offset minus half the 96-well pitch. Confirm against ANSI/SLAS 4-2004 before cutting metal."}, "a1_offset_y": {"nominal": 8.99, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "UNVERIFIED. Derived, as above. Confirm against the document."} }, "fit_checks": [], "design_note": "Only well_pitch is confirmed here. Read the standard for the A1 offsets before relying on them." }, "slas-well-positions-1536": { "title": "1536-well plate well positions", "authority": "ANSI/SLAS", "document": "ANSI/SLAS 4-2004 (R2012) Well Positions", "url": "https://www.slas.org/SLAS/assets/File/public/standards/ANSI_SLAS_4-2004_WellPositions.pdf", "verified": false, "dimensions": { "well_pitch": {"nominal": 2.25, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Centre-to-centre in both x and y."}, "a1_offset_x": {"nominal": 11.005, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "UNVERIFIED. Derived from the 96-well offset. Confirm against ANSI/SLAS 4-2004."}, "a1_offset_y": {"nominal": 7.865, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "UNVERIFIED. Derived, as above. Confirm against the document."} }, "fit_checks": [], "design_note": "Only well_pitch is confirmed here." }, "cuvette-standard-10mm": { "title": "Standard 10 mm path-length spectrophotometer cuvette", "authority": "De facto industry convention", "document": "No single ANSI/ISO document fixes this; it is a near-universal convention across suppliers.", "url": "https://spectrecology.com/blog/guide-to-cuvettes/", "verified": true, "dimensions": { "external_width": {"nominal": 12.5, "tol_plus": 0.1, "tol_minus": 0.1, "note": "Tolerance is indicative; suppliers vary."}, "external_depth": {"nominal": 12.5, "tol_plus": 0.1, "tol_minus": 0.1}, "external_height": {"nominal": 45.0, "tol_plus": 0.5, "tol_minus": 0.5, "note": "Body height excluding any cap or stopper. Semi-micro and micro cuvettes share the external footprint but differ in height and internal geometry."}, "path_length": {"nominal": 10.0, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Internal optical path. 12.5 external minus 2 x 1.25 mm wall."}, "wall_thickness": {"nominal": 1.25, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0} }, "fit_checks": [ {"measure": "bbox_x", "dimension": "external_width"}, {"measure": "bbox_y", "dimension": "external_depth"} ], "design_note": "Because this is a convention rather than a standard, a holder should be designed with generous clearance or a compliant feature. Confirm against the user's actual cuvettes." }, "optical-breadboard-metric": { "title": "Metric optical breadboard hole grid", "authority": "De facto industry convention", "document": "Universal across Thorlabs, Newport, Edmund and others for metric tables.", "url": "https://www.thorlabs.com/imperial-and-metric-threading", "verified": true, "dimensions": { "grid_pitch": {"nominal": 25.0, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Metric grid. NOT interchangeable with the 25.4 mm imperial grid."}, "thread": {"nominal": 6.0, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "M6 x 1.0 tapped holes."}, "clearance_hole_close": {"nominal": 6.4, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Close-fit clearance for an M6 cap screw."}, "clearance_hole_normal": {"nominal": 6.6, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Normal-fit clearance for M6. Prefer this on printed parts."}, "counterbore_dia": {"nominal": 11.0, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "For an M6 socket head cap screw head (nominal head dia 10 mm)."}, "screw_head_height": {"nominal": 6.0, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "M6 socket head cap screw head height (ISO 4762). A counterbore shallower than this leaves the head proud, not flush."}, "border": {"nominal": 12.5, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Typical edge-to-first-hole distance. A property of the TABLE, not of your part: your plate's edge margin is a free design choice, so do not declare this as an interface."} }, "fit_checks": [], "design_note": "Slot rather than hole one of any pair of mounting features to absorb grid and print tolerance." }, "optical-breadboard-imperial": { "title": "Imperial optical breadboard hole grid", "authority": "De facto industry convention", "document": "Universal across Thorlabs, Newport, Edmund and others for imperial tables.", "url": "https://www.thorlabs.com/imperial-and-metric-threading", "verified": true, "dimensions": { "grid_pitch": {"nominal": 25.4, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "1 inch exactly. Over four holes this differs from the metric grid by 1.6 mm."}, "thread_major_dia": {"nominal": 6.35, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "1/4-20 UNC: 0.25 inch major diameter, 20 threads per inch."}, "clearance_hole_normal": {"nominal": 6.8, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Normal-fit clearance for a 1/4-20 screw."}, "counterbore_dia": {"nominal": 11.2, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "For a 1/4-20 socket head cap screw head."}, "screw_head_height": {"nominal": 6.35, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "1/4-20 socket head cap screw head height (0.25 inch). A counterbore shallower than this leaves the head proud, not flush."}, "border": {"nominal": 12.7, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Typical 0.5 inch edge-to-first-hole distance. A property of the TABLE, not of your part: your plate's edge margin is a free design choice, so do not declare this as an interface."} }, "fit_checks": [], "design_note": "Ask which table the user has. Assuming the wrong system is the most common optomechanical design error." }, "cage-system-30mm": { "title": "30 mm cage system", "authority": "Thorlabs (de facto standard, second-sourced by others)", "document": "Thorlabs 30 mm cage system construction rods and cage plates", "url": "https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_ID=2273", "verified": true, "dimensions": { "rod_spacing": {"nominal": 30.0, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "Rod centre to rod centre, on a square pattern. 1.18 inch."}, "rod_diameter": {"nominal": 6.0, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "ER series cage rods."}, "plate_thickness_typical": {"nominal": 8.9, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "0.35 inch, the CP33 standard cage plate. Informational, not a mating dimension: custom plates may be any thickness, but matching it keeps optical path budgets simple."} }, "fit_checks": [], "design_note": "The 30 mm rod square is centred on the optical axis. A custom plate must place its aperture at the centroid of the four rod bores. Bore diameter is rod_diameter plus twice the free-sliding per-side clearance for YOUR process (fabrication-limits.md): about 6.2 CNC, 6.4 SLA, 6.8 FDM. 6.1 is a reamed-metal number and binds on printed parts. Four bores on a common square over-constrain each other, so do not go tighter than the fits table. Declare the bore against rod_diameter with intent envelope and the clearance you chose." }, "sm1-lens-tube-thread": { "title": "SM1 lens tube thread", "authority": "Thorlabs (de facto standard)", "document": "Thorlabs SM1 series threading", "url": "https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=4114", "verified": true, "dimensions": { "thread_major_dia": {"nominal": 26.289, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "1.035 inch-40 thread. Holds 1 inch diameter optics."}, "threads_per_inch": {"nominal": 40.0, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0}, "pitch": {"nominal": 0.635, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "25.4 / 40 mm."}, "optic_dia": {"nominal": 25.4, "tol_plus": 0.0, "tol_minus": 0.0, "note": "1 inch optic."} }, "fit_checks": [], "design_note": "A 40 TPI thread has a 0.635 mm pitch, which is at or below the resolution of most FDM printers. Print a clearance bore and use a purchased SM1 adapter or a tapped insert rather than printing the thread." } } }