Required equipment for automounter use

Pucks:

MacCHESS accepts ALS pucks and Uni-pucks for its BAM-2 automounter. 

Sample holders:

For optimal performance with the BAM-2 automounter, we recommend ALS style bases. SSRL/SAM and SPINE style bases are also acceptable but not preferred. Suitable bases include the following:

• Preferred: Hampton Research CrystalCap ALS or CrystalCap ALS HT or Mitegen B1A (ALS Style) or B3S (ALS Style), regular or reusable versions
• Acceptable: Hampton Research CrystalCap and CrystalCap SPINE HT or Mitegen B1 (SSRL/SAM Style), B3 (SSRL/SAM Style), and B5 (SPINE Style), regular or reusable version

Any bases with plastic parts or screw threads are not accepted. Also note that the BAM-2 automounter does not have a barcode reader, so barcoding of pins is not relevant for use at our beamline.

Pin height should be 18-19 mm, so that crystal height in the assembled sample holder with the base on a level surface is about 22 mm. The pin height should be uniform for all sample holders. Pins should be firmly secured to the base. Do not use bent pins as they may cause a gripper crash, which could destroy the sample, along with other samples in the puck. Slightly bent pins (< 2 mm) may work but will slow the task of centering the crystal. Copper pins may work but are not recommended. The sample mount itself may be a nylon loop, a micro-manufactured polymer loop, or a mesh.