Alternative to the Core Lab ACES-300

Summary. The Core Lab ACES-300 and the Coretest Automated Core Centrifuge work the same way: a high-speed rotor with drainage and imbibition buckets, a stroboscope and a camera that read the produced volume in each tube during rotation, and software that turns the readings into capillary pressure curves. The ACES-300 publishes higher top speeds (20,000 rpm for 1 in plugs, 16,500 rpm for 1.5 in) and an interface resolution of 0.002 in. The Coretest machine runs 3 × 1.5 in plugs at up to 13,000 rpm with published plug-face radii, RCF, temperature range, tube size, power and footprint.

Why laboratories compare

Laboratories look at an alternative to the ACES-300 when they need a second source for automated imaging centrifuge work, when lead time, service access or budget matter, or when they want the full rotor geometry and utility data before purchase so the capillary pressure range can be checked on paper.

Coretest Automated Core Centrifuge vs Core Lab ACES-300

	Coretest Automated Core Centrifuge	Core Lab ACES-300
Plug size	1.5 in, up to 2 in long (max 1.555 × 2.010 in), 3 per run; 1 in rotor on request	1 in or 1.5 in; count per rotor not stated
Maximum speed	13,000 rpm, ±20 rpm	PIR20 rotor (1 in) 20,000 rpm; PIR16.5 rotor (1.5 in) 16,500 rpm; speed accuracy not stated
Plug face radii	Drainage 43.0 / 93.8 mm; imbibition 115.5 / 166.3 mm	Not stated
RCF at outer plug face	17,720 ×g drainage; 31,420 ×g imbibition	Not stated
Readout	Stroboscope and camera image each measuring tube once per revolution; automatic level detection	Computer-controlled CCD line camera and strobe; interface resolution 0.002 in
Data rate	Logged against time and speed; equilibrium judged per step	10 per second, or 1 per revolution below 600 rpm; logarithmic intervals during ramp
Measuring tube	6 mL, 0.1 mL graduation	Not stated
Tests	Drainage and imbibition Pc, USBM cycle; production data for relative permeability	Drainage and imbibition Pc, USBM/Amott wettability, relative permeability
Temperature	20 to 40 °C during tests; vacuum chamber	Not stated
Rotor life	13,000 rpm for 1,000 runs or 2,500 h, then 10,000 rpm up to 5 years	Not stated
Power	220 V ±10 %, 50 Hz, single phase, 30 A	Not stated
Size / weight	700 × 900 × 1300 mm / 450 kg	Not stated
Supply	Configured to order	Catalog product

“Not stated” means the figure is not given in the manufacturer's published material; it does not mean the feature is absent.

What the differences mean in practice

Speed and capillary pressure. Top speed alone does not set the capillary pressure; rotor radius and plug length matter as much. Core Lab publishes speeds but not radii, so the reachable Pc has to be requested. The Coretest imbibition buckets sit on a long 166.3 mm radius, which gives 31,420 ×g at the outer face at 13,000 rpm. For very tight rock on 1 in plugs the ACES-300 PIR20 rotor offers more speed headroom.

Readout. Both machines freeze the tube with a strobe and read the interface during rotation. Core Lab publishes a 0.002 in interface resolution and a data rate. The Coretest tube is 6 mL with 0.1 mL graduation, and the automatic level detection is checked against it at factory test.

Site data. The Coretest datasheet lists power, footprint, weight, temperature range and rotor life, so installation and the rotor replacement plan can be budgeted up front.

Who each is for

Coretest Automated Core Centrifuge
Laboratories running 1.5 in plugs that want imaging capillary pressure with USBM cycles, full published rotor geometry and a configured-to-order supply.

Core Lab ACES-300
Laboratories that need 20,000 rpm on 1 in plugs, the published 0.002 in interface resolution, or an established installed base and method history.

Moving an existing ACES method

Send your speed schedule, plug dimensions and fluid pair. Coretest converts each step to the speed that gives the same inlet-face capillary pressure on its rotor radii and marks any step above 13,000 rpm, so you can see before ordering which part of the curve is covered.

Questions

Does the Coretest centrifuge read production during rotation like the ACES-300?

Yes. A stroboscope fires in phase with each bucket and a camera images every measuring tube once per revolution; the software detects the level automatically.

Can it run imbibition and USBM?

Yes. Inverted imbibition buckets share the rotor yoke with the drainage buckets, so a full drainage and forced-imbibition cycle for the USBM index runs on one machine.

Is a 1 in rotor available?

A 1 in rotor is available on request and is specified in the project proposal.

Need imaging capillary pressure at high speed?

Send the rock type, plug size, fluid pair, target capillary pressure and temperature. We will match them to a rotor and configuration.

Request a quote Datasheet (PDF)

← Coretest Automated Core Centrifuge: description and specification

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Trademark notice: Core Laboratories (Core Lab) and the model names referenced on this page are trademarks of their respective owners. Coretest is not affiliated with, authorized, endorsed or sponsored by these companies. Comparisons are based on each manufacturer's published brochures and product pages as of 28 September 2026 and are provided for engineering evaluation only. Specifications change; verify current data with each vendor before purchase.