Lidded vial storage cases for the bench, the fridge, and the road
An open rack is fine on a bench. The moment vials leave the bench, they need a lid, a lip, and something that stops them chattering against each other. These cases are printed in PETG or ASA with bores cut to your vial body, snap-fit lids, and an optional TPU liner that holds each vial by friction. Material, tolerance, and bore are the same as the racks: about ±0.2 mm, 0.8 mm of clearance, cut to your measured diameter on request.
Three case formats
Bench case
A rack with a snap lid. Same bores and walls as the open rack, plus a lid that clips at two corners so it cannot slide off when the case is carried. Fits a refrigerator shelf on its side.
10, 25, or 50 positions, any vial size 2 to 20 ml
Travel case
Thicker walls, a full-perimeter lip on the lid, and an optional flexible TPU liner that grips each vial so nothing clinks. For samples that go in a courier bag or a vehicle.
10 or 25 positions, 2 to 10 ml
Cold-room case
PETG only, with drain slots in the floor so condensation does not pool under the vials when the case comes back to room temperature. Lid vents optional.
25 or 50 positions, 2 to 10 ml
How the lid stays on
The lid is a separate print with a lip that drops inside the case wall, and two corner clips that flex over a ridge. PETG flexes enough to snap and springs back a few thousand times before it wears. The travel case adds a full lip and a strap slot at each end so a rubber band or a Velcro strap can back up the clips. We do not use hinges on cases this size: a printed hinge is the first thing to break and the hardest thing to replace.
The TPU liner
A flexible insert printed in TPU with bores 0.5 mm under the vial body, so each vial is gripped rather than parked. It sits in the same footprint as the rigid rack and lifts out for cleaning. Compared with a cut foam insert, it does not shed, does not absorb a spill, and can be wiped with alcohol. If you already use foam, the case floor is flat and the foam drops in instead.
Sizes this case is bored for
What a case is not
It is not insulated, not watertight, and not a substitute for the cold-chain packaging your carrier requires. It keeps vials upright, separated, and labeled-side-out between the freezer and wherever they are going. Anything about temperature control, shipping regulations, or what is inside the vials is your call and your responsibility.