Excel Scientific X-Pierce™ XP-100 Precut Pierceable Sealing Film for Robotic Automation, 96-Well Plates, Non-Sterile — 100/Pack

Product Description

The Excel Scientific X-Pierce™ XP-100 is a fundamentally different type of microplate sealing film — engineered not for PCR thermal cycling or permanent cold storage, but specifically for 96-well plate workflows requiring multiple robotic or manual well accesses without removing or replacing the seal between each access. X-Pierce sealing films are 89µm thick vinyl with an 18µm thick adhesive layer, designed for temporary protection from contamination and evaporation for samples in 96-well plates. A precut "X" over each well creates four flaps that easily bend downward when pushed by a robotic probe or pipet tip, allowing sample access without coring or adhesive fouling. The flaps return to their original position after sampling for continued sample protection. Printed alignment circles and alphanumeric well labels are included on every film. Non-sterile. Dimensions: 79.4 × 145.5 mm. 100 films per pack.

The Precut "X" — How X-Pierce™ Works The defining feature of the X-Pierce™ XP-100 is its unique construction: a precut "X" opening for each well creates bendable flaps that provide sample access without coring or adhesive fouling of tools. They also reseal after sample access. When a robotic probe or pipette tip pushes down on a well, the four vinyl flaps bend downward and inward — parting to allow the probe through without the probe contacting the adhesive layer, without coring a plug of film material, and without leaving adhesive residue on the probe tip. When the probe withdraws, the flaps return to their original closed position — re-covering the well and maintaining contamination and evaporation protection until the next access event.

No Probe Coring — No Adhesive Fouling — No Probe Occlusion A thin adhesive layer and special hairline cuts separating the X-Pierce flaps combine to prevent probes from contacting adhesive and becoming occluded. Probe coring and adhesive fouling are two of the most common and costly problems in robotic liquid handling workflows using standard pierceable seals — cored plugs of film can block probe tips and contaminate samples, while adhesive transfer to probe surfaces causes carryover and fouling of liquid handling systems. The X-Pierce™ design eliminates both failure modes completely through its precut flap geometry and thin low-adhesive construction.

Self-Resealing After Every Access — Continuous Protection Unlike standard pierceable seals that leave a permanent hole after the first probe penetration, the X-Pierce™ XP-100 flaps return to their original closed position after each probe withdrawal — maintaining a physical barrier over the well between access events. This self-resealing behavior provides continuous protection from cross-contamination, particulate introduction, and evaporation throughout multi-step workflows involving many sequential well accesses over extended periods.

Ideal for Multi-Access Robotic Workflows and COVID-19 Sample Testing X-Pierce seals are designed for short-term processing and sample storage that requires multiple accesses to wells by pipet tips or robotic probes. These seals are ideal for Covid-19 sample testing in deep well plates using swabs. The XP-100 is also well suited for protecting contents of plates from contamination during multiple manual reagent additions over time — making it equally valuable for manual multi-step assay workflows where a plate must remain covered between reagent addition steps.

⚠️ Important — Temporary Short-Term Use Only. Apply a Second Seal for Long-Term Storage. For long-term sample protection after sampling, a continuous sealing film should be applied as a second layer. The X-Pierce™ XP-100 is designed for short-term processing and temporary protection during active multi-access workflows — not for long-term sealed storage. For long-term protection after sampling is complete, apply a continuous sealing film (such as an AlumaSeal® or ThermalSeal® film) as a second layer over the X-Pierce™ film.

Printed Alignment Circles and Alphanumeric Well Labels Every X-Pierce™ film includes printed circles on the film surface to assist with precise plate alignment during application — ensuring the precut X openings align correctly over each well. Alphanumeric well labels (A1 through H12) are also printed on the film, allowing easy visual identification of individual wells through the clear vinyl film during multi-access workflows.

Clear Vinyl Construction — Visual Sample Monitoring The 89µm clear vinyl film allows visual monitoring of sample contents, liquid levels, and color changes in individual wells without removing the seal — useful for monitoring reactions, detecting precipitation, or confirming sample presence before robotic access.

Compatible Replacement — Cross-Reference Guide

The X-Pierce™ XP-100 is a direct compatible replacement for precut pierceable sealing films from several major manufacturers. Labs currently using any of the following products can switch directly to the XP-100 without protocol changes:

• Thermo Fisher Scientific AB-0718 — Pre-Slit Sealing Film for robotic liquid handling
• 4titude® 4ti-0540 — Pre-slit pierceable sealing film for automation
• Axygen® PCR-SX-100 — Pre-slit sealing film for robotic workstations
• Brooks Life Sciences / FluidX — Pre-slit vinyl sealing film for compound management

Competitor brand names and catalog numbers are referenced for cross-referencing purposes only. Compatibility should be verified for your specific plates and protocols.

X-Pierce™ XP-100 vs. Standard Pierceable Seals — Key Differences:

Key Features

• Precut "X" over every well — four self-resealing flaps per well
• No probe coring — no adhesive fouling — no probe occlusion
• Self-resealing after every access — continuous contamination and evaporation protection
• Designed for multiple robotic probe and pipette tip accesses per well
• 89µm clear vinyl film — visual sample monitoring
• 18µm thin adhesive layer — minimal adhesive contact during access
• Special hairline cuts prevent probe-to-adhesive contact
• Printed alignment circles for precise plate positioning
• Alphanumeric well labels (A1–H12) on film surface
• Temperature range: -40°C to +90°C
• ⚠️ For long-term storage after sampling — apply a continuous second seal
• Non-sterile
• Dimensions: 79.4 × 145.5 mm
• Film thickness: 89µm / Adhesive thickness: 18µm
• 100 films per pack
• Made in the USA

Supported Applications Robotic liquid handling with repeated well access, high-throughput screening multi-step assay workflows, automated compound management with multiple probe accesses, COVID-19 and clinical sample testing in deep well plates, multi-step manual reagent addition workflows requiring plate protection between additions, automated nucleic acid extraction, compound library cherry-picking, and any 96-well plate workflow requiring temporary contamination protection with repeated robotic or manual well access without seal removal.

Technical Specifications