Black and white photograph of a Beckman Instruments employee modeling the use of a syringe to inject a sample into a Model E Ultracentrifuge vial.

Beckman Instruments began producing centrifuges after its January 1, 1955 acquisition of Specialized Instruments Corporation, or Spinco. The acquisition of Spinco meant that Beckman Instruments also acquired the rights to produce and sell Spinco's famous Model E Ultracentrifuge. The centrifuge was developed in 1947 and is known for its use in many important scientific discoveries of the 20th century, including the 1957 CalTech experiment that proved James Watson and Francis Crick’s theory on DNA replication. Centrifuges continue to be produced under the Beckman name as of 2016.