V&P Scientific builds robust, low-profile heating blocks that enable heating and stirring in microplate. They have a very low profile with no ferrite materials. This design minimizes the distance from the samples to the magnetic drive thus maximizing the stirring power. Commercially available heating blocks are not compatible with magnetic stirring because they position the samples too far above the stir deck or are not compatible with robotic workstations. Another advantage of our design is that we have separated the control panel from the actual heating block. Thus the heating block is very small and easily fits into areas where space is at a premium, like the deck of a robotic workstation.