Each and every lab workspace is filled with all manner of critically important scientific equipment and laboratory furniture. Cabinets, fume hoods, light tables, laminar flow workstations — these are the things that keep labs humming along and make both everyday and special-purpose lab work possible. Lab managers have the important task of carefully choosing the right lab furniture and making sure that things stay running as they should.
But we also know that nothing lasts forever.
Even reliable and high-grade equipment can break down, fall apart or just get superseded by newer and more efficient models. In addition to choosing what kind of laboratory furnishings to fit the lab with, the lab manager should know when and how to change out old lab equipment for new.
RDM Industrial Products is here to guide you on when to make these big decisions and to supply you with anything you may need when the time comes to change out your laboratory furniture.
Here’s some information on the kinds of lab furnishings we offer and what the signs may be that it’s time for you to make a change.
RDM’s Selection of Laboratory Furnishings
RDM offers a diverse selection of industrial-quality lab furniture for all of your needs. Here is a brief rundown of some of what we can offer you and your lab.
Lab Workbenches and Tables
The workbench is the focal point of the entire laboratory. It’s where all scientific researchers do their work. Workbenches, therefore, need to be reliable and comfortable enough for each researcher to be able to complete his tasks there. They need to be large enough to fit all of the equipment that each scientist will be working with. A workbench might also need to have properly designed storage cabinets located beneath the work surface and perhaps overhead racks as well.
We can build custom-designed workbenches for your lab with surfaces made of stainless steel, solid wood or other materials. If necessary, we can include stainless steel, fireproof or chemical-resistant lab cabinets underneath the workbench as well.
For scientists working with extremely delicate materials, we also sell laminar flow workstations. These workstations use top-of-the-line HEPA and ULPA filters to remove tiny particulates from the air in the enclosed work area.
Lab tables can also serve the function of a full-fledged workbench, and we can supply them to you as well. We can provide stainless steel or solid wood tables, laminated tables, light tables, adjustable tables that can be set up at variable heights or inclines and tables with casters if you require mobility.
Laboratory Cabinets and Casework
Though we’ve already briefly discussed cabinet options that come with our workbenches, we can also provide you with additional standalone cabinets and other laboratory casework. Our manufacturer-direct cabinets are quality-designed and can be made of stainless steel, solid wood or other materials. We can also fashion laboratory cabinets for you that are fireproof and/or chemical resistant.
Out laboratory casework comes in various styles and sizes as well. We have tall cabinets that are perfect for storing large objects. Smaller cabinets that can be hung on a wall. And we even have cabinets on wheels to help you keep vital lab materials mobile.
Fume Hoods
Fume hoods enclose lab workbenches and are meant to quickly suck up and remove any noxious or toxic gases released by any chemical reactions initiated by lab workers. These are expensive and important devices that it’s important to keep running at peak efficiency. So you should be especially wary about making sure that they don’t break down. We sell both ducted and ductless fume hoods. We also offer custom-made walk-in fume hood for those needing to work around toxic gases in a larger environment.
Carts and Seating
RDM manufactures lab chairs meant to keep workers both mobile and comfortable as they chug away at their work stations. If you need to be able to move critical equipment and supplies back and forth across the lab quickly and easily, we can also provide you with lab carts and lab tables on wheels.
This is just a small sample of the kind of things that we have on hand to help you keep your lab functioning at its best. To find exactly the kind of equipment you need and have it made to your specifications, check out a complete listing of our lab furnishings and the many accessories we offer for them to round them out.
When it Might Be Time to Replace Your Aging Lab Furniture
Now that you’ve had a taste of what we can provide for your lab, there’s just one question to answer. How do you know when your lab furniture becomes too beaten down to rely upon any longer? How do you know when to call us up and get your lab some thinly new furnishings?
Here are a few general rules of thumb and specific indicators for when it might be a good idea to get yourself some new laboratory furniture and equipment:
- Replace Anything That’s Broken:
This might seem like an obvious piece of advice, but not following it can have disastrous consequences. If you own any lab tables or workbenches that are cracked, chipped or damaged, replacing them is the wise choice. Chemicals can seep through cracks in a damaged workstation and get into areas where they shouldn’t be. Chemical stains and excessive scratches are also indications that you need to replace a table or a workstation. Especially ones that are supposed to be chemical-resistant. Chemical-resistant workstations that have been delaminated over time and heavy use should certainly be replaced. Steel workstations that have visible corrosion on them should be replaced, too. These types of damages indicates that the chemical-resistant properties might no longer be reliable. The same remarks apply if you see dented laboratory cabinets or anything similar.
- Some Fume Hood Tips:
Since fume hoods are so important, they deserve a special discussion of their own. A good rule of thumb is to replace each of your fume hoods at least once every ten years, no matter how they seem to be working. Even if they seem to work just fine, technology can advance quite far over that many years. Newer fume hoods will be more efficient, remove noxious gases faster, use less power and save your lab money. Newer fume hood tend to be ductless, meaning that they can be placed anywhere in your lab and are thus more flexible and efficient. Of course, it should go without saying that you should immediately replace any fume hood whose sash is broken. Replacing it is often cheaper over the long run than paying for repairs, especially if you have an older model. If you’ve recently expanded your lab, that might be an excellent time for an upgrade as well.
It’s every lab manager’s responsibility to keep on top of things and make sure that his/her lab has the best equipment possible.
RDM’s laboratory furniture is proudly manufactured in the USA. Give us a call, we’re ready to help you replace, upgrade, or renovate your laboratory furniture so that you can keep your lab firing on all cylinders.