• Lab Activities and Purpose
• Lab Location and Accessibility
• Stakeholder Expectations and Needs
• Adaptability of the Workspace
• Conclusion

Design considerations must be kept in mind when designing lab furniture. Good lab design helps workers navigate the lab easily, improves their efficiency, and allows them to work worry-free in the lab environment. Poor lab design can lead to inefficient storage of components, poor space utilization, and a subpar working experience for lab users. 

Lab Activities and Purpose

A laboratory is more than just a workspace; it is a center for research, testing, and innovation. The lab’s purpose determines its design, equipment, and workflow. To ensure an efficient and functional setup, it is crucial to:

• Collaborate with Experts: Engaging with the principal investigator, scientists, and lab technicians ensures the space meets research and operational needs.
• Involve All Stakeholders: Input from researchers, facility managers, and safety officers ensures a well-rounded design approach.
• Prioritize Flexibility: Research evolves, so the lab should be adaptable to new technologies, methodologies, and equipment.

By considering these factors early in the planning stage, the laboratory can be designed to support efficient workflows, maximize productivity, and accommodate future needs.

Lab Location and Accessibility

The location and layout of a laboratory directly impact its efficiency, safety, and usability. Key considerations include:

• Space Availability & Workflow: The site must provide adequate space for operations, storage, and expansion while allowing a logical workflow that reduces inefficiencies.
• Drainage & Utilities: Proper drainage, plumbing, electrical access, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems must be planned according to lab needs.
• Equipment & Furniture Placement: The arrangement should ensure ease of access, maintenance, and compliance with industry standards.
• Stakeholder Involvement: Scientists, engineers, and facility managers must be part of the location and layout discussions to ensure all operational needs are met.

Selecting the right location and planning a smart layout ensure that the lab remains functional, safe, and scalable for future developments.

Stakeholder Expectations and Needs

Understanding and addressing stakeholder requirements is vital for a successful lab design. Different perspectives help create a more inclusive and effective workspace. Key expectations include:

Safety & Compliance: Lab managers and regulatory authorities prioritize adherence to safety codes, proper ventilation, and emergency preparedness (fire exits, safety showers, etc.).

Functionality & Efficiency: Researchers require ergonomic workspaces, accessible equipment, and an organized layout that minimizes movement and maximizes productivity.

Material Durability & Suitability: Stakeholders must select materials that meet lab-specific needs:

• Stainless Steel: Corrosion-resistant, ideal for sterile environments.
• Epoxy Resin: Resistant to chemicals, heat, and moisture.
• Phenolic Resin: Durable, non-porous, and scratch-resistant.
• ESD Laminate: Essential for electrostatic-sensitive environments.
• Plastic Laminate: Cost-effective for non-chemical labs.
• Wood/Maple Block: Aesthetic but requires high maintenance.

When considering design considerations for lab furniture, it is essential to choose materials that align with safety regulations, durability requirements, and specific lab applications. Incorporating feedback from all stakeholders ensures the lab design is efficient, safe, and tailored to its intended purpose.

Adaptability of the Workspace

Laboratory needs evolve over time, making adaptability a crucial factor in design. To ensure long-term usability, labs should focus on:

• Modular & Flexible Furniture: Workbenches, storage units, and seating should be easy to reconfigure to accommodate new projects and technologies.
• Zoning for Safety: Hazardous areas must be clearly designated to comply with safety regulations and prevent contamination.
• Technology Integration: Workspaces should accommodate computers, instruments, and data systems, with proper cable management and power access.
• Ergonomics & Comfort: Adjustable lab furniture minimizes strain on researchers, improving efficiency and reducing injury risks.
• Sustainability & Environmental Considerations: Using eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient solutions helps reduce the lab’s environmental footprint.

Conclusion

A key aspect of design considerations for lab furniture is ensuring that the workspace remains adaptable to evolving research needs. By incorporating modular solutions and ergonomic designs, laboratories can optimize research productivity, maintain compliance, and ensure long-term sustainability.

For lab design with considerations, you can contact us here.

The post Design Considerations for Lab Furniture You Must Know appeared first on Labkafe Blog.

Dry lab practices originated from the need to streamline labor-intensive research. They aim to minimize the number of active cases or samples processed on the wet lab bench, reducing the required man-hours to achieve the desired results.

The debate, however, is whether the dry lab produces better results. Is it as good as wet lab research, and which is more difficult to perform?

Integrated Wet Lab and Dry Lab

The human race conducts scientific research to achieve results that are beneficial for them. With this in mind, researchers might benefit from a more holistic approach that integrates both dry and wet lab practices, often in that particular order. Dry lab techniques have developed to integrate into wet lab protocols. Both complement each other to create streamlined protocols.

Researchers use dry lab techniques to eliminate junk samples. After this wet lab tools are used. Wet lab techniques finally render the required result, indicating what the researcher wants to know.

Why does lab design matter?

Lab design has a crucial role to play in labs that interconnect dry and wet labs. Therefore, it is crucial to plan the lab setup so researchers can move seamlessly from one platform to another. Often, labs integrate dry and wet lab applications in the same floor space or the same lab setup. Dry lab research often takes place in planned areas with desks and chairs in the laboratory. This is separate from the space used to store reagents and conduct experiments. These might cause harm to the computers or machines used for dry lab research.

At Labkafe, our experts create a customized lab plan that suits your research. With this, you can effectively maneuver between dry and wet lab exercises, thereby minimizing any hassle that might arise due to interdisciplinary research practices. Contact our lab experts for a free lab planning consultation to understand how you can create a research space suited uniquely to your needs.

Role of Lab Design in Wet Lab and Dry Lab

Wet labs deal with liquids, biological specimens, and hazardous chemicals. These spaces are separate from the computation and engineering facilities in the dry lab. Supercomputers and next-generation sequencing facilities often require dedicated rooms or floors, similar to electron microscopes and mass spectrometers. However, most data processing occurs on high-performance laptops or desktops located closer to and integrated with wet lab facilities. This arrangement minimizes time lost when switching between tasks.

Lab safety in Lab Setups

Include sufficient eyewash stations, emergency showers, and fume hoods to deal with contingencies. We keep occupational safety standards in mind. Waste management is another critical component of safety. Always plan dedicated waste storage and disposal facilities.

Separate spaces accommodate heavy dry lab equipment, while electricity and water are available for emergencies. To prevent integrated circuits from malfunctioning due to moisture, control humidity levels. Include emergency fire and safety equipment to address risks associated with high-voltage electricity. Additionally, design the furniture to absorb and dissipate static electricity and heat effectively.

Customized lab design solutions

The equipment must not vibrate or resonate with the structures they rest on, as this causes faster wear and tear. Incorporate flexibility in the design to address this. Allow wet labs to be converted into dry labs and vice versa.

This provides unparalleled flexibility when planning and implementing the setup and performing experiments. An interesting example of this flexibility is how 3D printers, once occupying entire rooms, are now available in benchtop versions.

This flexibility requires the advice of experts for effective implementation. At Labkafe, our design experts will guide you through a seamless experience of planning your brand-new integrated lab. This will ensure that both dry and wet labs are placed on the same pedestal. Contact our lab experts for a free lab planning consultation today!

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What are modern STEM classrooms?

STEM education is a relatively recent phenomenon in the learning space, and it seeks to challenge and reinvent the current landscape of school education. Essentially, it aims to challenge archaic norms where the teacher assumes a central agency and offers conventional instruction through established learning aids such as theoretical lessons and lectures. 

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics—the “Big Four” of the world of education—have established themselves as one of the foremost career streams of the 21st century. However, owing to its interdisciplinary nature, it is essential for practitioners of this stream to have hands-on knowledge in addition to problem-solving abilities.

In order to excel beyond standard expectations of STEM education, students who display above-average intellect and merit can often receive augmented skills through STEM learning setups. The shift from rote learning and primary reliance on dry theoretical input towards an interdisciplinary, problem-solving, real-world orientation is essential to STEM learning. It’s a creative and innovative approach that is evident in the increasing adoption of STEM setups in modern classrooms across educational levels. Most importantly, modern STEM classrooms allow students to learn and apply their skills, maximising what they inculcate into their skillset.

In contrast to conventional classrooms, STEM classrooms need adaptable and mobile setups that allow students to collaboratively work on hands-on projects while applying theoretical knowledge. It allows them to learn the skill of working in cross-functional teams, thereby augmenting collaboration and building team spirit. It helps them adapt to teams while understanding the importance of individual contribution. Such collaborative skill sets are in high demand, especially in industry and professional settings. Thus, STEM learning allows schools to help students adopt hard skills as well as soft skills, making them ready to contribute in professional settings.

Importance of lab furniture in modern STEM classrooms

To enhance and support collaboration in STEM classrooms, it is essential to plan and arrange furniture effectively. When students discuss and perform tasks in and around the classroom, it is important for them to move freely, without too many constraints. For this, the furniture needs to be adaptable and flexible. Suppliers often provide the furniture as a block, which designers further segment into sections that students can rearrange freely. This design offers flexible solutions that can adjust according to students’ requirements.

Specialized furniture for STEM

Octagonal desks by Labkafe have applications in collaborative work, where multiple students can sit around the table facing each other. These desks remove spatial and logistical constraints often faced by students in a linear seating setup. Effective lab design can also greatly improve productivity. For example, teachers can set up temporary removable partitions and place or remove them as needed. Thus, they can segment or unite the room based on the task. Designers arrange gas, electricity, and wiring lines around the perimeter to minimize distractions and enhance mobility.

Lab furniture solutions can improve outputs in STEM classrooms because they can be designed and installed depending on the school’s and students’ needs. It can provide handy power outlets on the lab furniture itself, which is necessary as STEM classrooms require advanced electronic and digital devices like TVs and display boards, VR devices, scanners, and 3D printers. Labkafe provides 3D printers for a variety of learning applications. In addition, STEM learning requires additional miscellaneous items that need storage space.

Individual labelled storage bins or cabinets can help organise miscellaneous items so they are easily accessible, and students don’t have to search for items when working on projects. Labkafe offers excellent storage solutions with lab furniture suited for STEM classrooms. These allow users to store and use cumbersome appliances and equipment in a simple and ergonomic manner.

Best lab furniture solutions for optimum productivity

The best lab furniture solution for your classroom will depend on the specific requirements of your classroom projects. Basic building projects can be supported by glass or melamine worktops. However, chemical experiments might require acid-resistant, durable worktops that can withstand harsh substances. 

PVC is a highly resistant worktop and one of the best lab furniture solutions for STEM classrooms. It is used in higher education setups focusing on hydrofluoric acid applications. Labkafe offers a plethora of design and worktop solutions to choose from. We allow you to optimize the setup according to your needs.

Creative collaborative tables are essential for STEM setups. They can be adjusted and moved around, much like a puzzle. This enables you to rearrange setups on the workbench throughout the room. This allows students to bring together cross-functional teams by setting up workbenches in a way that suits them.
Labkafe offers a variety of PVC worktops that can withstand harsh chemicals and repeated cycles of cleaning and disinfection. We also provide a variety of lab furniture necessary for STEM classrooms. Our team of experts can tailor solutions uniquely for your STEM classroom as needed. Contact us today to set up the best lab furniture for your STEM classroom!

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Fields Requiring Composite Skill Lab in Enhancing Learning

1. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Why Do They Need It?

The rapid advancements in STEM fields demand that students not only understand theoretical concepts but also engage in practical, hands-on learning. Therefore, Composite Skill Labs equipped with robotics kits, coding software, 3D printers, and electronic tools which provide students with the opportunity to bring their classroom lessons to life are a must.

Benefits

Students can build and program robots, design 3D models, and experiment with circuits, thereby developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovative skills.

Composite skill lab (creative visualization)

2. Arts and Design

Why They Need It

The role of a skill lab in enhancing learning is undeniable. Creativity is as important as technical knowledge in today’s world. Arts and Design fields such as graphic design, photography, music production, and filmmaking thrive in environments where students have access to the right tools and technologies.

Benefits

Composite Skill Labs enable students to explore their artistic talents and technical skills simultaneously, working on projects like digital art, filmmaking, and music composition, thus preparing them for careers in creative industries.

3. Vocational Skill Lab in Enhancing Learning

Why They Need It

The importance of vocational training in carpentry, plumbing, electrical wiring, and similar trades cannot be overstated, especially for students aiming for careers in these areas. 

Benefits

Composite Skill Labs provide the perfect setting for hands-on learning in these fields, therefore allowing students to practice and perfect their skills in a safe and controlled environment, which is crucial for their future job readiness.

4. Entrepreneurship

Why They Need It

Entrepreneurship education requires a unique environment where students can brainstorm, prototype, and develop business ideas. 

Benefits

In a Composite Skill Lab, students can access mentorship, market research tools, and collaborative spaces that are essential for nurturing entrepreneurial skills. Hence, activities like developing business plans, creating prototypes, and pitching ideas help in building a strong foundation for future business leaders.

5. Skill Labs Enhancing Learning in Health and Wellness

Why They Need It

Understanding health and wellness is vital for students, both personally and professionally. Whether it’s learning about nutrition, fitness, or mental health, practical experience in these areas is invaluable.

Benefits

Composite Skill Labs can be used to teach students how to prepare healthy meals, design fitness programs, and practice mindfulness. Therefore, labs also offer training in first aid, which is a crucial life skill.

6. Environmental Science and Sustainability

Why They Need It

As the world grapples with environmental challenges, educating students about sustainability is more important than ever. 

Benefits

The Composite Skill Lab is enhancing learning by equipping students with the tools to conduct experiments and projects related to ecology, renewable energy, and conservation, therefore making them aware of tools needed in environmental science research. In summary, this hands-on approach encourages students to become proactive in finding solutions to environmental problems.

7. Digital Literacy and Media Skill Labs

Why They Need It

In the digital age, media literacy and the ability to navigate the online world are essential skills. Therefore, students must learn how to create and share digital content responsibly and effectively.

Benefits

Composite Skill Labs, focused on digital literacy and media, provides resources for students to produce podcasts, create websites, in addition to engagement in safe online communication. These skills are critical in preparing students for the digital workforce in addition to inculcating responsible online behavior.

School lab constructed by Labkafe

In essence, the introduction of Composite Skill Labs marks a significant step forward in the educational journey of CBSE schools, one that promises to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in the 21st century.
Contact Labkafe’s team of experts for a free lab consultation for your schools.

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The Need for Skill Education

The NEP 2020 and NCF-SE (National Curriculum Framework for School Education) emphasize the importance of integrating skill subjects into the school curriculum. This integration aims to equip students with practical skills alongside traditional academic knowledge. The focus is on providing students with opportunities to engage in real-world tasks and projects related to their chosen skills, thereby bridging the gap between theory and practice.

One of the primary objectives of integrating skill subjects is to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Traditional education often focuses on theoretical concepts, leaving students with limited opportunities to apply their knowledge in practical settings. By incorporating skill subjects into the curriculum, students can engage in real-world tasks and projects related to their chosen skills, gaining valuable hands-on experience and developing problem-solving abilities.

Enhancing Skill Development with Composite Skill Labs

CBSE has taken a significant step towards promoting skill education by mandating the establishment of ‘Composite Skill Labs’ in all affiliated schools. This initiative, approved in the 139th meeting of the Governing Body of the Board, aims to provide students with the necessary resources and environment for effective skill development and hands-on learning experiences.

The Composite Skill Labs are designed to be comprehensive learning spaces equipped with modern tools and equipment. These labs will serve as hubs for students to explore various skills and engage in practical projects. By providing a conducive environment, CBSE aims to foster a culture of innovation and creativity among students.

Schools have the flexibility to choose between two setup options for the Composite Skill Labs:

• Single Lab: A single lab of 600 sq. ft. area can be established to cater to students from classes VI to XII
• Separate Labs: Two separate labs, each measuring 400 sq. ft., can be set up. One lab would be dedicated to students from classes VI to X, while the other would cater to students from classes XI to XII

Benefits of Composite Skill Labs for Student

The establishment of Composite Skill Labs is expected to yield several benefits for students:

• Practical Skill Development

Students get the opportunity to engage in practical tasks and projects, which helps them understand and apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios. By working with actual equipment and tools, students can develop and refine specific skills that are relevant to various trades and vocations.

• Holistic Education

Integrating skill education with traditional academics provides a more balanced and comprehensive education. Students develop a range of soft skills, including communication, collaboration, and critical thinking, which are valuable in all aspects of life.

• Enhanced Employability

By acquiring practical skills through hands-on training in the labs, students will be better prepared for the job market. They will have a competitive edge and increased employability prospects in various trades and vocations.

• Exploration of Diverse Career Pathways

The labs will provide students with opportunities to explore different career pathways and identify their interests and strengths. This will help them make informed decisions about their future education and career paths.

• Fostering Entrepreneurial Capabilities

The labs can also serve as incubators for entrepreneurial ventures. By providing students with the tools and resources to develop their ideas, CBSE aims to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship among the younger generation.

Broader Impact and Future Directions

The initiative is expected to significantly impact the quality of education by providing students with practical skills aligned with industry needs. It encourages schools to offer a wider range of skill subjects, thereby providing students with more choices and opportunities to explore their interests and talents.

CBSE’s commitment to enhancing skill education through this initiative reflects a broader vision of preparing students for the future. By equipping them with practical skills and knowledge, CBSE aims to create a more skilled and capable workforce, ready to meet the challenges of the modern world.

The post How to Enhance Skill Education in CBSE Schools? appeared first on Labkafe Blog.

School laboratory workbenches must withstand the various activities and situations that occur daily, providing a safe, efficient, and ergonomic environment for learning and experimentation.

In this blog, let’s explore the different types of school laboratory workbenches based on usage, placement, and structure, highlighting their importance in creating a functional laboratory setting.

Types of School Lab Workbenches Based on Their Usage

1. Wet Lab Workbenches

A wet lab is essentially a hands-on workspace designed for experiments that involve chemicals, reagents, and biological materials. The name “wet lab” comes from the frequent use of liquids that can include anything from water and enzymes in biology to acids and solvents in chemistry.

Wet lab workbenches are made to be sturdy and safe by resisting corrosion and chemical harm. They typically have sinks, water faucets, and sample and reagent storage, making them fully functional for liquid and biological material investigations.

2. Dry Lab Workbenches

Dry labs are laboratory spaces specifically designed for work that doesn’t involve hazardous liquids or gases. They are often used for physics labs, computer simulations, and other theoretical or computational tasks.

Dry lab workbenches are essential tools in scientific research, providing a stable, supportive surface for a wide range of equipment used in measurements and calculations. These workbenches are designed to accommodate various laboratory gear, from delicate optical instruments to heavy-duty power supplies.

They often feature ample surface area to allow for multiple setups and experiments, as well as integrated electrical outlets and grounding points to ensure safe and reliable power supply for sensitive equipment.

Examples of common dry lab workbenches include optical benches, which are specifically designed to support precision optical components for experiments in optics and spectroscopy. These workbenches are designed to be stable and precise during experiments by withstanding large loads and vibrations.

Types of School Lab Workbenches Based on Their Placement

1. Island Lab Workbenches

Island lab workbenches are large, standalone tables placed centrally within a laboratory. Their strategic placement allows access from all sides, making them ideal for group experiments and collaborative work. 

Island workbenches are typically larger than standard lab benches, providing ample surface area for conducting multiple experiments simultaneously. Island workbenches often come with integrated storage solutions like shutters and drawers, ensuring that all necessary tools and materials are within easy reach.

2. Wall-Facing Lab Workbenches

Wall-facing lab workbenches are positioned against the walls of a laboratory. This placement allows for the efficient use of space, providing access to storage cabinets on one side. These workbenches typically accommodate up to four students per workbench, making them suitable for smaller groups or individual work. 

Wall-facing workbenches help in organizing the lab by keeping the central area open for movement and additional setups. By utilizing wall space, these workbenches free up the central area of the lab, promoting better traffic flow and allowing for additional setups when needed.  The designated storage space keeps equipment and supplies readily available, reducing clutter and improving overall lab organization.

Types of School Lab Workbenches Based on Structure

1. C-Type Assembly Lab Workbenches

C-type assembly lab workbenches are designed for laboratories that need sturdy work surfaces and ample storage for heavy equipment and materials. These lab tables feature a heavy tabletop resting on a robust C-frame. This design allows for the hanging of storage modules, which can bear significant loads and withstand immense stress. 

The C-frame is the supporting structure of the table. It’s shaped like a capital letter “C” and made from strong materials like steel. This design provides good stability and can bear a lot of weight.

These tables are ideal for labs that require substantial storage space for heavy equipment and materials. The C-frame structure also provides flexibility in terms of customization, allowing for the addition or removal of storage units as needed.

2. Skirting-Type Assembly Lab Workbenches

Skirting-type lab tables have a solid base that extends all the way down to the floor, unlike tables with legs that leave some space underneath. This skirting base acts like a built-in cabinet, providing additional storage space for lab equipment and materials.

The key benefit is maximizing storage. Since the entire base is usable, you can store items directly beneath the work surface. This is ideal for labs with limited floor space, as you can utilize every available inch for storage.

The solid skirting base also contributes to the table’s stability. With a wider footprint compared to legged tables, the skirting design helps prevent wobbling or tipping during experiments, especially when working with heavy equipment or chemicals.

3. Pedestal-Type Assembly Lab Workbenches

Pedestal-type assembly lab tables are a popular choice for laboratories due to their functionality and design benefits. These frames provide a strong and stable base for the tabletop. Square tubing offers good weight distribution compared to round tubes. 

Instead of legs running the entire length of the table, pedestal supports are strategically placed columns that hold up the tabletop. This design eliminates a base structure that could hinder cleaning or equipment placement.

Conclusion

Lab workbenches play a key role in creating a conducive learning environment for students. Properly designed school lab workbenches contribute to the lab space’s overall organisation and cleanliness. 

At Labkafe we handle everything from concept to completion for your dream lab. Contact us today at sales@labkafe.com to design the dream lab for your school.

The post 7 Essential Types of School Laboratory Workbenches and Their Uses appeared first on Labkafe Blog.

A functional school lab has various kinds of labs like a chemistry lab, biology lab, robotics lab, physics lab, and more depending on the school curriculum. This guide will give you the best practices to design an efficient and safe school science lab that addresses the problems faced by science students and instructors.

1. Understanding the curriculum requirements

Before proceeding with the designing of the school lab process, we need to understand the specific necessities of the science curriculum for the school students. Various subjects like biology, chemistry, and physics might have distinctive requirements in terms of gear, space, and well-being measures.

Get in touch with the science teachers to understand the fundamental requirements for science lab designing to deal with different science experiments for school students.

2. Prioritize student safety

Safety should be the top priority concern while designing a school science lab. Guarantee proper ventilation in the science labs to control fumes and odours. Proper ventilation not only safeguards the well-being and security of school students and staff but also assists with avoiding future mishaps by keeping a controlled climate in the lab.

Equip the lab with safety showers, eye wash stations, fire extinguishers, and first aid kits. Ensure they are easily accessible and regularly maintained. Give complete training to all lab associates on the most effective method to utilize the crisis gear in case of any mishap or crisis in the school labs.

Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) such as goggles, gloves, and lab coats for both students and teachers. Also, ensure that there is enough storage space for these items.

Regularly review and update safety protocols to stay updated with best practices in laboratory safety.

3. Ergonomic and Flexible Design

Design the school science lab to accommodate various teaching styles and activities by considering flexible furnishings and gear while showing different teaching techniques, for example, group projects, classes, and practicals.

Make assigned spaces for group, individual work, and lecture sessions to take special care of various learning classes. Plan proper seating arrangements for the students to ensure clear visibility of the demonstration area in the lab.

Adjustable stools or chairs with back support are recommended in the science labs and larger desks with ample workspace. The lab desks are recommended 24-30 inches wide, and 48-60 inches long and maintain a minimum of 48 inches gap to allow students to move easily.

Make sure that the science lab design encourages skill development for all students.

Execute innovative elements, like electrical plugs and charging stations, to help with advanced learning instruments and gadgets.

Consider the utilisation of natural lighting, soundproofing materials, and ergonomic seating to establish a comfortable and useful climate for both – the students and the teachers.

4. Efficient Storage Solution

Proper storage is crucial for maintaining an organized and safe lab environment. Ensure that the chemicals are stored in a dedicated, well-ventilated cabinet with appropriate segregation of conflicting substances.

To make the lab space clutter-free and easily accessible for the students, consider designing storage solutions like labelled bins and cabinets to keep the lab items organized.

5. Sustainability and Environmental-Friendly Design

Consider installing motion detectors to reduce energy consumption when the lab is not in use along with energy-efficient lighting and appliances. Encourage students to follow a waste management system for recycling and proper disposal of hazardous materials. These practices will reduce the environmental impact of the lab.

6. Regular Maintenance and Upgrades

A school science lab requires ongoing maintenance to ensure the safety and efficiency of the students. Schedule regular inspections of all equipment, ventilation systems, and safety devices and in case of any issues, address promptly. 

Provide continuous training for science teachers on lab safety protocols and the use of new technology and equipment.

Conclusion:

Designing an efficient and safe school science lab is a complex but rewarding task that can significantly enhance the educational experience for students. Regular maintenance, professional development, and a focus on regular maintenance will ensure that the lab remains a valuable resource for years to come.

The post Best Practices to Design an Efficient and Safe School Science Lab appeared first on Labkafe Blog.

Everything About Laminar Flow of Air

To be frank, the words “laminar flow of air” does not indicate any furniture, but a principle in fluid mechanics. When air moves through a given space in both unified direction and velocity, it is said that it has achieved laminar air flow. It comes from the word ‘lamina’ that means that the air moves as one uniform body.

A laminar air flow cabinet, also known as a tissue culture hood, clean bench, biological safety cabinet, or simply laminar hood, is a work surface enclosed in a boxlike structure mechanized to flood the inside of the enclosure with clean, sterilized air flowing in a laminar manner. It looks something akin to a  fume hood , but works the opposite way. 

Why Do We Use Laminar Airflow Cabinets

In biological science labs, we often have to work with sensitive cultures that are very sensitive to contaminants floating in the air. A small volume of air (just the amount we inhale) can have millions of floating particles and microbes in it ‒ you don’t want that in your precious culture. So, in order to keep your work safe from these airborne contaminants, you have to work in a sterile environment. Thus, enclosed work surfaces are needed with filtered air supply.

This airflow has to be laminar in nature, because normally air flows in a very irregular nature. Normal ‒ that is, turbulent air flow creates lots of eddies and vortices that wreak havoc on any sterile-air environment. They can gather and deposit particles from outside air on your microbial culture and screw up your results. Thus, we drown the work area in air that moves as one body, with uniform velocity and direction, so that eddies and vortices don’t form. That is exactly what laminar flow of air is.

Laminar Flow of Air in Laminar Airflow Cabinet

The basic idea of a laminar airflow cabinet is to provide a safe, sterile, filtered air environment. To that end, it uses the following parts:

• Enclosure
• Work Surface
• Prefilter/filter pad
• Blower/fan
• HEPA Filter
• UV Lamp

These parts come together to make a laminar airflow cabinet. Using the blower or fan, the device sucks in room air from the front or top of the device. The air first passes through the prefilter or filter pad, which captures large dust particles from the air. Then it goes through the HEPA filter, which filters out all the fine particles and microbes. That filtered air then pours into the enclosure and washes over the work surface, clearing it of any suspended particles and microbes. You can use the UV lamp to further sterilize the work area.

The air flow is kept laminar by way of constructing the device carefully, so that all parts of the air inside the enclosure flows in straight lines parallel to each other, in the same direction. The airflow can be horizontal or vertical in manner, depending upon the purpose of the sterile hood ‒ to keep the sample safe or to keep the user safe.

A vertical laminar airflow cabinet provided by Labkafe

Parts of a Laminar Air Flow Cabinet

1. Enclosure

This is an enclosure which provides the voluminous area to act as a sterile environment. It is generally a stainless-steel cuboid box, with a glass shutter in front. The enclosure protects the sterile environment created inside the cabinet by insulating it and separating it from the outside environment. 

The material of the box is often stainless steel, because it is very resistant to biological contamination and is easy to clean, without requiring any special coating as such. The glass (or fiberglass) shutter in front of the box opens completely or partially by means of hinges or sliders, thereby letting the user access the work surface.

2. Work Surface

Made of stainless steel, this is the flat table for you to work on inside the enclosure. If it is a vertical laminar airflow cabinet, then the work surface may have holes in it (or be a hard net-like structure) to let the air pass through. You can put your work apparatus on this surface and carry out sensitive tasks like tissue culture, electronic wafer formation, bacterial culture, and more.

The material of the work surface is often stainless steel too, for similar reasons as above. It is resistant to biological contamination, it is easy to disinfect, and it does not require any special coating. It is also sturdy and will support almost any lab equipment you can use in a microbiology lab.

3. Pre-filter

The pre-filter or filter pad is the first line of defense against impure air in a laminar airflow cabinet. It comes in contact with the outside environment directly, generally behind a mesh, net or grill, either on top of the cabinet or below the work surface facing the front. 

The pre-filter is basically a large piece of washable sheet, folded a few times over to make it thick. It has large fibrous pores that can trap suspended particles in air about 5 microns or bigger. It acts as the primary filter that scrubs out the air by interception method of filtering. 

4. Fan or Blower

The actual machine responsible for the airflow, the fan or blower sucks the air in through the pre-filter and presses it through the HEPA filter. It sits in between these filter pads and controls the airflow. It can come in different shapes and sizes depending upon your model, and in different powers as well.

5. HEPA Filter

The most important part of a laminar airflow cabinet is the HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter that sits right next to the Enclosure, separated only by a grill or mesh. If the device is the horizontal airflow type, then the HEPA filter will be at the back of the device; and if it is the vertical airflow type then it will be on top of the enclosure. This filter acts as the final filter that cleans the air as much as possible, ridding the air of particles and microbes as small as 0.3 microns in size. It works in the following three mechanisms:

1. Interception: Large particles get stuck to the fibers in the HEPA filter.
2. Impaction: Medium-sized particles get tossed about in contradictory micro airstreams and get caught by the fibers.
3. Diffusion: Impure particles move in Brownian motion and get trapped within the filter fibers.

6. UV Lamp

While the HEPA filter does supply well-filtered air, it isn’t completely sterile. Microbes less than 0.3 microns in size can pass through the filter, and sometimes outside air does get in. Even the surfaces of the enclosure and work area can have microbes stuck to them. To clean them out, we need something more than just air pressure.

The UV lamp comes to our rescue. It radiates ultraviolet light, which is carcinogenic in nature. It causes cells to grow unnaturally and destroys living proteins. Water purifiers use the same idea, actually. The lamp not only sterilizes the air and the surfaces inside the enclosure, but you can also put your glassware and plasticware like beakers, test tubes, petri dishes etc. on the workbench to get them sterilized.

7. Illumination

The manufacturer generally puts a fluorescent or LED tube inside the enclosure on the top surface so that you can see what you are doing in the cabinet.

8. Controls

The controls for the fan, the UV lamp, the light switches and knobs should be outside on a single control pad. Sometimes, the maker may provide a foot switch to control the airflow while working.

Types of Laminar Airflow Cabinets

There are mainly two kinds of laminar hoods depending upon the direction of the airflow ‒ vertical and horizontal. 

Vertical Laminar Airflow Cabinet

In this more common, compact type, the air flow is from top to bottom. The filters and the fan/blower is mounted on top of the device. The air can flow out the front of the enclosure after hitting the work surface, or the work surface can be perforated to let the air pass through and feed back up top into the primary filter. 

Since the air does not hit the user directly, this type of cabinet is taken as a safer bet for the user, and you can perform potentially dangerous experiments in a vertical laminar airflow. However, it is not suitable for running while working, since the air hits the apparatus directly through the open top and can contaminate the samples.

Horizontal Laminar Airflow Cabinet

These are rather large and spacious and mount the HEPA filter at the back of the cabinet. The airflow is from back to front directly at the user and can’t operate without the front glass sash open. The pre-filter sits flush with the front wall of the box underneath the work surface and sucks air from the front. The blower is also at the bottom portion. 

Since the airflow directly hits the user, the horizontal laminar airflow cabinets are not suitable for potentially dangerous operations. However, where protecting the sample is mandatory and airflow has to be provided while working, these work best since these provide more laminar air layers tangentially to the open sides of the labware.

How to Use a Laminar Airflow Cabinet

1. Clean the area around the device so that no heavy dust gets sucked into the filters.
2. Clear the work area of any previous apparatus or glassware or debris.
3. Keep the lid open (if required for airflow), and turn on the fan.
4. Run the airflow for 10-15 minutes.
5. Open the lid and clean all the inner surfaces with 70% ethanol. 
6. Close the lid tightly and turn on the UV lamp. Stay away!
7. Keep the UV lamp on for 15 minutes.
8. Turn off the UV lamp and turn on the interior light.
9. You can start your work now.
10. If your work takes a long time, remember to change the air periodically by running the blower once in a while. If your work is potentially dangerous, keep the lid closed before you turn on the fan.

Pros & Cons of a Laminar Airflow Cabinet

Advantages

• Eco-friendly ‒ does not release toxic gas to the outside environment unlike fume hoods
• Easy to maintain ‒ just wash the pre-filter when it gets dirty.
• Comparatively cheap ‒ they are simple machines and don’t dig a hole in your pocket.
• Portable ‒ most laminar airflow cabinets are lightweight and have castor wheels on the bottom, so you can reposition them easily.
• They provide a very clean and sterile atmosphere in which you can work.
• Vertical laminar workflows also protect the user from dangerous contaminants.

Disadvantages

• Working while the flow is turned on creates disruptive air columns with eddies and vortices, which defeats the purpose of the device.
• Horizontal laminar air flow blows fumes and contaminated air directly at the user’s face.
• Without proper handling, these devices fail quickly.

Where Can We Use Laminar Airflow Cabinets

A biochemistry lab is the most common place to find one. All tissue and microbe cultures are sensitive to things floating in the air and so they have to be protected this way. Also, in the pharmaceutical industry, the labs use these devices commonly to work with medicines and cultures to test them on. The pharmacy factories also use larger versions of similar devices working on the same concept. 

In the electronics industry, things are getting smaller every day and now they have to work with microscopic items and circuits. Naturally, they are sensitive to dust particles in the air which are generally many times bigger than the component. The effect is like a rock falling on a pencil. To prevent this, most electronics labs use horizontal laminar workflow cabinets (since there is nothing to protect the user from). 

Rules of Laminar Airflow Cabinets

1. Do wear safety glasses, long protective gloves and lab coats while operating a laminar airflow cabinet.
2. Do not use the UV light and the airflow functions simultaneously (some advanced models may actually have electronic blocks that prevent this).
3. Do sterilize all components and apparatus present inside the device before and after use.
4. Do not keep any body part inside or even close to the cabinet while the UV light is on!
5. Do irradiate everything inside the safety hood with the UV lamp before and after use.
6. Do not turn on the UV light while a process is ongoing in the cabinet.

To Sum Up

A Laminar airflow cabinet is an extremely useful lab furniture and instrument when you need to do some work so sensitive that even outside air can damage it. It provides a sterile, clean atmosphere inside the cabinet where you can work with sensitive materials like tissue culture or electronic wafers. 

Comparatively cheap and portable, laminar air flow cabinets are light in weight and movable, and are eco-friendly as well. But do make sure you follow the operating manual to the letter, and wear proper protective lab clothing while operating the hood. When buying one, choose the vertical or horizontal type carefully depending upon the nature of your work.

To get a Free Lab Consultation for your School, contact our experts.

The post Laminar Flow of Air- Everything About Laminar Air Flow Cabinets appeared first on Labkafe Blog.

But what is CRCA steel anyway, do you know? Well, today we will talk about CRCA full form, CRCA sheet material, how CRCA steel is made, quality of CRCA steel, and why CRCA steel is best for lab furniture manufacturing. So, let’s just jump into it.

What is CRCA?

CRCA is an abbreviation, whose full form is “Cold Rolled Close Annealed”. This is a special type of treatment on steel at the end of the processing queue, which gives the steel some special properties like additional strength and durability. The name comes from two processing stages of the steel ‒ cold-rolling it into sheet form, and then annealing it in a closed container without the presence of air.

CRCA sheets are the sheet metal, kept in huge rolls, that come out of this process. It can also be cut in 3-7 meter long pieces and stored.

How CRCA Sheet are Manufactured

As we generally know, we commonly shape metal by heating it and therefore softening it up. The same comes in effect when you need to thin out a large block of steel into thin plates. You heat it up till it glows, and then pass it through a couple of rollers that press the softened metal into thin plates. 

However, with standard steel, there is a problem with this method. When the thinned material cools, not all parts of it are cooled completely equally. That creates strain in the final sheet and forms various irregularities on the surface of the sheet like pits and bumps. 

For large scale applications, this may not be an issue. You won’t need to worry about factory finishes when you are building things like a bridge or something ‒ you’ll do it later by hand. However, what if you don’t need plates but very thin sheets, like, just a millimeter thick? In that case, the surface quality of the sheet matters a lot, since you cannot smooth it over later. Also, you will need a lot of strength from that thin piece of metal to hold the weight of your stuff. How to achieve this?

This is where the method of cold-rolling comes in. It’s not done directly ‒ instead, first they hot-roll the steel to reduce its thickness to some extent in the traditional way. This creates thick sheets of irregular surface from steel ingots. Then, after they have cooled off to room temperature, they are passed through very strong rollers again ‒ this time with a very little gap between the rollers. This compresses the steel into very thin sheets of intended thickness, which are then collected into rolls or coils.

<image alt= “CRCA Steel is cold rolled” title= “Hot rolling vs cold rolling process for CRCA”>

However, this process has a problem. When the cold rollers compress the steel, any irregularities and tensions that came in the original get compressed too. Which means that the final sheet will be very strong, but hard and brittle like iron is. We don’t want that!

And that is what close-annealing is supposed to fix. They put the rolls of cold-rolled steel into a  bell furnace and cook them for a very long time (usually 2-3 days) at around seven hundred degrees centigrade. Actually the heating process is fast enough, but it is cooled over a long period by controlling the temperature. Additionally, the bell furnace is airtight and filled with some sort of non-oxidizing gas, like nitrogen. 

So, what does close annealing do to the steel? First of all, it softens the material, making it non-brittle. That means the final CRCA sheet will bend rather than break. Secondly, it increases ductility of the steel, which helps a lot when drawing it. The close annealing process also improves other physical properties of the sheet, like strain hardening coefficient and planar anisotropy. All in all, it makes the sheets stronger and more durable.

Technically, this should be the end of the manufacturing process of CRCA steel. But in real factories there is another step. The CRCA coils are oiled first to prevent it from rusting, and then sold or stored as necessary. In case of lab furniture manufacturing, the steel is sprayed with an anti-corrosive, anti-rust coating (which also creates the color of the material). 

Quality of CRCA Sheet

CRCA Steel is excellent for mass production of furniture and machinery parts due to its high strength and ease of production. It is suitable for quick and easy prefabrication and installation, and has very fine and smooth surfaces suited for any finish. You wouldn’t need formwork to handle CRCA steel and it changes little due to temperature too, making it very reliable. Not to mention, unlike MDF boards it is fireproof, termite-proof, and obviously does not rot. With a good anti-corrosive coating, it can withstand a lot of environmental damage as well.

CRCA Steel IS Specification Sheet

According to IS:513, a proper CRCA sheet should have the following quality specifications:

• Thickness ‒ 0.3 mm to 5.5 mm
• Thickness tolerance ‒ 0.02 mm
• Width of sheet ‒ 6 mm to 1000 mm
• Sheet length ‒ up to 7000 mm
• Temper ‒ full hard, ½ hard, ¼ hard, ⅛ hard
• Surface finish ‒ matt, dull, bright, mirror
• Grade ‒ D/DD/EDD, Super EDD
• Edge finish ‒ mill or slit
• Camber tolerance ‒ 1.5 mm per 1000 mm

Note: the sheet thickness according to IS codes is too high. Normally, nobody makes CRCA sheets thicker than 1.8 mm.  Labkafe lab furniture are generally made by CRCA sheets of up to 1.2 mm. 

Application of CRCA Steel

Due to its high durability and strength, the CRCA material is eminently useful for the lightweight manufacturing industry, for making body and panels. You can find CRCA steel sheets in home furniture to space, even (and we’re not joking). You can use it in building bridge parts and building parts for its high strength. And for its great moldability and weldability, the automobile and furniture industry just loves CRCA steel. Most pressure and vessel manufacturing industries use it to build the outer bodies for their products. You will find it in airplanes as well as ships and boats. And yes, struts in space stations are built with similar CRCA steel as well!

CRCA Steel in Lab Furniture

The high moldability, internal strength, and durability of CRCA Steel sheet makes it an eminently good candidate for creating laboratory furniture and large paneled equipment. Since it is so strong, we can use it to make under-table supporting units, as well we can bend it into shape to create sectional supports for the workbenches.

• Note: find more information about  how lab workbenches are made .

We know, lab workbenches do not get as much recognition as they should. When you think of a laboratory, you think of either a lot of glassware or high-tech gadgets ‒ but what are those things standing on? Lab workbenches form the very surface you need to work on, and therefore you need to make sure they are as reliable as possible. A damaged or corroded lab work surface is going to help nobody; instead, it may be a hazard.

This quality is easily brought to you by the capabilities of CRCA steel sheets. They are strong enough, but yet moldable to create shapes as necessary. While the stainless steel sheets of the same gauge are soft enough to bend by hand pressure only, CRCA sheets will not budge. It can hold immense weights, and the powder coating on it will last you a lifetime and protect the inner steel from the corrosive effects of various fumes we find in a laboratory.

Labkafe lab workbenches and support furniture like demo table or assistant’s table are all made from such high quality CRCA materials. The anti-corrosive powder coating does limit the number of available colors a little bit ‒ but then again, it is lab furniture, not a living room that needs to be decorated. Speaking of which, for decoration purposes we do have a lot of lab wallpapers and side sticker options, check them out!

• Check out our range of CRCA steel lab workbenches here!

The post What is CRCA Steel ‒ the Best Lab Furniture Material | Labkafe appeared first on Labkafe Blog.

A fume hood is a very special piece of laboratory equipment. It is actually an item of lab furniture that you can use to perform dangerous or toxic experiments. Obviously, that would require regular care and cleaning since it provides human safety. Today, we will talk about fume hood maintenance and care. 

Ask any top-class scientific institute ‒ they will tell you how important a fume hood is in any chemical or biological laboratory. There are a lot of variations of this specialized  lab equipment , depending upon usage; and their maintenance varies with that as well. But all of them agree on one point ‒ a fume hood, regardless of type, can only protect you when it is clean and working properly.

A  fume hood has two main functions. The first and most common purpose is to protect the user from toxic fumes and gasses that can come out of the lab apparatus you’ve set up inside the enclosure of the fume cabinet. The second purpose of fume hoods is to protect the user from accidents ‒ from explosions or splashes that may happen in your experiment! But this can only work if the front shash is lowered properly.

Fume Hood Maintenance Checklist

Any lab equipment requires regular maintenance and cleanup, but fume hoods are special in this. Since a fume hood expels harmful gasses and chemicals out of the laboratory and often the experiments done within it are quite dangerous, this piece of lab furniture has to be taken care of more regularly and more carefully. A damaged or malfunctioning fume hood may become a serious health hazard quickly and can even take someone’s life!

There are certain steps you can take to do fume hood maintenance. They are as follows.

1. Check for type: Most fume hoods fall in two categories ‒ ducted and ductless. The ducted type needs less care since it generally doesn’t use filters and ducts don’t require much cleaning. The ductless type uses filters a lot and they need to be changed as often as possible.
2. Clean up previous mess: Always clean up the mess of the previous work done in the fume hood before leaving it. There will be residual film of chemicals out of the fume, there may be drops of liquid on the work surface, there may be crystal formation ‒ anything at all has to be cleaned up. Use soap and water to clean the inner surface, every inch of it.
   1. Note: do check if those chemicals are strongly reactive with the soap or water ‒ you don’t want any surprises.
3. Repetitive work: Of course, if you are only going to do the exact same experiment again and again, then you may not need to clean up as often. But you do still have to do the cleanup regularly enough, and take care of the electrical equipment inside. However, if you do different kinds of work in the fume cabinet, then you need to clean it every time.
4. Internal wash: There are some fume hoods that come with an internal washing system ‒ do make good use of it. Especially if the fumes are the heavy and settling kind. Also, if your experiment spilled or boiled over the glassware or apparatus leaked or something like that, the internal cleaning will come in extremely handy.
5. Check for stains: A fume hood should look as good as it functions, and it should function perfectly. Wash and clean the fume cupboard till it shines like new ‒ you don’t want any residue leftover of anything, not even a little soot or hard water stain.
6. Deep clean and light cleaning: Vary the cleaning procedure in two intensities ‒ deep clean, where you take apart much of the hood and clean every part serviceable by the user, and light clean where you just make ready the system for the next use quickly. A standard college-grade fume hood can go months without the need of a deep clean. But of course, this would depend heavily on what kind of experiments you are doing in there.
7. Don’t forget the bottom: Most Labkafe fume hoods come with under-table storage options. While not as important, you should also check inside these, to see and clean anything spilled or soaked through.

Fume Hood Servicing

Since fume hoods are basically safety equipment, keeping them in top performance is the best way to go and regular servicing is needed for that. Simple cleaning can only take you so far ‒ there are some things you simply can’t do yourself (not unless you are a licensed technician). So, at least once a year, you should call an expert fume hood technician to inspect your fume cupboard.

What does fume hood servicing include?

It would, of course, vary with your fume hood manufacturer’s warranty, but generally, a fume hood service person would check for the following.

• If the silicon lining around the granite tabletop needs patching.
• If the motor needs oiling or maintenance.
• If there is something caught in the duct or bypass.
• If the water or gas inlets are leaking.
• If the duct itself is okay or has cracked or leaked.
• If the electrical wiring needs some patch up.

Above that, in case of some incidents that occurred within the hood, the service person will also check for damages in the cabinet. Fume hood servicing is very important and should be done once a year, at least.

How to Inspect a Fume Hood

As we’ve mentioned earlier, a fume hood is a safety equipment and therefore you have to keep it in perfect condition. So, to ensure that, you will want to check it out from time to time, making sure everything is working fine. Do the following to inspect a fume hood.

• Check the exhaust part and the duct to see if it is unobstructed and able to flow air freely.
• Check the fan/blower to see if it is working properly.
• Check the airflow volume per second of the fume hood. Many fume hoods have some kind of airflow monitor in-built. If your model doesn’t have it, then you can get a small portable airflow meter from the market. The airflow should be within the specified limits.
• Check the baffles and the surrounding area.
• Run the fume cupboard through all its functions ‒ try all the buttons and knobs and switches and see if they are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing.

Best Practices in Fume Hood Usage

Look before you leap, said wise people. Just so, you should be careful while using your expensive fume hood ‒ safe usage means a safe future and less maintenance. Here are some dos and don’ts of fume hood usage:

• Mind the sash: practice closing the sash as much as possible while using the hood ‒ you never know when something may go wrong with your experiment. Make sure you know how to operate the sash completely and quickly. Never heat something in the hood without first closing the sash. On no accounts, ever, put anything in the hood that prevents the sash from closing completely.
• Don’t lean on it: It should be a no-brainer, but you’ll be surprised how many people working in a lab have a shortage of brains. Do not lean on expensive safety equipment ‒ how much simpler can it be? If you’re tired, sit down! 
• No head in the oven: you don’t put your head inside an oven, do you? Please don’t do it here either ‒ keep your head (and other body parts, as much as possible) outside the fume hood. Again, it should be a no-brainer, but when manufacturers have to mention this specifically in the manual, you know what the world is coming to.
• Don’t store stuff in the fume hood: Need we explain this?
• Practice turning things off: You know the old saying ‒ the real wisdom is knowing when to stop? The same goes here. Practice turning all the knobs and switches off. Regularly.
• Use monitors: Keep checking the airflow, temperature, toxicity, etc. with appropriate measurement tools while you use the hood. It may mean the difference between life and death.
• Use a ribbon: Tape a small piece of a brightly colored ribbon to the inside of the sash and keep an eye on that to be aware of the airflow instantly.
• Keep outside air still: Keep the fume hood in an area where there are no drafts of air ‒  naturally or artificially ‒ especially when using the hood. This may intervene with the normal airflow of the hood and create cross-drafts that cause leakage in the wrong direction.
• 15 centimeters: Keep your experiment apparatus and glassware at least 15 cm away from the sash. 
• Have a plan B: what if the main power goes off when you’re in the middle of a particularly nasty experiment in the fume hood? Make sure you have a safety plan ready for such situations.
• The KISS rule: “Keep It Simple, Stupid” is a greatly simplified rule to follow in most situations, and using a fume hood is no different. Don’t have too much equipment inside the hood, keep only the dangerous parts and what you need. Unnecessarily cluttering the hood creates air vortices where gasses stay rooted and may come out when you stop the airflow. Also, try not to use bulky equipment in the fume hood, for the same reasons.

In Closure

A fume hood can be the most important piece of equipment in your laboratory, in that it saves lives. To make sure it does that, you have to make sure that it runs perfectly. This is the reason why taking proper care of a fume hood is so important. Good knowledge of fume hood maintenance is mandatory for safe and fruitful laboratory work. If it’s broken or you find anything amiss in your regular inspection, call up the fume hood repair service immediately, and mark it closed for repair at once.

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