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A lab bench (or benchwork) is one of the single most important parts
of any laboratory. This is the space where work is prepped,
experiments take place, readings are taken, and laboratory
equipment is stored and used. Without lab benches, laboratories
would be dysfunctional and inefficient.
Whether you're planning a laboratory for your home, business, or
school, spacing and sizing are important aspects to take into
consideration. The first thing to assess is overall space. Ask
yourself, "Do I have enough room to build a functional laboratory
at this location?"
Building a laboratory doesn't have to be limited to commercial labs
or educational science rooms. If you're an at-home enthusiast, a
garage, attic or spare room may do the trick. No matter where you
put your lab, always ensure your laboratory has sufficient
ventilation.
Here are a few important questions to take into consideration when
choosing materials for your laboratory bench:
What is the durability of the materials available - what will they
stand up to?
What are the chemical- and flame-resistant properties of the
finishes?
How easy will it be to clean the material after an experiment or
test?
Lab Bench Depth
Benchtops for different applications vary in depth. The length of
the benchtop is determined by your specific needs. Here is a
general guideline for bench depth:
Application | Depth in Inches (cm) |
Casework Benchtops | 30 or 33 inches (76 or 84 cm) |
Mobile Benchtops | 30 inches (76 cm) |
Mobile Benchtop Islands | 36 inches (91 cm) |
Benchtops for use Under Fume Hoods | Between 34 and 40 inches (86 to 102 cm) |
Cost-Effectiveness:
When high-quality lab furniture is purchased, it turns out to be
cost-effective. Lab environments usually change quickly, and the
furniture needs to scale up and down accordingly. Investing in
high-quality furniture means, you do not have to spend additionally
on repairs and maintenance of the lab tables or furniture. Thus,
it's a cost-effective solution and can help businesses in saving
money in the long-run.
Reconfiguration Options:
As businesses start growing their lab processes also expand and
keep changing. Thus, it's important that all the furniture which
you select does grow with you. Adjustable height tables are common
in any laboratory environment, especially where expansion is need.
As understood, the heights of these tables can be easily adjusted
to make the users comfortable and changed as per requirement. Thus,
with the use of adjustable height tables, it is easy to reconfigure
the lab space so that additional support can be provided to the
laboratory space. It is also possible to expand into larger
spaces without any need to start with the use of new furniture.
Durability:
When you choose to buy high-quality lab tables, you are assured
that they are made using top-quality material. This kind of
material will last-long and often require very little maintenance.
You do not have to spend a lot of money on their repairs and
maintenance. If you choose to buy customized lab tables, you can
even select the nature of material. Thus, when you spend money on
purchasing high-quality lab furniture, you are going to derive
long-term benefits.
Improves Productivity:
Ergonomically designed laboratory furniture is quite in demand
these days. They are made to keep the employees in a comfortable
position so that they get all the needed support when working for
long hours. Often technicians are required to work for long hours
standing by the table. In such a situation, posture related problem
does occur. This helps in preventing various injuries caused due to
long term uncomfortable positioning. When the lab is equipped with
high-quality modular furniture, you have ensured the health and
wellness of the team. When you have an ergonomically designed lab,
your employees can be seated in a comfortable position. They can
focus on their work and be protected from any kind of fatigue or
soreness which might develop and cause a problem with the
productivity in the long run.
Does size matter?
You're in luck. Today's work station can leave as large or as small
a footprint as you need to accomplish your most daunting tasks
because you live in a modular age and just about every set-up under
the sun can be configured to meet space parameters. A schematic of
your lab's layout gets the process in motion. If you're not skilled
at ascertaining spacing parameters, ask someone who is adroit at
measuring area precisely so you wind up with exact measurements
indicating left-to-right width and front-to-back depth. Explain to
whomever plots the area how much work surface is required to host
vertical accessory systems and equipment and if any of that
equipment is unusually heavy, make mention of that so you don't
wind up with weight lode construction issues.
Which bench supports your typical workflow?
Does your workflow resemble a Detroit assembly line where tasks are
moved along in linear fashion or does your system require a
back-to-back, signature T, U, X or Y layout plan to meet your
needs? Given many choices and the popularity of modular design, you
no longer have to settle for "one-size-fits-all" lab furniture that
doesn't perfectly suit your needs. Add ergonomic efficiency to your
list of workflow requirements so lab techs don't end their days
suffering from the stress and strain of working at a station that
is too high or too low. Experts agree that a 30.5-inch work bench
height accommodates between 99.5-percent and 99.9-percent of men
and women. If your unique tasks require surface height adjustments,
you may wish to place a crank- or motor-driven adjustable height
system atop your list of features you can't do without.
What are your lighting and wiring needs?
Perhaps your lab furniture setup requires a specific style, height
or type of lighting to accomplish tasks. It makes no sense to
install banks of overhead lights that drive a power bill through
the roof when individually lit stations make more sense. Further,
today's lighting market offers products that are designed to suit
benches requiring unique illumination requirements. For example,
your lab may need to compensate for too much or too little natural
light-or you might need fixtures that are fitted with glare and
light-reduction filters. On a complementary topic, critical
decisions must be made about power outlets, cable and cord
management, ground fault circuit interrupters, hard wired data
ports plus interfacing links between work stations so monitors or
laptops are an integral part of the overall lab bench design
configuration.
How important is storage?
Your mother wanted you to put things back when you were finished
with them and you have probably come to appreciate that
lesson-particularly if you have been forced in the past to deal
with lab furniture that was counter-intuitive to tasks you
performed regularly. What saved you? Storage. But every
laboratory's storage needs are unique, which is why a thorough
inventory of items you keep on hand is important-so you don't
choose drawers, cabinets and shelves that are incompatible with the
shapes, sizes, weights and number of items and supplies that
require quick retrieval. Why is this so important? Imagine
discovering, after the fact, that implements or tools you use for
everyday tasks are too long to fit into standard-size drawers you
ordered and that you're stuck with that bad decision. Proper
storage is so important to efficient laboratory operations, you may
wonder how you survived without it once your lab is revamped.