Archives for August 2015

The Necessity Of Laboratory Exhaust Fume Hoods

August 31, 2015

Laboratory exhaust fume hoods are necessary in all laboratories regardless of the experiments that are being conducted. Every person working in the lab must know they are safe from toxic fumes that may be created during an experiment, and the fume hoods must have a powerful fan that will clear the room in a matter of moments. A fume hood must be installed by a professional, and only special chemical fume hoods can be used in laboratories.

#1: Use The Right Hood

A chemical fume hood is completely different from the hood found in a kitchen, and you must request the right sort of hood before you continue with your installation. A professional installer can help you choose the right hood for your lab, and you must ask the installer where the hood should be placed.

The hood will be attached to a special conduit that leads the gases out of the building, or the hood may be attached to an incinerator that burns off dangerous gases. Special hoods are designed for use with incinerators, and your installer must attach the hood to the incinerator properly. Your lab cannot fill with toxic gases if the hood is in operation, and you can safely dispose of the gases.

#2: Remote Operation

The switch for the hood must be located in the lab, but there must be a separate hood located outside the lab for use by safety personnel. People in the lab may be overcome the fumes, but the hood can be turned on from a remote location. The panel inside the room helps lab workers choose the speed of the fan, the force of the fan and how open the duct is. A small amount of fumes may be disposed of using the lowest settings on the hood, but toxic gases that have built up must be eliminated using the very highest settings on the hood.

#3: How Do You Make Room For The Hood?

The hood you use in your lab must have its own space in the ceiling, and the hood must sit over the most volatile work area in the lab. Perform your most dangerous experiments directly under the hood, and ask your installer if the place where you keep those experiments is a good place for the hood. A wise installer will point you to the right location for the hood, and you may adjust the layout of your lab space accordingly.

#4: How Long Must They Last?

A chemical fume hood will last a very long time if it is cleaned and serviced properly. Every hood must be cleaned properly, and the services must be done on your fume hood every few months. The cleaning for the hood will include a complete adjustment, and there must be a report on the status of the hood. Every person who uses the hoods must have a record of the cleanings, and you should shut down experiments in the lab if the hood is every found to be lacking.

You can keep your laboratory much safer than normal with the use of just one hood, but every sensitive experiment location must have its own hood. The hoods for the lab must be purchased and installed from the same location, and you will benefit from service done by the same technician who did the initial installation. The lab cannot be completely safe without special hoods to pull out toxic gases, and you must consider how your staff will use the hoods when you are in an emergency situation. Proper procedures and equipment will help you run your lab safely and cleanly.

Working in Clean Environments

August 19, 2015

Do you have an application such as inspection of parts or assembly of optics that calls for a clean work environment free from airborne particulate matter? Laminar flow workstations are commonly used for Class 100 (ISO 5) applications that need a level of cleanliness corresponding to less than 100 particles of diameter greater than 0.5 micrometers per cubic foot of air. This type of clean environment is also ideal for the medical, pharmaceutical, electronics, food and industrial sectors for sterile manipulations, assembly of miniature mechanisms, production of optical components.

Laminar Airflow Workstations

Laminar flow workstations provide a source of clean filtered air that flows smoothly over the work area and then out, keeping the working area at the rated cleanliness level. These workstations come in a range of sizes from 24″ wide and 24″ high to as much as 96″ wide by 37″ high, and can be moved through standard-width doorways. The workstations will have:

a flow hood,
both electrostatic and HEPA 99.99% air filters,
micro-controlled low-speed air blowers,
integral lighting over the work area,
electrical outlets for equipment,
surfaces of stainless steel for easy cleaning, or polypropylene to avoid any possible contamination from rust.

The working area is enclosed at the sides to ensure guided airflow and to prevent the possibility of contaminating particles mixing in from the outside. The low blower speed prolongs the fan’s lifetime and also provides a quieter environment for the operator, with noise levels around 65 DBA. Electrical outlets, cable trays and tool drawers are integrated into a complete workstation for a broad spectrum of applications.

These are the basic types of laminar airflow workstations for clean environment applications.

Horizontal Flow Workstation

In a horizontal flow bench, the room air is pulled in from an opening on top of the laminar flow hood or below the work area platform and then prefiltered electrostatically. The air then moves to the rear of the bench and exits through HEPA filters that span the back of the workstation into the working area, after which the ultra-clean Class 100 air exits towards the front of the workstation, and past the operator. The laminar air flow is monitored, and any filter obstruction is reported to the operator. This horizontal flow bench design is intended for product protection.

Such a flow hood could also make an excellent tissue culture hood. Other clean bench applications could be for:

IV admixture preparation,
drug compounding,
plant cell culture,
media preparation,
pharmaceutical procedures,
electronics assembly.

Vertical Flow Workstation

A vertical flow bench design also has the room air pulled in from the top of the laminar flow hood where it is prefiltered electrostatically. In this case, the air then is pulled below through HEPA filters and flowed downward onto the working surface, exiting past the operator at the front. The intended use for this design is in applications that require clean environments and pose no hazard to the operator.

Polymerase Chain Reaction Workstations

Some laminar flow workstations have specialized enclosures that reduce the risk of sample contamination while performing polymerase chain reaction experiments. The constant positive pressure HEPA filtered air prevents airborne contaminants from entering into the work zone. The workstations are equipped with a built-in shortwave UV lamp to effectively decontaminate the work area between amplifications. Safety interlocks prevent operators from being exposed to UV radiation. However, keep in mind that these are not biological safety cabinets. They are designed to provide process protection only from potential airborne contaminants found in the laboratory space.

RDM: Quality, Durability and Cost-Efficiency Combined

August 12, 2015

You may have already heard a lot of good things about RDM and what we have to offer. And honestly, we are quite proud of what people are saying about us…

After all, not every industrial or lab furniture manufacturer out there is given the same accolades or accomplishments that our loyal clients have showered us with.

But come to think of it—what specific aspects makes RDM the real deal?

To answer: It’s because we are able to bring our current and future clients quality, durability and cost-efficiency.

Interested?

Let’s expound:

Durability

When it comes to durable furniture pieces—we are at the top of our game.

Our industrial and lab furniture are made of high-grade, high quality industrial materials, ranging from stainless steel, seasoned wood, and many other essentials. Moreover, we always make it a point that each part of our furniture pieces are fully welded, attached or connected together, to ensure greater durability and strength.

Do you need heavy duty carts? How about work tables for heavy duty applications? We have them all.

Quality

Through our over 37 years experience in the furniture industry, we have become even more versed with regards the ins and outs of manufacturing high quality lab and industrial furniture.

Our manufacturing procedures are designed to bring the utmost efficiency and usability. We have always made sure that our products undergo rigid and strict standards, in order to ensure that our customers get the highest quality they deserve. After all, you deserve nothing less.

Do you want custom furniture for your special needs? Do you want adjustable tables that will fit your specific height requirements? We’ll be more than glad to provide them for you.

Cost Efficiency

In light of our experience in the field—plus the durability and quality of our products—some people presume that our furniture prices and rates are over the roof.

In reality, that’s not the case…

Our aim has been always about providing people real furniture solutions—at reasonable rates. Accordingly, we take pride in putting our customers first before anything else. So, if you do business with us, you can be sure that you’ll be getting your money’s worth. You can rest assured of that.

So, do you need high quality and affordable lab and industrial furniture pieces? Just give us a call. We’ll be more than glad to help.