While similar to biosafety cabinets, laminar flow cabinet sets have a key difference. The airflow is directed towards the user, meaning the sample gets protected, but the user doesn’t. In contrast, biosafety cabinets safeguard both the sample and the user, providing double protection.

For those new to the world of laminar flow hoods, we’ve outlined some of the biggest features or components that you can’t do without. 

RDM Laminar Flow Workstation – Benchtop Model LF-102P-B-SS-01

Cabinet

The body of the laminar flow hood is made from stainless steel, designed with minimal or no gaps to prevent the collection of spores and contaminants. This durable structure insulates the interior of the cabinet, shielding it from the external environment. This durable structure insulates the interior of the cabinet, shielding it from the external environment. 

The front of the cabinet typically features a glass shield that may either slide open or have openings through which the user’s hands can enter. This design ensures easy access while maintaining a sterile environment inside. 

Working Station

Inside the laminar flow hood, there is a flat work surface of stainless steel. This workstation serves as the area where all operations, such as plating cultures, using burners, and handling loops, take place. The stainless steel ensures rust resistance, providing a durable and easy-to-clean surface for lab procedures. 

Filter Pad/Pre-Filter

Located at the top of the cabinet, the filter pad serves as the first line of defense against contaminants. It helps capture larger dust particles and some microbes before they can enter the main working area. The pre-filter is vital in maintaining a cleaner environment by reducing the load on the HEPA filter. 

Fan/Blower

A fan located beneath the filter pad draws air into the cabinet. It circulates the air, pushing it towards the HEPA filter. Their movement ensures that any remaining contaminants in the air are trapped by the HEPA filter, thus maintaining the sterile environment inside the cabinet. 

UV Lamp

Some laminar flow hoods are equipped with a UV germicidal lamp. This lamp sterilizes the interior of the cabinet before the operation begins, killing microorganisms on surfaces and in the air. The UV light should be turned on at least 15 minutes before use to disinfect the space. However, users must avoid direct exposure to UV light, as it can be harmful to skin and eyes.

Fluorescent Lamp

A fluorescent light is installed within the cabinet to provide sufficient illumination during operations. This ensures the workspace is well-lit, allowing users to perform tasks with accuracy and precision. 

HEPA Filter

The high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter is the key element in ensuring a sterile environment. After passing through the pre-filter, the air is forced through the HEPA filter, which traps harmful microorganisms, such as fungi and bacteria, along with dust particles. 

Together, these components work in harmony to create a controlled, sterile environment that is crucial for microbiological research, tissue culture, and other precision tasks requiring contamination-free conditions.

Conclusion

The essential components of a laminar flow hood—from the stainless steel cabinet and working station to the HEPA filter and UV lamp—work together to create a sterile workspace. These features are crucial for tasks requiring contamination-free conditions, ensuring protection for your samples, and facilitating precise, clean lab work in a variety of settings.

The post Essential Parts of a Laminar Flow Hood That You Can’t Do Without appeared first on RDM Industrial Products.

Neglecting this can compromise the sterile environment, leading to potential contamination and inaccurate results. Below are key signs to look for to determine whether your laminar air flow hood is cleaned and maintained properly. 

Consistent Airflow Velocity and Pattern

The primary function of a laminar airflow hood is to provide consistent and uniform airflow across the work surface. Any airflow disruption can lead to contamination by allowing unfiltered air to enter the sterile environment. Regular maintenance should include checking the airflow velocity and pattern using an anemometer or similar device. 

Signs of Proper Maintenance: 

• Uniform airflow: The air should flow evenly across the entire surface without any dead spots or turbulence. 
• Correct velocity: The airflow should meet the manufacturer’s specifications, typically between 0.3 and 0.5 meters per second. 
• No obstructions: Ensure that the airflow is not obstructed by objects on the work surface or within the hood. 

If the airflow is consistent and meets the required specifications, it is a good sign that the hood is maintained properly. If not, it may indicate that the HEPA filters are clogged or the fan system requires servicing. 

HEPA Filter Integrity and Replacement Schedule

The HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is the heart of the laminar air flow hood, responsible for removing 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns in size. A compromised HEPA filter will fail to provide the necessary level of cleanliness, leading to contamination risks. 

Signs of Proper Maintenance:

• Regular filter checks: The HEPA filter should be inspected at regular intervals for any signs of damage, such as tears, punctures, or discoloration. 
• Scheduled replacements: Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for replacing the HEPA filter, typically every three years, depending on usage and environmental conditions. 
• Filter Integrity Testing: Perform a DOP (dispersed oil particle) or PAO (polyalphaolefin) test to ensure the filter’s integrity. This should be done at least annually. 

If the HEPA filter is intact and regularly replaced according to the schedule, it indicates that the laminar air flow hood is being maintained correctly.

Clean and sterile work surface

The work surface of the laminar air flow hood must be kept clean and sterile to prevent contamination of samples and equipment. Proper cleaning procedures should be followed daily, using appropriate disinfectants and techniques. 

Signs of Proper Maintenance

• Visible cleanliness: The work surface should be free from dust, debris, and stains. There should be no visible signs of contamination. 
• Proper cleaning routine: A documented cleaning routine should be in place, specifying the type of disinfectant used, frequency of cleaning, and the technique employed. 
• Sterility checks: Perform periodic sterility tests, such as swab tests or settle plates, to ensure that the work surface remains free from microbial contamination. 

A visibly clean and sterile work surface, along with regular sterility checks, indicates that the laminar air flow hood is being cleaned and maintained properly. 

Conclusion

Maintaining a laminar air flow hood is crucial for ensuring a sterile environment in laboratories and cleanrooms. These practices not only safeguard your samples and equipment but also protect personnel and ensure the accuracy of your laboratory work. To get the best options, always go to reputed and certified manufacturers only. 

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Of course, we also know that benches and workstations are the bread-and-butter of every laboratory. They are the central thing that makes it hum along. But for certain high-precision tasks, an ordinary workbench just won’t cut it.

That’s where laminar air flow hoods and clean air workstations come in.

These are special workstations that are enclosed by special cabinets. Each made partially of metal and partially of transparent material like glass or acrylic. One side of the enclosure, however, is generally either left totally open or at least provides workers with the option to create an opening. Thus, in a laminar flow bench, everything is done within the confines of an enclosure.

The true importance of this fact, however, only comes out once you realize what the central component of the enclosure is: a high-precision air filter like a HEPA or an ULPA filter. Thus, a laminar flow bench is meant to create a work environment whose air is utterly cleansed of all, or very nearly all, particulates and contaminants. It creates an ideal space for work with extremely sensitive materials.

RDM Horizontal Clean Air Workstation – Model LFH-102PE-6-01

But this description only scratches the surface of what these devices can really do and what they are meant for. For more than four decades, RDM Industrial Products has manufactured factory-direct and industrial-quality lab equipment of all sorts. Laminar flow hoods are among are among our proudest offerings. Here, we’re going to tell you more about what laminar flow hoods are. We’ll share what they do, and how they work. As well as the most important types that exist and why your lab truly needs them.

What Do Laminar Flow Hoods & Clean Air Workstations Do?

Before we delve into the specifics. Like the kinds of laminar flow hoods RDM can manufacture and the particular things they can do for you. Let us provide a general overview to help set the stage.

As mentioned, laminar flow benches are encased and use high-powered air filters to remove particulates from the surrounding air. But the filters don’t just take in, clean and release back air in a haphazard way. They do it very specifically, generating what’s know as a laminar flow. This means that air currents which are absorbed by the air filter and those which are released by it all flow parallel to one another so as not to disturb each other.

Without this kind of action, the filter would never be able to reliably purify air. If a filtered air current were to disturb an as yet unfiltered air current, contaminants from the latter would likely find their way into the former, thus nullifying the filter’s work. Laminar flow also creates a very serene air flow environment in the workbench enclosure that it free from major disturbances.

Thus, clean air workstations are ideal places to work with very sensitive materials which cannot tolerate contamination or disturbance.

Types of Laminar Flow Hoods

Laminar flow HEPA workstations fall into two broad categories based on the direction in which they send air flowing:

• Vertical Laminar Flow Hoods:

  Vertical laminar flow hoods take in air flow the top of the unit and then release it back down after filtering it. Thus, air flows vertically and downward. These models tend to be relatively compact and easy to install and use. In fact, the filters and enclosures from such units can be attached to many different kinds of lab workbenches.

• Horizontal Laminar Flow Hoods:

  Horizontal laminar flow hoods take in air from the back of their enclosure and send it flowing out horizontally toward the front. That is, toward where the researchers happens to be working. To make this process work as intended requires air flows in these units to much even more delicate than those in vertical laminar flow hoods. Thus, horizontal models have greater physical depth, sensitivity and complexity to their designs. The most high-end air filters also usually work best on horizontal models.

Other Important Features of Clean Air Workstations

Beyond this, RDM’s laminar flow workstations have many other features that help make them into extraordinary assets to your laboratory. We also give you the power to customize certain features to your liking. Here are some of these important additional features:

• Filters:

  You already know that air filters are the centre piece of each and every laminar flow hood. But all filters are not the same. Each hood comes equipped with an air filter that can at least meet HEPA standards. These HEPA — or, High-Efficiency Particulate Air — filters are able to filter out 99.99% of all particles from the surrounding air. Particles which are 0.3 microns in diameter or larger. If this does not meet your standards, you can outfit your work station with an ULPA — or, Ultra-Low Particulate Air — filter. These filters remove 99.999% of all particles from the surrounding air which are 0.12 microns in diameter or larger.

• Work Surfaces and Side Panels:

  If you plan to work with lasers, we can make the work station’s side panels out of black acrylic for you. We can also add in a front draft guide to help better control air flow and even make it static-resistant. As for the workstation surface, we can laminate it with plastic or coat it with other materials for you if you so desire.

• Noise Levels:

  Units produce only about 50 decibels of noise. This is about as loud as the hum of a standard refrigerator or a conversation going on at some distance from you.

• Lighting:

  All units come with industrial-quality LED lighting fixtures inside the workbench enclosure.

You can find a list of other important features of clean air workstations , as well as a detailed filter classification scheme,  here.

Conclusion

Laminar flow HEPA workstations aren’t just vacuously complicated and fancy pieces of equipment that lab managers can use to show off. Not only are they essential to do doing extremely delicate work, but they have allowed us to make enormous strides in lab safety whenever certain kinds dangerous substances become involved.

But as with any other important tool, laminar air flow hoods and clean air workstations contain a significant amount of variation between them. Before selecting one for your lab, we strongly recommend acquainting yourself with their uses and features in greater detail, which you can do by going  here. RDM has great latitude in its ability to customize laminar air flow hoods for you. So once you’ve settled on what you want, your unit(s) will be proudly manufactured in the USA and will come directly from the factory.

We look forward to helping you bring your lab up to the next level.

The post Understanding Clean Air Workstations & Laminar Air Flow Hoods appeared first on RDM Industrial Products.

Scientific and research labs are frequently at the forefront of such developments. Since it’s impossible to reliably perform scientific experiments without setting up sterile and highly controlled conditions, labs often need some highly sophisticated tools just to be able to carry on their day-to-day operations. One of the most important of these tools is laminar flow hoods.

RDM Industrial Products proudly manufactures many of these.

What Are Laminar Flow Hoods?

RDM Laminar Flow Workstation – Bench-top Model LF-102P-B-SS-SHROUD-01

Before we tell you about the features and significance of these machines, just what are they? Briefly, laminar flow workstations are devices meant to prevent small particle contaminants in the air from getting into important lab samples. In total, they consist of a workbench or workstation which is typically enclosed by a stainless steel cabinet. Also, parts of the enclosure — especially the front-facing wall — are usually made of glass or some other durable but transparent material. This allows lab workers to be able to see what is going on inside of the hood. Some hoods allow workers to open a small door that lets them reach inside to retrieve or manipulate samples, while others — meant to handle more sensitive material — only allow researchers to reach in through small pre-prepared openings with gloved hands.

What enables these clean air workstations to work their magic, though, is an air filter that purifies the air in the enclosure and continually removes any possible impurities from it. It does this by way of what’s known as a laminar flow.

After the filter sucks in air and removes impurities from it, it must release it in such a way that the other air in the workstation environment, which has not yet been filtered, is not disturbed. If the other air is disturbed, its impurities will mix with the purified air and nullify the actions of the filter. Thus, the filter must release air smoothly and carefully so that it flows entirely parallel to the currents of unpurified air. The filter then takes in more unpurified air and repeats the process. This is called a laminar flow.

Why Use Laminar Flow Hoods?

Now that you know what clean air workstations do, the new question to ask is how and why they might be useful in a work environment. Here are just a few reasons why you might need a laminar flow workstation:

• Keep Samples Sterile: This has already been discussed in general terms, but it’s worthwhile to provide a few specific examples. Any experiment or operation which is dependent on highly precise chemical reactions occurring or which even the slightest pollutant has the power to hinder should be done inside of clean air benches. This includes things like virus isolation, the testing of drugs and treatments upon bacterial or viral cultures, or even the soldering of microprocessors. Our civilization would not be able to function as we know it without these things, thus underscoring the importance of clean air benches.
• Help Keep Lab Workers Safe: Sterile environments aren’t just important to make sure that experiments go right; they can also be crucial to ensuring workplace safety. Air contaminants need not always be annoying, but essentially harmless gases; in some cases, they can be quite dangerous things. Certain important chemical reactions may produce hazardous by-products. In such cases, effective and fine-grained filters are essential to removing toxins and making sure that all lab workers are safe. Dangerous viruses also need to be kept tightly segregated from the rest of the lab to allow researchers to work with them while staying out of danger. Laminar flow workstations are important for this as well.
• They Are Eco-Friendly and Can Save You Money: Laminar flow hood can sometimes be costly to install, but over time, they tend to pay for themselves. By recycling air and safely disposing of carbon and other pollutants, they see the environment. Also, since RDM’s models run on electricity and consume energy efficiently, they can end up saving your lab money on power costs.

Different Types of Laminar Flow Hoods

Broadly speaking, you can divide laminar flow workstations into two basic types depending on how they suck in and expel air. There are trade-offs associated with each, so you must decide which one better suits the needs of your lab:

• Vertical Laminar Flow Hoods: Vertical laminar flow hoods take in air from the top of the unit and then release it vertically so that it flows down toward the bottom. Vertical hoods tend to be easy to install and compact. Their filters can be easily attached to many ordinary laboratory workbenches.
• Horizontal Laminar Flow Hoods: Horizontal laminar flow hoods send air flowing horizontally, moving it from the back of each unit and out toward the front. As such, horizontal laminar flow workbenches tend to have significantly greater depth than the vertical sort does. Since the filtering process makes air currents flow past one another horizontally without mutual disturbance, these laminar flow hoods tend to be quite sensitive. That makes them ideal environments for handling small and sensitive samples that have very low contamination tolerances.

RDM Industrial Products produces factory-direct and industrial-quality versions of both of these major types. And in case you didn’t know, most of our products are proudly manufactured in the USA.

Some Key Features

The centerpiece of every laminar flow hood is its filter. Broadly speaking, two kinds of filters can come with their special workstations, each with their particular features and capabilities. The first type of filter is a HEPA (or High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. It removes 99.99% of all particles from the air with diameters of 0.3 microns or more. The second type is called a ULPA (or Ultra Low Particulate Air) filter. It can remove 99.9995% of all particles from the air that are 0.12 microns in diameter or larger.

All of RDM’s laminar flow hoods can meet minimal HEPA standards, so they are all at least HEPA workstations. If you need something a bit more sensitive or heavy-duty than HEPA workstations, we can gladly build workbenches for you that use even more powerful filters.

As mentioned, our workstations all run on electricity. They are also extremely quiet, generating only about 50 decibels of noise. Which about as loud as a drizzle of moderate rainfall. They come with LED light fixtures to keep the work environment illuminated. And you also have the option of making them from static dissipative, flame-resistant, or chemical-resistant materials.

Have a look at RDM’s array of laminar flow hoods to get a fuller sense of your customization options.

Significance for Today’s Workplaces

Some of the most important scientific, medical, bacteriological, pharmaceutical, or engineering work that is done in our world today — work without which it would be impossible to sustain our civilization — is done with the assistance of laminar airflow hoods. These devices are critical to ensuring worker safety in many of these occupations.

A laminar flow hood clean air workstation isn’t just some arcane piece of tech relegated to obscure and dirty labs. They have helped make critical advancements in workplace safety. They have helped us to do things that we couldn’t otherwise do. Thanks to RDM’s manufacturer-direct models, you too can push your workplace to the next level.

Give our team a call today – 1-877-485-1482 – and let us help you with your next clean air workstation(s) solution.

The post Primary Uses of Laminar Flow Hoods in Today’s Workplaces appeared first on RDM Industrial Products.

Laminar airflow hoods (often also called laminar flow benches or workstations) are special tools meant to prevent particulate contamination in experimental settings. Each one typically consists of a workbench enclosed by a stainless steel cabinet and further surrounded by glass or some similar tough but transparent material. One side of the enclosure also contains an opening, allowing a researcher to reach in and perform whatever work he needs to within that sterile environment.

What makes the environment sterile is a high-powered air filter, like a HEPA or ULPA filter. The filter sucks in air and filters out contaminants. Then releases the air back into the enclosure without making filtered and unfiltered air currents mingle with each other.

RDM Laminar Airflow Hood Workstation – Benchtop Model LF-102P-B-WHITE-02

RDM Industrial Products manufactures industrial-quality laminar flow workstations and can custom design them to meet your lab’s specific needs. But why do lab’s need these things at all? Here are ten reasons why every respectable lab should have laminar airflow hoods.

1. Airflow Hoods Enforce Sterility in Experimental Environments

The primary function of a laminar flow workstation is to decontaminate the air in its special enclosed environment. In any kind of sensitive experiment where the slightest contaminant or disturbance can throw everything off, the importance of this cannot be overstated. Labs doing any kind of precision experimental work should really have laminar flow hoods in their toolkits.

2. The Filters Can Remove Between 99.99% and 99.9995% of All Particles From the Air

Every laminar flow bench must at least meet HEPA standards for air filtration. Since RDM’s factory-direct equipment is all proudly manufactured in the USA, the filters used in our laminar flow hoods meet all such standards. Specifically, our HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters can remove 99.99% of all particles from the air with diameters of 0.3 microns or more. For those with even more stringent filtration needs, we also make laminar flow clean air workstation with ULPA (Ultra Low Particulate Air) filters. Meaning that they can remove 99.9995% of all particles from the air which are at least 0.12 microns in diameter.

3. Laminar Airflow Hoods Help Keep Researchers Safe

Closely related to their ability to remove even infinitesimal contaminants from the air is their consequent ability to keep researchers safe if the contaminants in question happen to be hazardous. There are three broad classes of laminar flow clean air workstations.

Class I workstations are meant primarily to insulate researchers from exposure to toxic fumes, vapors, dust, or chemicals released in chemical reactions.

Class II workstations are designed to facilitate biological and microbiological experiments by making sure that the surrounding air is totally sterile and doesn’t contaminate cell culture.

Class III workstations are designed for maximal safety. They are usually walk-in cabinets or glove boxes. They do not allow for the passage of any gases to the outside and are suitable for handling extremely dangerous material.

All three of these classes of laminar flow benches have great safeguards in place to protect researchers and lab workers from harm.

4. They Are Very Useful in Biological Laboratories

Researchers testing the effects of various compounds upon biological matter will benefit greatly from laminar flow hoods. The hood’s ability to purify the air helps ensure that the study of any compound’s effects on living cell cultures will be truly controlled. Furthermore, if researchers need to handle something potentially dangerous like a virus, Class III laminar airflow hoods may be just what they require to carry on their sensitive work.

5. They Can Work Wonders in Medical Labs

Because safety and precision can go such a long way in science, laminar flow HEPA workstations can be similarly useful in medical labs. It may be necessary to trigger precise chemical reactions in order to synthesize certain pharmaceutical drugs, and the slightest outside pollutant may mar the delicate balance required to sustain the reaction. Testing the virus- or bacteria-killing properties of various drugs upon cell cultures also requires an uncontaminated environment, as do other careful medical tasks like virus isolation. Proper experimental controls are important in all kinds of scientific work, and laminar flow hoods are great tools to help create them.

6. They Are Critical in Electronics Design Labs

Many electronic components need to be built with extreme precision. As microprocessors get smaller, the grooves on each chip will have to be designed increasingly carefully in order to keep them functional. High-precision machines must solder microchips now, but if even the slightest contaminant gets into the air and throws off the machine’s work by even a fraction of a millimeter, the chip will be useless. Laminar flow HEPA workstations are required to keep this delicate process running smoothly.

7. They Can Be Designed to Be Static, Flame or Chemical-Resistant

We often outfit our laminar flow hoods with special features according to the requests of our clients. Since safety is of the essence in so much laboratory work, you may require your laminar flow workbench to be fire-resistant, chemical-and-corrosion-resistant, static-resistant, or some combination of all three. We can coat a workstation in a removable ESD Static Dissipative material at your request, build one with chemical-resistant trespa or construct the hood’s enclosure with flame-resistant stainless steel.

8. Vertical and Horizontal Laminar Flow Hoods Cater to Different Needs

Labs can use either horizontal laminar flow hoods or vertical laminar flow hoods. A horizontal laminar flow hood will suck in air from the back of the unit and expel it towards the front. A vertical laminar flow hood will take in air from the top of the unit and release it down towards the bottom. If you need work surface depth and low turbulence, or if you are working with smaller samples, opt for the former. If easy access, compactness, and the ability to simply install the food and filter onto a standard workbench are important to you, go with the latter. RDM designs both kinds.

9. Wide Customizability

Beyond the variety of features already mentioned, RDM can custom design various other features for you. Including workbench height, work surface depth and width, types of light fixtures used to illuminate the work surface, power cord length, and power options, and more. We look forward to designing just the right laminar flow clean air workstations to meet the particular needs of your lab.

10. Airflow Hoods Are Eco-Friendly and Economical

Though a laminar flow bench is a complex and variegated piece of equipment, once it’s up and running, things are fairly simple. It typically uses a power that plugs into the wall and doesn’t consume much electricity at all. They recycle the air in the room and allow carbon-saturated air to be easily disposed of, so they are environmentally friendly. After they are installed, the only maintenance costs typically come from yearly filter replacements. Filters can cost anywhere from as little as $300 each to about $2,000.

In Conclusion

Laminar airflow hoods are essential to any laboratory that does any kind of precision and careful scientific or engineering work — which is to say, virtually every self-respecting laboratory whatsoever. No lab is truly complete without it. And RDM stands ready to give you any type of model your need and customize it to a long list of exact particulars. Have a look at some of our industrial-quality laminar flow clean air workstations today and take your lab up to the next level.

The post Top 10 Reasons Laboratories Need Laminar Airflow Hoods appeared first on RDM Industrial Products.

Let’s take a moment to discuss keeping your products and environment safe from dust & particulates with the help of Laminar Flow Hoods, Cabinets and Workstations.

This piece of equipment is basically a workbench enclosed by a cabinet made of some durable material like stainless steel. The sides of the cabinet enclosure are walled off by glass, clear acrylic or some similar material. One side, however, is left open, allowing a researcher to stoop in and do his work. Also attached to the cabinet is a powerful air filter of some kind, like a HEPA, or high-efficiency particulate air, filter. The filter draws in air and removes any small particulates from it before releasing it back into the immediate work environment. This keeps everything pure and uncontaminated.

Crucially, however, the filter performs this filtering and releasing action in what’s called a laminar flow. This means that air currents flow smoothly, in layers and without disturbing one another, even as they flow past each other. This is very important to achieving air purity. Sometimes a layer of filtered air which disturbs another layer of unfiltered air may pick up some contaminants from the unfiltered layer. If this were to happen, air could not be reliably purified. Laminar flow air filters work because they keep this from happening.

RDM Industrial Products proudly manufactures a number of different industrial quality, factory direct laminar flow hoods and workstations for scientific, medical and industrial laboratories.

Here’s a bit of important information about these tools. We want you to know how our models can help to make your lab into a better place.

Types of Laminar Flow Hoods

There are two basic types of of laminar flow workstations: vertical ones and horizontal ones. The basic difference between these is the air flow. A vertical laminar flow hood sends filtered air straight down into the workstation environment. While a horizontal laminar flow hood channels the air from the back of the work counter and straight towards the person working there.

RDM Industrial Products sells both types of laminar flow clean air workstations. Examples of the vertical type include models like the LF-102P-B and the LF-102P. And examples of the horizontal type include models like the LFH-102P and the LFH-102PE. You can find all models categorized by type here.

What Sort of Features Do Our Models Have?

In addition to the general differences mentioned so far, our units vary in all sorts of specific ways as well. We even offer a number of different options which you can choose to either include with your unit or not. Here are some of these features.

RDM’s laminar flow cabinets all use HEPA filters. Since our products are proudly manufactured in the USA, they meet US HEPA standards. Indeed, because our filters are able to remove 99.99 percent of all particles from the air whose diameters is 0.3 microns or more. Meaning, they exceed the minimum HEPA standards. Each unit typically comes with two such filters.

If you have even greater filtration needs, some of our models can be outfitted with an ULPA (Ultra Low Particulate Air) filter. Which removes 99.9995% of all dust and other particles from the air which are 0.12 microns in diameter or larger.

The filters attached to our units all operate very quietly. Ensuring that researchers will be able to do their work undisturbed. Filters produce about 50 dbA of noise, which is roughly as loud as the hum of a standard refrigerator.

Our laminar flow hoods also come with LED light fixtures attached to the top of each unit. They are powered through 12 foot-long, 115-volt cords. Although we are able to offer customized, manufacturer-direct power options to those who request them.

Clients also have a number of different size options available to them. But these will vary depending on the model you choose. The LF-102P and the LF-102P-B each have standard depths of 30 inches. While both the LFH-102P and the LFH-102PE are designed to be 48 inches deep. Other than this one standardized parameter, however, you may customize the sound of your unit. The height of each workbench is totally customizable too. So you can individualize them to each of your lab workers. Depending on the model chosen, the workspace can be as much as 101 inches wide and up to 89 inches high.

Customize Your Laminar Flow Workstations

If none of our standard sizing options are satisfactory, however, you may specify custom dimensions to us. We’ll work within your parameters to build special factory-direct units for you (if we can).

We make our workstations from a number of different material, principally stainless steel or laminated plastic. Those who require chemical-resistant, flame-resistant or static-resistant workstations can request them to be made of chemical-resistant trespa or coated in a removable ESD Static Dissipative, among other materials. All panels are made of transparent acrylic, but can be tinted black for those working with lasers.

You may also add casters to your workstations if you need them to be mobile. Or may purchase accessories like foot rests to give your added comfort as they work.

To see the full range of what’s available to you, check out all of our industrial-quality laminar flow clean air workstations.

Which Industries Use Them?

Laminar flow hoods and cabinets are widely used in all kinds of lab work and manufacturing. Especially where particulate contamination needs to be strictly avoided. For instance, in the electronics industry, semiconductor wafers must be manufactured with extreme precision. When creating the grid formation on which chips are placed, the slightest disturbance from outside particles can throw off the accuracy of the design and compromise the chip’s usability.

Laminar flow cabinets are also particularly useful in biological laboratories. Especially where tiny biological samples must be kept absolutely pure for testing or experimental purposes. The same is true for medical and pharmaceutical laboratories. Indeed in any experimental setting where sample purity is essential and there is no room for contamination, these devices are extraordinarily important.

With our over 40+ years of proud industry experience, RDM is ready to help you put together the perfect laminar flow clean air workstations for your lab so that you can keep your entire environment spotless for all of your most critical work.

The post Keeping Your Environment Safe With Laminar Flow Workstations appeared first on RDM Industrial Products.

Deciding which flow hood design is best for your workspace, will depend on the level of protection required for the user, sample, and environment. The choice will also be determined by the specific needs and requirements of the workplace.

Vertical Laminar Flow Hood Design

Vertical laminar flow hoods direct HEPA-filtered air down towards the workbench. Air then exits through holes in the surface or through an opening in the front of the enclosure.

RDM Vertical Laminar Flow Hood – Bench Top Model

Pros

The downward airflow and a protective sash help to limit exposure to contaminants. Since contaminants are pushed downwards, the vertical airflow also reduces cross-contamination. There is also less air obstruction, and therefore less turbulence when working with larger objects.

The vertical design also helps when there is limited space. Since the fan and filters are located at the top, this model requires less floor space and can be installed onto standard workbenches. This design also provides a taller workspace inside the flow hood.

Cons

Vertical flow hoods are taller and may not fit the space requirements of some laboratories. Workspace depth is also limited. The added height also makes it more difficult to change filters. A step-ladder will most likely be required.

The vertical airflow can make it difficult to place hands or items on top of other items since this obstructs the downward airflow. Vertical airflow can also create a turbulent effect as the air hits the work surface.

Vertical flow hoods should not be used when working with infectious biological materials, pathogens, or highly toxic chemicals.

Horizontal Laminar Flow Hood Design

The horizontal laminar flow bench directs HEPA-filtered air horizontally, from back to front, across the work surface, and then out towards the worker.

Pros

Horizontal airflow ensures a higher level of protection for lab samples from airborne particulates. A horizontal flow also reduces turbulence on the work surface.

The horizontal flow hood design also provides a workspace with greater depth. It’s also easier to work with equipment since there is no protective sash between the worker and the workspace.

Cons

Airflow is blown towards the worker’s face. Workers can, therefore, be exposed to contaminants.

The filter and fan unit is located at the back of the hood. The increased rear clearance requires a deeper workbench along with additional floor space.  The whole unit will need to be moved in order to change the filter.

The horizontal airflow can also be disrupted when working with larger objects. It’s, therefore, best suited to tasks that involve small utensils and equipment. The direction of airflow may also result in the contamination of downstream samples.

Horizontal flow hoods should not be used when working with infectious biological materials, pathogens, or highly toxic chemicals.

RDM offers a wide variety of factory direct, quality designed laminar flow hood types. All products are proudly manufactured in the USA. For more information about RDM’s Laminar Flow Benches click here.

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Types of Laminar Workstations

Two types of laminar air flow hoods are used at laboratories, such as –

Vertical Laminar Workstations

Vertical laminar airflow hoods are mounted on top of the workstations. It cleans the room air with a bacterial pre-filter. After that, this air is compressed and forged through the HEPA filter. The pure air is distributed in the entire work surface from above, and thus, provides full protection against pollutants.

Horizontal Laminar Workbenches

Unlike vertical laminar flow hoods, horizontal flow hoods are installed on the walls in front of the work area on the workstation. While working on these workstations, researchers must ensure not to make an item touch the back of the filter.

Benefits of Installing Laminar Air Flow Systems

Installing laminar air flow hoods in laboratories is beneficial for many reasons, as explained below –

Sterile environment

The sole purpose of laminar flow systems is filtering the polluted air and maintaining the sterile environment. You must know that contaminants can affect scientific researches negatively, which may lead to failed experiments. The researchers can also be harmed by the germs in the air and develop diseases. With the help of laminar air flow hoods, you can eliminate these risks.

Cost-effective

Laminar air flow hoods are a very cost-effective option for maintaining the cleanliness and hygienic standards of laboratories. You may visit the online stores of industrial appliance manufacturers to view the extensive range of flow hoods. Once you purchase a flow hood, it is shipped and delivered to your location and installed by professionals. The maintenance cost after installation is also affordable for everyone. Based on the type of uses, annual costs for maintenance may range from $350 to $2000. You need to pay this annual cost only for replacing the filters. Apart from this, there are no other expenses.

Portability

A laminar air flow unit does not have any external connection apart from the power cord. So, you can move it from one room to another within a building easily. While other systems do not provide the benefit of portability due to too many wires and cords, laminar air flow hoods are free from this problem. Easy portability provides you with even more cost-effectively as you can relocate your lab easily.

Security

Laminar air flow hood manufacturers install monitoring systems in the hoods so the gas and carbon filter saturation can be checked. The hoods also have audible and visible alarms with an LCD monitor. Renowned industrial appliance manufacturers follow the ACGIH standards of safety while manufacturing the laminar flow systems. As a result, you can check before the lab room is too polluted and accidents can also be avoided.

Environment-friendly

Laminar air flow hoods filter and recycle the air present in the room and remove the contaminants. However, doing this does not require to remove any amount of air from the library. So, it is an eco-friendly option. The saturated carbon filter that you must replace annually does not pollute the environment either. You can dispose of it safely at any landfill.

Final Thoughts

For the assurance of quality and reliability, make sure to purchase your laminar flow hood only from the renowned industrial appliance manufacturers with goodwill. You must not be tempted by cheap offers.

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Laboratory fume hoods:

Are enclosed, ventilated workbenches that provide protection from harmful substances by directing air away from the worker and up into the hood. No filters are used and air is diluted as it travels through ductwork before being released outside the laboratory.

Chemical fume hoods provide protection to the worker and laboratory environment but do not provide a sterile workspace to protect samples from contamination. Fume hoods are suitable for tasks that involve hazardous drugs or chemicals, hazardous chemical fumes, volatile toxic vapors, odorous or reactive materials, toxic gases, aerosols, flammable materials, carcinogens, or hazardous chemicals that can easily spatter.

Laminar flow hoods:  

Are primarily designed to protect lab samples and products from contamination by directing air through High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters within an enclosed and sterile workspace. Different types of laminar flow hoods are available depending on the level of protection required for the worker and laboratory environment as well as the types of tasks being performed.

Horizontal laminar flow workbenches direct HEPA-filtered air horizontally, from back to front, across the worktable surface. Workers are positioned downstream from the airflow and can be potentially exposed to contaminants. Horizontal laminar flow hoods should not be used when working with infectious biological materials, pathogens, or highly toxic chemicals.

The horizontal airflow ensures a higher level of protection for lab samples from airborne particulates since the worker’s hands and gloves are positioned downstream from the air current. A horizontal flow also reduces turbulence on the work surface and is best suited to tasks that involve small utensils and equipment since larger objects can disrupt the airflow.

Vertical laminar flow workbenches direct HEPA-filtered air down towards the workbench and then out through holes in the surface or through an opening in the front of the enclosure. The downward airflow provides extra protection for the worker and laboratory environment and is commonly used for assembling parts, inspecting electronic devices, drug preparation, or preparing media.

Since the filter is located on the top of the hood, vertical laminar flow workbenches provide a taller workspace that is suitable for working with larger equipment. The vertical airflow also results in less turbulence from large objects.  

Biological Safety Cabinets: also referred to as biosafety cabinets, go beyond laminar flow workbenches by offering additional protection for laboratory workers and the environment. Biosafety cabinets must be used when working with infectious microorganisms, pathogens, as well as other toxic materials and the cabinets are available in three basic classes depending on the level of protection required.

• Class I Biosafety Cabinets provide protection for laboratory workers and the lab environment but do not provide a sterile workspace. Class I Biosafety Cabinets work in a similar way as fume hoods by drawing air in and away from the worker, up into a HEPA filter, and then out into the environment.
• Class II Biosafety Cabinets provide protection for laboratory workers, products and          samples, as well as the environment. HEPA-filtered air is drawn in from the front to provide operator protection and also flows downward onto the work surface to protect products from contamination. Air also passes through an additional HEPA filter before being released into the environment.
•  Class III Biosafety Cabinets consist of air-tight enclosures with non-opening front windows and multiple HEPA filters that are designed to provide maximum protection for both the laboratory worker and environment. Class III biosafety cabinets are sometimes referred to as glove boxes since workers access the sealed internal space through attached arm-length rubber gloves. This type of cabinet is suitable for working with biosafety level 4 highly infectious agents and other dangerous materials.

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What is a Flow Hood Used For?

A flow bench or flow hood provides the proper sterile work area for many types of laboratory devices and is also used to avoid contamination of samples in PCR applications.

How Does it Work?

Sterile air is achieved by producing positive pressure in individual streams through a HEPA-filter in a parallel direction. This sterile, pressurized air is continuously blown over the hood which also minimizes turbulence within the hood’s work area.

What Makes a Flow Bench Effective?

• The effectiveness of a unit is determined by how well its air handling system and cabinet are engineered.
• It should be ergonomically friendly, easy to clean, and fabricated from materials that are durable, such as fully-welded stainless steel.
• A unit’s HEPA filtration should match a specific application’s requirements. Many applications call for flow benches that provide ISO 5/Class 100 HEPA-filtered air that can remove particulates and organisms 0.3 microns in size and have an air efficiency of 99.99%.

Classes of Flow Benches

Laminar flow units are designated as Class I, II and III, and have been developed to meet diverse clinical and research requirements. Class III hoods provide the maximum level of protection to the environment and lab personnel. They are required for work involving known human pathogens and other BSL-4 materials.

What Type of Unit Should Be Used?

The type of unit chosen is typically determined by the availability of space within a facility and on the work being done there. The flow of a hood can blow horizontally or vertically to the work surface. Vertical flow benches provide significant protection to both the user and the cell culture while horizontal flow benches provide protection to either the culture or the user based on its design.

Tips to Remember

• Do not store chemicals against the baffle at the rear of the hood since this will interfere with the laminar airflow across the bench. Also, do not place objects in front of the unit which can stop air flow and draw contaminants outside of the unit and into the room. Additionally, minimize foot traffic in proximity to the hood.
• Raise large equipment that must be kept in the fume hood 1.5 inches off the surface of the work space to allow air to circulate underneath it; this will increase the hood’s efficiency and greatly minimize turbulence. Other key things to remember when using flow benches are the following:
• Modifications to the fume hood should not be done without proper authorization.
• The laboratory staff should not block the laminar flow exhaust system.
• Keep the number of items on the working station of the hood to a minimum.

Controlling the movement of air using flow benches creates a more sterile lab environment. However, this equipment must be properly maintained to prevent the air in a lab setting from being contaminated. Therefore, excessive storage of chemicals and other items should be avoided since this will disrupt the designed airflow within the flow bench.

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