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.