All sorts of lab work, particularly in industrial labs, require the regular handling of all manner of dangerous substances. It’s here that exhaust hoods shine and show their almost incalculable value.

Did you know… RDM Industrial Products has been manufacturing quality-designed lab furniture, tools, and laboratory equipment for more than 40 years. Laboratory exhaust fume hoods are one of the centerpieces of our business. Here, we’ll tell you a bit about what these incredible devices are. As well as what they can do, and why they are so important. We’ll also share the different types of fume hoods that we manufacture and the many benefits that you can reap from having them at your disposal.

What Do Fume Hoods Do, and Why Does Your Lab Need Them?

RDM Laboratory Fume Hoods & Casework shown with Recessed Pulls and Sliding, Frameless Glass Door Upper Wall Cabinets.

Although chemical fume hoods come in a variety of different types and styles and can have functions that differ from one another in some important ways, they all serve the same basic purpose: to remove harmful gases from the laboratory environment.

Therefore, the most basic reason to have them in your lab is to ensure lab worker safety. If you plan to conduct experiments and trigger chemical reactions in your lab that give off harmful gases as by-products, these exhaust hoods are absolutely essential.

With that, let’s have a look at some of the different types of factory-direct exhaust hoods that RDM can build for your lab.

Classifications of Laboratory Exhaust Fume Hoods, & How They Work!

In essence, a laboratory fume hood is a device that creates an enclosure around a certain work area. A chemical reaction which releases toxic fumes can then be triggered within that work area. Because the enclosure is air-tight, when properly used, the fumes don’t escape its confines. Rather, they are taken up by a ventilation or filtration system and neutralized in any of a few different ways. That is the basic way in which these devices manage and control fumes.

However, depending on the type used, the exact way in which this happens can vary. From a strictly functional perspective, here are the two basic types of chemical fume hoods:

• Ducted: A ducted hood takes air in from the front side of its enclosure and passes the air through a series of ventilation ducts. If the air is contaminated with toxic fumes, this means that those fumes will pass through the ducts until they are totally removed from the laboratory environment and expelled outside. To do this, the fume hood must be properly connected to the ventilation system that already exists in your lab. The hood can be set up to either offer filtration or not.
• Ductless: Ductless hoods, by contrast, take in contaminated air, pass it through a series of filters that remove its dangerous contaminants, and then recirculate that air right back into your lab. They don’t have to be integrated into your ventilation system and therefore are typically easier and cheaper to install.

Besides this classification based on function and fume management, hoods also vary according to a few other designs and style criteria.

Important Design Types of Fume Hoods Manufactured by RDM :

• Bench Top or Standard: As the name suggests, under this design, the hood encloses a workbench, typically with glass or a similar material. Experiments are performed through the sash and within the enclosed workstation, allowing released fumes to be filtered or otherwise removed. Below the bench is a series of chemicals where you can store important materials.
• Walk-in: Walk-in hoods encompass big enough areas that a lab worker can walk into them to do all necessary work. This style of fume hood is particularly useful in situations where cross-contamination between different workspaces must be avoided at all costs. They’re also preferred as spaces in which to trigger larger reactions in which greater volumes of toxic gases may be expelled.
• Thin Wall Economy: As the name suggests, this type of hood has especially thin walls. They serve the purpose of slightly increasing the work area that’s allowed to you. You should keep in mind, however, that their thin walls make these hoods ineffective for dealing with poisonous gases. They can still remove fumes the same way that other hoods can. However, they are not meant for totally segregating poisonous gases from the rest of the lab environment. Thus, they should not be used for that purpose. Other than that, they basically look the same as benchtop hoods. They enclose a laboratory bench and come with a set of cabinets beneath. Because of their thinner walls, however, they are typically less expensive and may therefore be useful to labs that are on a budget.
• Variable Air Volume: Variable Air Volume hoods put more power into the hands of the user. When integrated with exhaust control systems, they give you the power to control the exact rate at which the hood expels and/or filters the air. They also allow you to adjust the volume of air that the hood exhausts. Depending on the position of the sash, which can make the hood more efficient.

To see the full selection of laboratory exhaust fume hoods that RDM manufactures to help you with your airflow and exhaust needs, as well as some of their accessories and specialize features, click here.

Industries That Use Exhaust Fume Hoods:

Lastly, let us give you a brief survey of some of the many different kinds of industries that have found uses for exhaust fume hoods. Just some include:

• industrial labs and engineering firms or factories where combustible elements may be common
• scientific and university laboratories specializing in pure chemical research
• medical and pharmaceutical labs – especially where gases can be expelled as a result of chemical synthesis

Conclusion

All of RDM’s fume hoods are proudly manufactured in the USA. We are also happy to custom design them to suit your specific needs. Let RDM put its manufacturing expertise to work for you. They’ll help you keep your lab workers safe and your projects chugging along smoothly.

The post Laboratory Exhaust Fume Hoods – Manage Your Fume Control Needs appeared first on RDM Industrial Products.

We need many things to keep these complex machines well-oiled and running. Quality-designed cabinets may be simple and humble contributors to this effort. But their crucial place can sometimes be overlooked precisely because they are such simple things. This, however, only makes them all the more important.

When your lab is well-stocked with important but dangerous chemicals, where will you store them when they are not in use? How will you make sure that they don’t accidentally get released and cause serious damage? How will you protect your lab personnel from the dangers these chemicals might pose? Where and how will you store your tools? Industrial-quality laboratory cabinets & casework can be the answer to all of these questions and more.

With more than 40 years of experience, RDM Industrial Products has been designing all kinds of laboratory furniture up to the very highest standards of quality. Here’s a look at some of the different types of laboratory cabinets & casework that we have on offer and what they can do for your lab.

RDM LAB FUME HOODS & CASEWORK shown with Recessed Pulls and Sliding, Frameless Glass Door Upper Wall Cabinets.

What Can Lab Casework Do For You?

Before we get into the weeds and share with you some of the various types of lab cabinets that we can make for you, let’s answer some practical, down-to-earth questions first. Why does your lab need good casework? What can cabinets do for you?

• Storage: This may seem like an obvious thing, but it bears belaboring. At the bottom, a cabinet is just an enclosed compartment where you can store things. Your lab workers’ stock of chemicals alone will be a major thing requiring secure storage. but other things will require storage capacity as well, like extra gloves or goggles. Whenever anyone at a workstation needs something close at hand, a cabinet is an excellent place to leave that thing waiting.
• Versatility: We know that in the lab, as in life, nothing is ever truly one-size-fits-all. That’s why we manufacture cabinets that both large and small. We can make them out of a variety of different materials, fashion them into different shapes, and either attach them to workbenches or have them be standalone units put up on the wall. One of our goals is to offer you the versatility you need to meet your challenges.
• Safety: “Safety First!” is a common mantra in a wide variety of dangerous settings. It’s a mantra one should never lose sight of the fact that the lab can be a dangerous place. With its profusion of caustic and potentially hazardous substances, a lab can be something of a powder keg. With properly designed cabinets, however, you can greatly mitigate these hazards and keep everyone safe.
• Durability and Longevity: Everyone wants equipment that will last, something that can handle the stresses and rigors of everyday use. That’s why we build our cabinets to last for years and years.
• Cost Savings: Good casework can also save lab managers money in a variety of ways. Since our units are built to last a long time and can reliably absurd damage, you will save money on replacement costs.

What Kinds of Features Do Our Cabinets Have?

Now that you have some idea of how and why casework is so important to make your lab run smoothly, you should know a bit about how RDM’s factory-direct cabinets can provide you with the benefits we’ve discussed. What features do our cabinets have? What styles can we make them in? Here’s some idea of how we can make the magic happen:

• Tough, Reliable Materials: We make cabinets out of two main materials: stainless steel and wood. When storing more heavy-duty materials, metal laboratory cabinets can be just what the doctor ordered. For simpler or less high-priority items, wooden cabinets can still be a convenient storage tool. Our metal laboratory cabinets can be further customized with all sorts of other features, both aesthetic and practical. Some of these include a wide selection of colors, adjustable shelves, removable backs, static resistance, plastic lamination, sound headed doors and drawer heads, and more. For more details,  click here.
• Chemical Resistance: We the ever-present danger of caustic chemicals in the lab, it’s clear that you’re going to want to store dangerous acids and other volatile or reactive substances in places that designed to subdue or resist reactivity. Luckily, RDM can make chemical resistant cabinets that are up to the challenge. If even the roughest acids spill on them, they’ll stay in one piece. You can get a more detailed look at how we can design and equip chemical-resistant cabinets here.
• Fire Resistance: Sometimes, sparks fly in the lab. Often, significant amounts of heat are necessary to kick-start reactions. Other times, you’ll have to make use of some highly flammable chemicals in the course of your work. We can make flame-resistant cabinets to prepare you for any eventuality. You can learn more about our flame-resistant cabinets and how we can customize them for you here.

If you decide that you need laboratory cabinets & casework with any combination of these features, we can custom design them for you. None of these important features need necessarily exclude the others. Tell us about your requirements, and we’ll fashion the casework to meet them.

Laboratory Exhaust Fume Hoods

Though technically more than a mere lab storage device, laboratory exhaust fume hoods are nevertheless extremely important tools that can serve certain related critical functions. Fume hoods are meant to keep dangerous gases from spilling out into the general lab environment. They provide sealed off workbench enclosures where researchers can set off chemical reactions that release toxic fumes. Simply place the fume hood around your workbench to hermetically seal off the environment, and you’re good to go.

There are two basic types of laboratory exhaust fume hoods. The distinction between them is based on how they treat and remove noxious fumes. First, ductless fume hoods capture dangerous gases and immediately funnel them to the outside environment, well away from the lab. Ducted fume hoods, on the other hand, will capture the dangerous gas and run it through a filtration system until it is no longer dangerous. What remains can then safely be released back into the lab.

Like cabinets, therefore, fume hoods are critical for keeping dangerous substances away from lab personnel. Which type of fume hood to get for your lab is a personal decision that will vary according to circumstance. Rest assured, RDM is ready to supply you with either type. RDM laboratory fume hoods are a must have addition to round out your laboratory cabinets & casework solution.

Conclusion

Without good cabinets dotting the landscape of your lab — whether near the floor on your workbenches or hanging from the walls — things are bound to become a mess in many more ways than one. Since you can use them to store virtually anything, they are crucial to giving your lab a sense of orderliness, safety, and direction.

All of RDM’s industrial-grade laboratory cabinets & casework, as well as all of our other lab furniture, are proudly manufactured in the USA. Have a look at the full range of our laboratory cabinets & casework today and let us take your lab up a notch.

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Laboratory furniture is in many ways the foundation of all lab work. It represents the hard and steady surfaces where all work is performed. And let’s not forget, where laboratory tools and samples are stored and equipment is transported. It is the rock on which the foundation of every research lab is built.

But what if your lab furnishings budget is limited? What are the key laboratory furniture components that every lab manager absolutely needs to get?

Here are five of what we condor to be the most critical pieces of laboratory furniture that there are.

1. Laboratory Casework and Cabinets

The simple, humble cabinet is an essential piece of laboratory furniture. Every lab of reasonable size will be teeming with all sorts of materials — especially tools and chemicals — which need to be used only intermittently. When not in use, they’ll need to be stored away. Since many common lab chemicals are caustic, flammable, or otherwise hazardous, they’ll need to be put away somewhere where they can’t do harm.

RDM’s quality-designed laboratory casework is just the thing to help you in all of these crucial areas. We made a wide array of both overhead and floor cabinets. As mentioned, we can include these as part of our workbenches, but we are happy to produce standalone casework as well. As with our workbenches and tables, we can make our cabinets flame-resistant, chemical-resistant, and/or static-resistant. We can make both small and large-sized cabinets. Our large, tall storage cabinets, in addition to the standard features already mentioned, also allow you to choose which kinds of doors you’d like them to have. We offer stainless steel doors, glass doors, or no doors at all. We can also make doors that either swing or slide open.

Have a look at RDM’s wide selection of industrial-quality laboratory casework here.

2. Lab Tables and Workstations

Arguably, tables and workstations are the most important pieces of furniture that you can have in your lab. They’re where all of the magic happens — where many important experiments are performed, where all chemicals are mixed and samples inspected, and where all lab workers and researchers spend the majority of their working hours. It’s virtually impossible to imagine a lab humming along smoothly without good tables or workbenches placed orderly about.

RDM’s laboratory workbenches are designed for maximal efficiency comfort. Most of our workbenches are made of stainless steel, though you have the option of ordering ones made of wood or other materials if you so desire. We also sell special types of workbenches called laminar flow workstations, which are meant to prevent particulate matter from disturbing or contaminating lab samples. In laminar flow workstations, the work surface is encased in glass or acrylic to keep anything unwanted from getting in.

Our laboratory tables come in many different shapes and sizes and can boast quite a wide range of functionalities. Tables can be square-shaped, rectangular, L-shaped, or have an F-frame. Though most of our tables are made of stainless steel, we also offer some wooden models for sale as well.

In addition to all of this, you can also place orders for factory-direct tables with any of the following special features:

• overhead racks or shelves
• overhead lighting fixtures
• adjustable-height legs
• wheels
• side drawers
• floor cabinets (for workbenches)
• adding of fireproof coating, chemical-resistant coating, or ESD anti-static coating to stainless steel tables
• light tables with adjustable and tilt-able surfaces

All of our factory-direct laboratory tables and workstations can be customized to suit your labs’ specific requirements. Customization is based accordingly on any of the parameters discussed here, and many others as well. These and other features all meant to make workers comfortable, safe, and productive.

3. Ergonomic Lab Seating

RDM Offers a Wide Variety of Industrial Duty and Laboratory Chairs

We’ve already discussed some of the critical lab equipment that allows work to get done. But there’s a second side to every lab work equation that reaches beyond mere efficiency. Comfort is this other side.

Uncomfortable workers are disgruntled and unproductive workers. Comfortable ones are happy and hardworking ones. Since lab workers will likely spend hours every day sitting at their workbenches, they’re going to need some comfortable chairs.

Our ergonomic laboratory seating is simple but deceptively luxurious. We offer a number of height-adjustable chairs with supportive backrests, leg rests and wheels for quick mobility if you need to slide from place to place. Our laboratory seating varies greatly in size, giving it the ability to comfortably support all workers, large, small, short, and tall.

4. Laboratory Fume Hoods

A fume hood is a very advanced piece of technical equipment. Which is nevertheless indispensable to workers’ safety whenever the question of handling noxious fumes comes up. Certain chemical reactions release dangerous gases as by-products. To keep all lab personnel out of danger, the air into which such gasses are expelled should be kept strictly segregated from the air that they breathe, and the gases should be swiftly removed from the lab environment.

That’s exactly what fume hoods are designed to do. They can be thought of either as accessories to workstations or as special devices in their own right. A fume hood encloses a workstation and keeps gases from flowing into the rest of the lab. It also sucks up said gases and swiftly removes them from the outside through a ventilation system. Fume hoods can be either ducted or ductless. Ductless hoods simply capture and release gases. Ducted hoods run them through a filtration system before releasing them.

5. Lab Utility Carts

Often, things need to be transported quickly across the lab and put into the hands of others. Whether you need to swiftly distribute some important tools that your researchers need to carry on with their work, or whether you need to collect chemicals or safety equipment from everyone at the end of the day, a good lab cart is an excellent thing to have.

We make custom laboratory carts and mobile tables of a variety of different kinds. Of course, the fact that we’re ready to build them in any way you need — whether high or low, single or multi-shelved, square or rectangular — puts all of the power at your disposal. Whichever sort of custom laboratory carts, your lab requires, RDM stands ready to build them at an industrial quality.

Conclusion

A well-rounded lab may have more than just these pieces of furniture, but we feel confident in saying that no lab can be truly complete without them. No matter what you happen to need, we encourage you to browse through our full collection of lab furniture until you find something that precisely meets your requirements. All of our equipment is proudly manufactured in the USA. At RDM Industrial Products, we’re ready to provide you with only the very finest of lab furnishings.

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Needless to say, safety is always of the essence in such places, and every precaution should be taken to keep all laboratory personnel out of harm’s way. Proper storage of all hazardous chemicals is, of course, an indispensable element of any lab’s safety protocol. But given the especially dangerous nature of many of the compounds that research scientists so often work with, they cannot be stored just anywhere. Laboratory storage cabinets should be sturdy, reliable, and resistant to damage from the particular suite of chemicals that will be kept in them.

RDM Industrial Products is a leader in the design and manufacture of lab equipment and industrial furniture. They stand at the ready to provide you with the laboratory cabinets and casework that you’ll need to keep your researchers safe and secure. Allowing them to carry on with their critical work. Here are just some of the various kinds of custom cabinets and lab furniture that we can offer you.

RDM Laboratory Cabinets and Casework are suitable for Medical Environment Applications

Classic Cabinet Types

Laboratory cabinets and casework can come in an enormous number of different styles, but the simplest and most recognizable is the humble and unassuming rectangular cabinet that you hang on a wall. These come in a number of different varieties, the first of which is that of your garden-variety commercial casework. These are typically made of wood and are suitable for storing non-corrosive, non-flammable, and non-reactive materials. Depending on the situation, they may even make decent medical-grade cabinets. You’ll be able to store most drugs and medicines in them to keep them within easy reach for conducting tests.

Second, and much more common for labs housing heavy-duty materials, are stainless steel cabinets. These are not only much tougher but can be custom-made to have specific features that may be of inestimable value in a lab environment. For instance, RDM can manufacture industrial-quality flame-resistant cabinets made of stainless steel. Such cabinets would be just the place to store all flammable and explosive compounds. If a fire should break out in the lab, everything stored in such cabinets will be safe from the effects of contact with fire.

We can also manufacture chemical resistant cabinets of all types to fit with your precise specifications. Chemical resistant cabinets will be generally immune from the effects of chemical corrosion, acid damage, and so forth. Thus, if some caustic substance should spill while stored inside, you won’t need to fear any damage to the surrounding area.

Beyond these safety features, cabinets can have various stylistic features. For example; upper cabinets can be hung on a wall. The lower cabinets can also be attached to a wall but can be placed on or near the floor. Furthermore, we can set your lab up with various kinds of mobile and suspended cabinets as well.

In addition to the classic cabinet design, we also offer storage cabinets with file drawers instead of doors. As well as either plastic-laminated or stainless steel locker cabinets for chemical storage as well. RDM manufactures tall cabinets as well for high-volume storage. These can have sliding glass doors or be made entirely of stainless steel.

Indeed, for their durability and dependability, we strongly recommend having a look at the various kinds of quality-designed stainless steel laboratory storage casework that we have on offer.

Counters That Double As Cabinets

The heart of every laboratory is the workstation or counter. This is where the magic happens. It’s where reactions are triggered, experiments are conducted and data are recorded. Your work counter will have a fairly significant amount of space beneath the surface where you actually do your work. That space is wide open to be used for chemical storage. The efficiency benefits to this arrangement are obvious, as it allows you to have whatever chemicals you need close at hand. And you won’t need to run off to some other cabinet on another wall somewhere and break the flow of your work.

However, convenience alone is not enough. To rightly take advantage of convenience, you need to be sure that the chemicals that you keep under your workstation can indeed be safely set there. So let’s put your mind at ease. RDM manufactures work counters whose base cabinets are themselves chemical resistant and flame resistant, as required by your lab. Counter surfaces, too, can be made of Trespa TobLab, Trespa Athlon, epoxy resin, Corian, or other chemical-resistant materials. We have chemical resistant cabinets to meet all your laboratory and industrial facility needs.

Fume Hoods

There is one crucial kind of device-related to laboratory storage that we have refrained from discussing until now. The fume hood. Unlike most chemical storage cabinets, which nearly always house either solid or liquid substances. Fume hoods are specifically meant to either keep dangerous gases contained or remove them entirely from the laboratory environment via a ventilation system.

Basically, the fume hood encloses a laboratory workstation, enveloping it from all four sides as well as from above. If your work at the station involves triggering a reaction which releases toxic gases, the ventilation unit will absorb those gases. There are two main kinds of fume hoods: ducted and ductless (also known as, recirculating). A ducted hood captures released gases at the front of a workstation. Then safely releases it into the outside environment, away from the lab. A ducted hood will capture the gas and then work it through a filtration system. Filtration occurs before releasing it back into the lab, like breathable air. Once properly filtered, the gas is rendered harmless. Thus, not only will fume hood protect lab personnel from noxious fumes. But they can also keep lab equipment from becoming contaminated or damaged as well.

RDM Industrial Products sells various industrial quality fume hoods. All with crucial features like a front fascia to cut down on air turbulence. Or vertically sliding sashes made of safety glass and internal fluorescent lighting. Have a look at our factory-direct, custom-made fume hoods to find one that best suits your lab.

Conclusion

This survey represents only the beginning of what RDM Industrial Products has to offer you and your lab. All RDM products are proudly manufactured in the USA, so you may be sure of our commitment to quality. We know that labs are often home to a long list of hazardous and sensitive compounds. So we are dedicated to making lab equipment that will keep you safe throughout all of your work. We encourage you to check out some of the many kinds of laboratory cabinets and casework that we have in our inventory. And if you can’t find what you need, we offer custom industrial and laboratory furniture too.

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Fume Hood Purpose

A fume hood’s purpose might sound simple, but it’s critically important since any lab accident can be catastrophic. One spilled chemical can lead to lifelong injuries or death in the worst-case scenario.

A fume hood is designed to collect and contain dust, vapor, and fumes. They will then be removed from the air via the laboratory’s exhaust system. When used properly, this will completely remove any airborne fumes and particles in the air so that workers and students are safe.

Different Types of Fume Hoods

There are several different types of fume hoods that all serve the same basic purpose but go about their task in different ways. The most common and simplest to use is called a Constant Air Volume, or CAV, fume hood. These remove fixed amounts of air at all times and regulate the overall volume of air in the room.

There are also Variable Air Volume, or VAV, fume hoods. You can adjust the sash height to alter airflow. These models often come with monitors and there is an emergency purge feature that quickly removes any hazardous fumes or particles.

Most fume hoods look like large metal cabinets, but there are also some walk-in fume hoods that serve somewhat different purposes. They still collect fumes, vapors, and particles for safety, but their main purpose is to keep the work process separate from other parts of the lab. This allows technicians to work on more volatile chemicals without interfering with the rest of the lab.

Fume Hood Limitations

A properly operated chemical fume hood works wonders against gaseous pollutants and particles. At the same time, they have limitations just like any other lab equipment. Anyone who was near the accident may have inhaled the fumes before the fume hood started working. While a hood can minimize the risk here, it can’t completely eliminate it.

Fume hoods only work on the airborne elements of the chemicals and particles. You will still need goggles, aprons, and other personal protective gear for comprehensive safety. While a fume hood isn’t infallible, it is essential for clearing the air of any pollutants.

You must also consider capacity, especially if you’re choosing a ductless fume hood. Ductless hoods are more affordable and are usually adequate for smaller spaces or when working with less dangerous chemicals. At the same time, they tend to have significantly less capacity and airflow than air hoods attached to the ducts.

Safety Checks

There are several factors you must check before putting the fume hood to work. You don’t want to discover the hood malfunctions after a chemical spill has occurred. Ensure that all safety certifications have been completed within the last 12 months. If any certifications have expired, then have the fume hood inspected immediately. Ensure that you can safely control airflow and that the model works as expected by testing it out.

Chemical fume hoods come with baffles and some have both upper and lower baffles. These can be adjusted with a lever attached to the hood. Test the baffles and ensure they work as expected. The sash level determines how much air the fume hood regulates. Keep it as low as possible to conserve energy. It shouldn’t be lifted above the arrow for efficient operating unless needed. Ensure the sash level affects the airflow as expected.

Be sure to read the operating instructions for any other parts or functions. You will want to test everything to ensure the fume hood works when needed. You don’t want to find out a critical feature is broken when an accident happens.

Safely Avoid Cross Drafts

An essential aspect of fume hood safety is to avoid cross drafts. Any air currents or cross drafts in the lab can drastically reduce the fume hood’s efficiency. The contaminated air can be pulled away from the hood and circulated back into the lab, which poses a risk to employees and means the fume hood must work harder to remove the hazardous contaminants.

Most cross drafts are made by seemingly innocuous means. They are often formed by open windows and doors, existing air ventilation or even employees moving their arms and bodies near the fume hood. This is often done in an effort to remove the contaminants and might seem helpful, but the fume hood must be unimpeded in its work. These cross drafts must be avoided for peak proficiency.

Fume Hood Maintenance

Another essential aspect of safety is maintaining the fume hood so it’s ready when you need it. Check the airfoil and ensure it’s properly in alignment. It can be knocked out of place and this can significantly impact airflow. It might go without saying, but some people have used fume hoods as storage spaces since they look like cabinets. This should never be done as it can impair or destroy the fume hood.

You must also wash the interior of the hood to avoid any chemicals building up. This is especially important if you are working with explosive or highly reactive chemicals. Many fume hoods have a wash setting. If your model doesn’t come with one, then wash the interior manually. It’s suggested that this be done daily, but check your fume hood’s instructions to see if your specific model suggests a different cleaning schedule.

In Conclusion

Fume hoods are one of the safest and most reliable pieces of the lab equipment available. They quickly remove hazardous contaminants from the air and minimize damage from chemical spills. Check our large catalog of fume hoods to find the ideal one for your lab. We offer many different sizes and styles that will suit your industrial needs.

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Why?

The lab furniture and equipment you use will actually play a major role on how effective your laboratory will be. Hence, you should choose your pieces carefully and objectively. And by asking the right and proper questions, you get to make that possible.

Interested?

Here are some questions that you might want to ask yourself before investing in lab fume hoods (or other laboratory furniture pieces for that matter):

Q1: What Specific Furniture Pieces Do I Need?

Chances are we have different needs and requirements for our lab tasks and operations. So, in order to make the right choices, we need to make a careful assessment of what we need. Accordingly, this can help us prioritize on the things that need urgent attention—and eventually reap more benefits in the end.

For example: Do you need chemical fume hoods to maintain safety in your lab? Or do you need new chemical safety cabinets for storage? How about a new lab table? What specific laboratory task needs to be improved on (or need new furniture)? Note: By knowing which is which, you get to make the proper moves later on. Accordingly, this will help you avoid unwanted issues as well.

Q2: Does The Furniture Comply with the Needed Standards?

Fume hoods and other related furniture pieces need to be safe for use. There’s no denying that. After all, lab tasks require the handling of sensitive chemicals and items—and you shouldn’t be taking unnecessary risks.

With that in mind, you should ensure that the furniture or equipment you’re using is actually safe. Does it comply with OSHA or ASHRAE standards? Can it actually withstand the chemicals or elements that you are handling in your lab?

Remember: Safety and efficiency must go together. So, you should only invest in pieces that can bring these for you.

Q3: Am I Dealing with the Right Manufacturer / Supplier?

In order to find the right lab furniture or equipment—you need to deal only with companies who actually know what to do. As much as possible, only deal with professionals that have already been tried and tested for efficiency. Incidentally, RDM is the name to trust in this arena.

For over 37 years, RDM has been providing clients with efficient, durable and safe industrial and lab furniture. All our products meet the needed standards and qualifications—and we intend to maintain that same level of excellence and quality.

The post Questions to Ask Yourself before Buying Fume Hoods appeared first on RDM Industrial Products.

The laboratory furniture you’re using can either make or break your lab operations. That is a fact.

Whether it may your lab tables or your fume hoods, it is essential that you are able to get furniture and equipment that will bring the most benefits. Otherwise, you might end up working in a laboratory that won’t be as efficient and as safe it should be (and you obviously don’t want that to happen).

With that in mind, here are some additional reasons as to why you should only be using the proper furniture for your laboratory:

Efficiency and Accuracy

Chances are your laboratory work will require you to undertake tests and other sensitive procedures that need to be handled with care. Unfortunately, using the wrong lab furniture or equipment puts its accuracy and efficiency at risk.

To ensure the utmost efficiency of your lab, invest in tables that are designed to withstand the chemicals that they will be constantly exposed to. Use equipment with the needed filters and features to keep contaminants at bay. In other words: study what you need and be strategic about it. This will make things better for you and your laboratory.

Comfort and Convenience

Let’s face it: working in a lab can sometimes be quite stressful. And as we already know, working in a stressful working environment may not only lead to decreased productivity, but it can also result to health problems and issues.

To make your day at work a more endurable one, invest in ergonomic furniture pieces such as adjustable tables, industrial chairs and other related options. Such pieces are designed to add comfort and convenience to the workplace, helping you avoid any unwanted issues.

Safety

Safety is another primary reason as to why you should keep your laboratory furniture in check…

Make sure that your furniture pieces are designed for heavy-duty use (in short: they must be durable). This will give you the assurance that you’ll be safe while performing lab tests and other essential activities.

Note: aside from the proper lab furniture, you should also make use of the proper safety gear, such as eye goggles, gloves, safety masks, boots and other related equipment, for added safety and security.

If you are looking for sturdy, durable and dependable lab and industrial furniture pieces—don’t hesitate to contact RDM Industrial Products, Inc.

The company is a trusted furniture manufacturer, with almost 38 years of experience in the field. It offers a wide variety of furniture pieces to choose from (with the needed features and qualities)—and all you need to do is take your pick.

To know more about RDM, call 877-777-9130 or click here.

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As its name implies, a cleanroom should be “clean.” It must also have the needed features, for utmost efficiency. Remember: the cleaner your cleanroom is—the better things will be.

With that in mind, let’s discuss some of the main advantages of a good cleanroom—and why you should keep it as effective as it should be:

Better Results

Certain manufacturing operations actually require a controlled environment. This is where a cleanroom comes into play.

Cleanrooms, through the use of the proper equipment such as fume hoods and the like, are able to control the components that may contaminate the working area. In effect, it helps prevent dust, dirt and other contaminants from “infecting” specific areas—thereby leading to better and more efficient results.

Safety

These special rooms are likewise designed to provide safety of the processing operations, the environment and of course, the workers.

Cleanrooms make use of laminar air flow work stations to ensure that the atmosphere in the working area is as clean as possible. Usually, they utilize HEPA or ULPA technology, in order to guarantee the accuracy and cleanliness of the surrounding environment.

Users are also required to make use of cleanroom garments, to minimize the entry of contaminants. Such safety gears include: masks, gloves, lab coats, boots, aprons and other essentials.

Compliance with Industry Standards

A cleanroom is required to comply with certain standards, in order to be considered as “clean.”

These rooms are usually regulated and classified according to ISO (International Standards Organization) standards. And of course, the more your cleanroom is able to comply with such standards, the safer and better it will be.

Note: there are various ISO cleanroom standards and classifications. Being so, it would be advisable if you looked into each of them, in order to see where your cleanroom falls. This will give you an idea as to whether you will need to introduce some improvements or whether you should be buying new flow benches or other cleanroom equipment.

These are just some of the things you should know about cleanrooms. In the end, what’s essential is that you are able to get that room that will provide you with the benefits you need, as well as the features that will keep things as reliable and safe as they should be.

RDM is a lab furniture specialist that offers a wide array of lab furniture pieces and cleanroom essentials for interested parties.

Our pieces comply with the required standards, as well as the needed technology that can help ensure that things will fall into place. And we have more in store for those who need our help.

If you want to know more about our company, click here for added details or call us at 877-777-9130.

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Incidentally, one of the most important aspects of a laboratory is the furniture pieces it has.

Think about it: where do lab operators spend most of their time working? How can you ensure that the lab tests you’re doing are as accurate as possible? The answer: by getting the proper lab furniture pieces and equipment.

And so, the next question is: how we can find the furniture pieces that we actually need? Who can provide us with the furniture pieces that can help make our laboratories more efficient?

To know the answer—read on…

Know What You Need First

To get the right furniture pieces, you will obviously need to know what you need first. After all, specific lab operations require different equipment and tools. The more specific you are, the more successful you’ll be in finding the proper furniture pieces. Yes, this is the rule when trying to find traditional furniture—and that same rule is applicable when it comes to laboratory furniture.

Do you handle toxic chemicals regularly? Then a chemical fume hood is something that you should be investing on. Do you want to make your cleanroom more efficient? Then a fume hood would be a good investment.

Take note: unless and until you know what you need, you’ll be in the dark as to what types of furniture will be most efficient for you. As it is, you need to objectively assess your laboratory and try to determine what it lacks—and work your way from there.

RDM: For Finding Furniture Pieces That Are Safe and Reliable

For over 37 years, we at RDM have been offering clients with various industrial and laboratory furniture pieces that offer specific solutions.

We are constantly designing top-of-the-line laminar flow hoods, fume hoods and other furniture pieces that are not only efficient, but offer greater durability as well.

Yes—we understand how difficult working in a laboratory is. That is why we are always updated with the latest trends in the industry. For us at RDM—safety is something that should never be compromised.

As it is, clients can rest assured that we will continue providing the same level of excellence that we have been doing over our decades of experience—and we plan to continue doing so for decades more to come.

RDM is a reputable furniture manufacturer known for its experience and expertise in the field. The company is based in Milpitas, California.

If you want to know more about RDM and what we can offer, you can visit our company website at https://www.rdm-ind.com/ or give us a call at 877-777-9130.

The post Need Lab Furniture? You Don’t Need to Go Far to Find It appeared first on RDM Industrial Products.

How Do Fume Hoods Specifically Work?

In certain cases, fume hoods act as a protective barrier for lab workers. Certain lab activities and operations are actually done inside the hoods, in order to prevent the people handling chemicals from inhaling fumes and other toxins. Fumes that have been diluted, exhausted and properly ventilated are harmless to human health.

What Are the Types of Fume Hoods?

There are various types of fume hoods, depending on their uses and purposes. Here are some of the types of lab fume hoods that you might want to take a look at:

• Distillation Fume Hood – this type of hood shares the same features as that of a standard fume hood, although this is lower in height for easier handling. This also requires the installation of distillation equipment, for greater efficiency.

• Radioisotope Fume Hood – as its name implies, this type of fume hood is meant to protect users from radiation. These have been specifically designed with worktops that can handle the weight of lead shielding plates (for radiation protection) and it also makes use of stainless steel, for more efficient decontamination.

• Acid Digestion Fume Hood – these are made of acid-resistant components. To effectively handle acids, high-service temperatures are used, while polycarbonate materials are utilized for additional safety and durability.

Note: there are many other types of fume hoods that you can use to your advantage. However, it is advisable that you look into the types of operations they will be used for (as well as the chemicals that they will be constantly exposed to) in order to ensure the utmost efficiency.

In the end, one thing is clear: fume hoods are indeed important…

They are here for a reason—and if you are looking for one, you must ensure that you are actually using those specific pieces that have the needed features—and was designed by a manufacturer that actually knows what to do. By doing so, you get to ensure the utmost efficiency and you get to reduce any untoward risks as well.

RDM is a leading industrial and laboratory furniture manufacturer that has been providing a wide array of industrial and laboratory products for over 37 years. The company is known for its reliability, reputability and for its top-class products.

Do you want to know more about RDM? Click here for details or call us at 877-777-9130.

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