How to choose the right laboratory furniture countertop

New lab benches are often designed with new equipment, space reconfiguration or full refurbishment. Due to the nature of the R&D laboratory, there is some flexibility in the design of the countertops (R&D laboratories have an average lifespan that is very short and needs to be modified every three to five years). Therefore, in the initial planning, it is necessary to consider the future demand to select the appropriate countertops (and the base cabinet), so that in the long run, the goal of cost saving can be achieved.

The requirements for different countertops vary from lab to lab:

• Corrosion resistance

• Heat resistance

• Absorption of liquids

• Load capacity

• Impact and abrasion resistance

• Conductivity

• Ability to collect and discharge liquids (especially in sink areas and fume hoods)

• Serviceability and convenience

• Ergonomic

• Practicality

• ADA compliant

• colour

• overall appearance

• Special needs (for example, irregular shapes, minimum seams, etc.)

Each laboratory design has unique requirements for the countertops, but it must be based on the different types of laboratories. The following are general considerations:

• Chemical laboratory – (eg organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, analysis)

Particular emphasis should be placed on the chemical resistance of the countertops, ease of cleaning, moderate color, load bearing, abrasion resistance and heat resistance.

• Physical laboratory – special emphasis should be placed on physical tension, abrasion resistance, impact resistance and heat resistance.

• Biological laboratory – special emphasis should be placed on stain resistance, ease of cleaning, abrasion resistance and resistance to bacterial fungal attack.

• Special-purpose laboratories with chemical resistance (eg, pathology/hematology and other special biochemical laboratories) should focus on non-permeability and ease of cleaning.

• Chemical resistance is not a special laboratory for major considerations:

Electronic Lab – Focus on physical pull and characteristics during experimental work.

Electrical Laboratory – focusing on insulation characteristics, non-conductive strength and physical pull

Mechanical laboratory – (eg metallurgy, geology, etc.) – focus on performance against physical damage

Radioactive laboratory – focused on preventing contamination of radioactive materials

Thermal Energy Lab – focusing on temperature requirements

※ Of course there are other types of laboratories, and in many practical situations, many laboratories are not singular and may be a combination of the above types. For safety reasons, the need to select a countertop must be based on consideration of the harshest areas of the environment in the laboratory. In particular, the fume hood and sink area handles most irritating chemicals and reactions.