You want to set up your first lab? Good idea, but what should it be furnished with? What are the minimum requirements? What kind of lab furniture Malaysia should equip your lab with?

Do not sweat yourself. You don’t need to have an array of advanced furniture to make your first lab super safe and possibly cool. As long as you have these requirements, you are already on the right track.

Workbenches

Workbenches are the bread and butter of a laboratory. No lab is ever without one. You need something to put things on, to work on, and to write or type on. Workbenches may come with drawers or cupboards with shelves to keep any of your extra equipment inside if cupboards or cabinets are full. 

Workbenches are made of different materials besides stainless steel and each have their respective cons and pros.

A medium density fibre board (MDF) is an engineered wood that is stronger than a particleboard, but is poorly resistant to water. 

A ply laminate board is constructed with multiple layers, with the topmost providing chemical protection while the bases provide strength. It provides better resistance than MDF.

Granite provides significant resistance to water but for acids, it is the opposite. If an acid makes contact with the surface, a reaction called etching occurs where the granite is dullened.

A phenolic board’s smooth, glossy and hard overlaying surface enables it to withstand abrasion, moisture and chemical resistance. Boiling water, common chemicals, dilute acids and alkalis are some of the examples.

An epoxy resin board is superior to other resins in terms of mechanical properties and can withstand environmental degradation and scratches. A layer over base material is formed to prevent corrosive chemicals and water from seeping in.

Cabinets and cupboards

Where else can you safely store your equipment and chemicals besides these two pieces of furniture? Cabinets and cupboards should always have doors, whether it be glass or stainless steel. You may also purchase locks to provide additional security to your cabinets and cupboards.

Lab stools

Working while standing up for so long will be uncomfortable and affect the quality of your work and morale. Stools are not only the primary source of comfort, their small sizes allow more space, their heights adjustable and if they are equipped with wheels, you can be mobile without standing up.

Lab fume hoods

A fume hood is a ventilator designed to minimize contact between yourself and noxious fumes by sucking up gasses and releasing them from the outside through a ventilation system. Its enclosed space also prevents them from spreading around the lab. Ducted hoods run through a filtration system before releasing gasses, while unducted simply capture and release them.

Sinks

You may often see sinks in laboratories. They are vital in waste disposal and mostly inert to all kinds of acids, alkalis and solvents. Polypropylene (PP) sinks are preferable as they minimize glassware breakage upon impact. Of course, no sink is complete without a tap to wash your glassware with or obtain water.

Reagent racks

A reagent rack is used to store reagents and glassware ready to be used for experiments. It clears the workable area and prevents spillages or breakages. It is usually mounted on top of your workbench. It comes with two types: single and double tiered.