Modern laboratories must be able to cope with diverse requirments and, as Stefan Holler reports, the service wing is key to their sucessful operation.
Today's laboratories must cope with diverse requirements with regard to planning and equipment. They must be: multi-task and mobile workplaces; adaptable to new tasks whenever needed: multi-task utilisation of the room and of the laboratory furniture, eg for training purposes, etc; able to be installed in existing rooms without great expenditure: able to minimised costs (Fig. 1).
The service wing is the core of a laboratory. It contains all central furnishing elements for the distribution and waste disposal of services, eg for water, compressed air, electricity, etc, linking of the communication systems such as EDP, ISDN, system for wall projection of processes, stereo loudspeakers, etc.
This service wing also includes an anti-glare direct and indirect illumination. (Fig. 2). If required, a CO2 Sensor is built in which takes care that the used room air is extracted via disk valves.
The service wing is suspended from the ceiling and supplies every single workplace all over the room. Owing to the service wing any workplace can be designed individually which results in a mobility with regard to its variability.
With just a few movements the distribution of services can be adapted to any requirements resulting from new working conditions. For example, workplaces may require a constant change between single workplace and team workplace design.
The service wing is suitable for preparative laboratories as well as for analytical or biotechnological laboratories, and of course for demonstration and training classrooms, for schools, universities, and so on. Therefore all rooms can be used as versatile multi-task rooms.
Cost advantages
Everything the service wing needs on site is a distribution and waste disposal feeder for all workplaces in the room, ie per service only one feeding or outlet point is required in the room. Therefore no supply lines have to be installed in either walls, ceilings or floors. This results in considerable savings with regard to construction expenses.
Furthermore this service wing has a guaranteed future as it can be upgraded for further services whenever needed.
Mobile service distribution terminals for water, gas, compressed air and electricity are part of this group (Fig. 3) They are installed at working height wherever needed and are directly adocked' to the service wing.
In combination with a service wing and with a laboratory workbench this mobile service distribution and waste disposal system is part of the consistent expansion of the modular mc6 system. (Fig. 4) The low weight of the AquaEI water distribution terminal allows for a placement wherever needed.
The AeroEM mobile multi-task fume cupboard which is visible from all sides. The cupboard (Fig.5) was developed with the particular aim of the mc6 laboratory system in mind. Owing to its multi-task use it not only can be used in scientific classrooms but also in conventional laboratories. It already now complies with the European Standard for fume cupboards, EN 14175, soon to come.
The AeroEm is a complete fume cupboard which, despite its mobility, fulfils all requirements of the standard for laboratory fume cupboards. It is equipped with castors and flexible service connections and can be positioned wherever needed via quick release couplings.
The only precondition for such a flexible positioning in the room is to be equipped with a service wing, which provides for the various services all over the room inclusive of the ventilation connections.
Even in a room without a service wing the AeroEM can be used. In this case it is supplied in stationary execution on a plinth instead of on castors and is equipped with solid services and ventilation connections. However, it is then called AeroEs.
The mc6 multi-modular laboratory system, from Waldner, provides for a multitude of designing possibilities for the room with regard to a technical, ergonomical and professional as well as an efficient and safe working in the laboratory. Both, stationary and mobile laboratory furniture is available. Thus there are no limits for multi-task, flexible and mobile furniture from the planning stage to the actual furnishing. u
ENQUIRY No 35
Stefan Holler is with Waldner Laboreinrichtungen GmbH & Co. KG, Wangen im Allgäu, Germany. www.waldner.de
