Laboratory design
EN 13150: editions and how to check table compliance
EN 13150 covers laboratory tables. Which editions are in the PKN catalogue, how does a declaration differ from a test report, and how do you check compliance?
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Laboratory furniture
Laboratory furniture comprises systems of benches, cabinets and service superstructures, resistant to chemicals and designed for laboratory work. We manufacture it to measure at our factory in Białystok: the RL1 to RL7 modular systems and bespoke designs.
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Laboratory furniture in our projects
About the category
Contents
What is laboratory furniture and what is it made of?
Laboratory furniture consists of benches, cabinets, service superstructures and shelving units designed for work with reagents, equipment and services: water, technical gases, vacuum and electricity. It differs from office furniture in its construction and materials. The basis is a powder-coated steel frame carrying a worktop chosen to suit the substances in use, while the cabinets stand on a plinth, hang beneath the worktop or run on castors. What to assess when comparing quotations is set out in our article on the criteria for evaluating laboratory furniture.
Made-to-measure laboratory furniture direct from the manufacturer
As a laboratory furniture manufacturer, we design, build and install complete laboratories. Every project starts with a floor plan of the room and a list of workstations, equipment and services. The furniture design is free of charge when you order the furniture: you receive technical drawings in PDF and 3D visualisations in JPG. Where no modular system suits the room or the process, we create the RL Indywidual system, designed from scratch. When to opt for a bespoke design and when for a ready-made system is explained in our guide to made-to-measure furniture versus ready-made systems.
From this categoryPersonalized RL Individual SystemThe RL Indywidual system is laboratory furniture designed and made by Renggli to fit a specific laboratory. Our motto is an individual approach to each of our clients.See product
RL1 to RL7 systems: which one suits which laboratory
The systems differ in how the cabinets connect to the bench and where the services come from. The more movable elements there are, the easier it is to reconfigure the laboratory years later.
- RL1: fixed cabinets on a plinth carry the worktop, and the service superstructures are permanently fixed. For laboratories with a stable layout.
- RL2: repositionable cabinets beneath stable frames, which can be replaced or moved.
- RL3: extended superstructures carry the services and drainage points independently of the cabinets.
- RL4: extended superstructures and repositionable cabinets beneath the bench frame.
- RL5: cabinets suspended beneath the worktop on a metal structure, with clearance above the floor that makes cleaning easier.
- RL6: all cabinets mobile, for laboratories that change their layout frequently.
- RL7: services supplied from an overhead installation, giving the greatest freedom to make changes, including to partition walls. Details are on the RL7 system page.
Chemical and industrial laboratories
In chemical laboratories, what matters is worktop resistance and proximity to laboratory fume hoods (fume cupboards), while in industrial laboratories the priorities are repeatable workstations and easy access to services. Systems with superstructures (RL3, RL4) and wall-side installations most often prove the best fit here.
Microbiology and medical laboratories
In microbiology and diagnostic laboratories, surfaces that are easy to disinfect and clearance beneath the cabinets are important, which is why a system with suspended cabinets (RL5) or mobile cabinets (RL6) is often chosen.
School and university laboratories
In teaching laboratories, the furniture has to withstand use by many groups and give the teacher a demonstration station with services. For the Medical University of Białystok we fitted out 23 rooms with a total area of 492 m² (the university project). What to plan for in a school is covered in our article on choosing furniture for a school laboratory.
Laboratory benches: islands and wall-side workstations
A wall bench uses the wall to route services and takes up less space. An island bench offers access from two sides and allows a larger group to work at it, but needs services brought in from the floor or ceiling. You will find a comparison of the two layouts in our article island bench or wall bench.
From this categoryRL1 laboratory furniture systemThe RL1 system is an advanced furniture solution based on fixed, non-movable cabinets on a plinth.See product
Superstructures, under-bench cabinets and wall cabinets
A laboratory service superstructure is a frame above the worktop that carries the services: sockets and gas, water and vacuum valves, with reagent shelves above them. Beneath the worktop stand cabinets with drawers and doors, either fixed or repositionable, and wall cabinets are mounted above the workstations. How to plan the connections is shown in our article on routing services in laboratory furniture.
Worktops and chemical resistance
The worktop is selected according to the reagents and temperatures at the workstation. Our range includes laboratory worktops made of ceramic, epoxy and phenolic resin, glass, polypropylene and laminate. Ceramic withstands concentrated acids and high temperatures, polypropylene stands up to work with hydrofluoric acid, and laminate is sufficient for lighter tasks.
From this categoryRL2 Laboratory Furniture SystemThe RL2 system is a laboratory furniture system in which mobile cabinets are positioned beneath sturdy table frames fitted with worktops.See product
Standards for laboratory furniture
The most important standard for benches is EN 13150: it specifies the dimensions, safety requirements and test methods for laboratory benches. Tender specifications also cite EN 14727 (laboratory storage furniture) and EN 14056 (recommendations for design and installation). Storage cabinets for flammable substances are covered by a separate standard, EN 14470-1, and fume hoods by EN 14175.
How much does laboratory furniture cost?
The price of laboratory furniture depends on the design, so we prepare quotations for each specific room. The cost is affected by:
- the system and number of movable elements: fixed cabinets on a plinth (RL1) or mobile cabinets and ceiling-fed services (RL6, RL7),
- the worktop material: laminate, phenolic or epoxy resin, ceramic, stainless steel,
- the length of the installation and number of workstations,
- services: water, technical gases, vacuum, sockets in the superstructures,
- additional equipment: fume hoods, chemical storage cabinets, laboratory sinks, laboratory taps and valves.
From this categoryRL3 Laboratory Furniture SystemSee product
How do design and installation work?
Our designer prepares the furniture design, the furniture is made at our factory in Białystok and our own team installs it. We hand over the room with the furniture levelled and connected to the services. Projects delivered this way include a food laboratory in Warsaw (7 rooms, 191 m²), a pharmaceutical laboratory in Warsaw (4 rooms, 168 m²) and the laboratories of PSSE in Radom (53 rooms, 2,240 m²).
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about laboratory furniture
We do not quote a single price per metre, because it depends on the system, the worktop material, the number of cabinets and the services in the superstructures. A metre of installation with a laminate worktop and fixed cabinets costs a different amount from a metre with ceramic, gases and mobile cabinets. We prepare the quotation after the layout design, based on the floor plan of the room and the list of workstations.
A ready-made system consists of modules with fixed dimensions, which shortens the design stage and makes later expansion easier. Made-to-measure furniture is designed for a specific room, equipment and process, for example where the walls are irregular or a workstation requires non-standard services. We produce both options in the same factory: the RL1 to RL7 systems and RL Indywidual.
Laboratory benches are covered by EN 13150: dimensions, safety requirements and test methods. Buyers often also require compliance with EN 14727 for storage furniture and EN 14056 for design and installation. Storage cabinets for flammable liquids must meet EN 14470-1 and fume hoods EN 14175, so standards are checked separately for each element of the laboratory.
A school chemistry laboratory needs student benches with worktops resistant to acids and alkalis, a teacher's workstation with water, gas and electricity, a fume hood for demonstration experiments and a reagent storage cabinet. Wide aisles and ergonomics also matter, and we cover the latter in our article on how to set up an ergonomic workstation.
Lead time depends on the size of the project and the number of rooms, so we state the production and installation schedule in our quotation together with the work stages. Our designer prepares the furniture design, the furniture is made at our factory in Białystok and our own team installs it. On larger projects the work can be phased, room by room.
Yes, provided you choose a system with movable elements. In the RL2, RL4 and RL6 systems the cabinets can be repositioned or replaced without dismantling the benches, and in RL7 the services come from an overhead installation, so entire workstations can be moved. RL1, in which the cabinets on a plinth carry the worktop, allows the fewest changes.
From the blog
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Island laboratory bench or wall bench: how to choose
An island laboratory bench suits teamwork, a wall bench uses utilities in the wall. How to choose, how much space to leave and what to prepare?
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Laboratory furniture tender: what to score beyond price
Tender evaluation criteria for laboratory furniture: technical parameters, warranty terms, service and life-cycle cost. How to describe them under Pzp.
- Worktops, sinks and materials
Laboratory sink with cabinet: how to choose and order
A laboratory sink with cabinet is chosen by reagents, number of bowls and plumbing. What to settle before ordering: material, bowls, cabinet, connections, waste
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