On the surface, you might think that designing lab furniture or tech workbenches is a relatively simple task. Your lab employees have work to do, and they need an efficient, comfortable, and practical place to do it.
However, before you can be sure that you’re purchasing the right lab bench, you need to perform a bit of upfront research yourself.
When designing lab furniture, there are many variables to consider. To help with this process, we’ve compiled some of the best tips to help you design the best tech workbench for your laboratory.
Are you looking for tips on how to design new tech workbenches for your laboratory? Below, we’ll provide you with expert advice on how you can design a tech workbench that improves the productivity and efficiency of your laboratory.
Keep reading to find out more and discover how a trusted manufacturer can help you find high-quality science lab equipment that is built to last.
5 Tips to Consider When Designing Tech Workbenches
Choosing an industrial workbench for your workspace isn’t as easy as flipping the pages of a catalog and choosing one. In fact, designing one involves a lot of careful consideration since each feature you select can impact the safety, efficiency, and workflow of your laboratory workspace.
Specifying the right tech workbench for your laboratory is something that requires careful thought and planning if you want to maximize your workspace. Minor differences in the type of workbench can provide vital benefits that add up to major productivity gains over time.
If you’re in need of some lab design advice, here are five ways to incorporate helpful tools and essential features into your laboratory workbench:
1. Add Lighting to Enhance Visibility
Often an afterthought, the way a workstation is lit can be crucially important to the usefulness and functionality of a given workbench. In laboratory applications, a typical facility’s lighting may be inadequate for assembly or inspection work.
Most workstations offer lighting options that allow isolated, clear illumination directly onto the workbench surface. For quality control, packing, or inspection, lighting should be a top priority.
Lighting enhances visibility at a workstation and is a critical component during assembly or laboratory applications. Overhead lighting fixtures are among the most common and come in a variety of widths to meet the needs of a space.
2. Consider Storage Options
Adding storage to a lab workbench is a great way to help employees stay organized while removing the need for additional furniture that can take up expensive space. Utility drawers are one of the most common additions to a workbench and come in a variety of sizes and configurations.
Other options include shelving that can be installed below or above the work surface, upper storage cabinets that feature flipper doors, and bin rails or panels that can store parts and accessories.
Keep in mind that the actual drawers can be customized as well, right down to the handle used to pull the drawer open.
3. Examine its Load Capacity
Although it’s easy to overlook, selecting the weight load capacity for your workbench is one of the most important aspects of the design process. Weight load capacity directly impacts the safety and function of the workbench. As a result, before designing any type of lab furniture, take into consideration how the workbench will be used now as well as how it will be used in the laboratory.
Additionally, how a workbench is customized directly impacts its durability and strength. Features like a workbench’s legs, mounting plates, and bars all affect the structural stability of this piece of furniture. When adding casters during construction, make sure you choose a solution that will support the weight of the workbench.
4. Choose the Right Surface Material
The work surface of your lab workbench will take the brunt of the unit’s wear and tear, so it’s important to match your workbench top material to your application. Luckily, there are endless variations, from hardwoods to ESD to laminated steel tops. Each will provide a slightly different experience, longevity, and functionality.
Stainless steel tops are ideal for food handling or for any operation where corrosion is an issue. Stainless steel tops are also extremely durable and relatively inexpensive but should not be utilized in moisture applications.
Hardwood tops are very durable and very flexible but tend to be more expensive. Furthermore, laminate tops are less expensive and extremely useful but sometimes cannot handle heavy applications the way steel or wood can.
5. Think About Accessories
The ability to accessorize a workbench can pay extensive dividends in the long run. Ask your provider whether the accessories can help with installation after the fact.
Risers, drawers, tool balancers, lighting, computer arms, bins, ESD kits, shelves, and specialized storage are all available to allow you to turn simple work tables into a defined-use workstation as needs arise.
No matter what the task, there’s an accessory option to help your lab workers perform their work efficiently. By taking advantage of the abundant vertical space above the worksurface, and the many interchangeable accessory options available, you can create a highly-efficient work area with extreme adaptability.
Contact LabTech Supply Company Today for Your Lab Workbench Needs
With all these considerations in mind, be sure to think about the rest of the work area as well. Take a look around your workspace and see the potential for increased productivity in your workbench configurations.
Above all else, when customizing a workbench for your laboratory, look for efficient systems and a company with experience that will work with you every step of the way to ensure you have a product that meets the needs of your lab facility. The best lab furniture companies will emphasize safety, consider your current and future needs, and help you bring your ideas to life.
Like any other business or institution, science laboratories evolve with time, which makes it even more vital to update your lab equipment to stay up to the diverse requirements and industry standards. At LabTech Supply Company, we’re dedicated to helping customers find modern solutions to keep their lab workspaces current with contemporary technology.
For over 30 years, we’ve remained dedicated to customers with a complete variety of lab benches and lab furniture for all types of laboratory work environments. As a result, we’re proud to be a recognized leader in lab furniture, making us your one-stop shop for all of your lab’s needs. All of our laboratory furniture and equipment is assembled in the United States to ensure that the scientific community workers only the highest quality laboratory equipment that fits their budget and meets all industry standards.
Contact LabTech Supply Company to speak with our staff of expert designers and find out more about our wide range selection of laboratory equipment, fume hoods, lab carts, and lab products and discover how we can help you improve your laboratory’s work environment today.
