How To Specify Customised Biosafety Class II Cabinets
Want to know how expert your biosafety cabinet manufacturer really is? Here’s a simple test: try specifying custom features.
Customisation swiftly separates the true cabinet specialists from the average manufacturer that would secretly rather you ordered a standard off-the-shelf model.
Most Class II cabinet manufacturers treat customisation as an afterthought. Only the very best regard it as the start of the process. The manufacturer Faster takes it a stage further – by giving the custom cabinets their very own dedicated production line (with the support of a sizeable R&D team).
Your experiments tend to be built around the size and specification of the equipment available but what in an ideal world the equipment would be built around your experiments. When discussing custom options with Faster, a GA drawing will be produced even before quoting stage to ensure that all aspects fit your design or if any further modifications are required.
Custom Class II biosafety cabinets tend to be ordered by pharmaceutical customers, rather than by universities (which tend to prefer standard models). But all users can gain benefits from specifying their cabinets with a few extras.
Here are just a few of the custom features requested…
LED Lighting
Why would you not order LED lighting? It’s ubiquitous in your home, standard on new cars and can be found pretty much everywhere – even in the humble streetlamp. So why is it not in your cabinets?
LED offers brighter, better quality light. It also saves energy. And bulbs last longer.
Isokinetic Head
Ensuring true laminar airflow in your cabinets is critical to the success of your work. Turbulent air with swirls and eddies will deposit particles unpredictably – creating the risk of infection and cross-contamination during experiments.
So measuring airflow quality is vital. You will need an isokinetic head. On paper, it may be an optional extra but in reality we believe it should be high on your shopping list.
For airflow to be true laminar, all the air must move at the same speed and in the same direction. There must be no crossover of air streams.
Large Apertures
Increasing use of robots makes taller sashes with larger apertures a popular and logical choice.
Robotic arms have come along way since they were first used in laboratories in the 1980s. There are now so many cost-effective robots in labs. They play a vital role in sample preparation and handling, making light work of repetitive tasks such as pipetting and aliquoting.
Integrated Microscope (And Light), Docking Ports
If you have specialised technical requirements for your microscopes you will need dedicated cabinets built to your specifications to accommodate them.
Send us your microscopes and we will custom manufacture docking ports and integrations to accommodate them.
Our custom solutions can also accommodate all the microscope lighting you require.
Larger Class II Cabinets
Most Class II cabinets are around 1-2 metres wide. Each of Faster Air’s models is available in four standard widths:
- SafeFAST Classic – 1,045 mm, 1,350 mm, 1,655 mm and 1,960 mm (height 1,545mm, depth 810mm)
- SafeFAST Premium – 1,045 mm, 1,350 mm, 1,655 mm and 1,960 mm (height 1,545mm, depth 860mm
But you may require higher and deeper cabinets to accommodate bulker equipment such as robotic equipment. Or wider cabinets to give users a bigger working area.
Faster Air can manufacture cabinets to order in any bespoke size. Height is usually the biggest governing factor: you need 100-200 mm of space above the cabinet to ensure good airflow.
Prices and delivery times for bespoke-sized cabinets will depend on which dimension(s) you need to change from the standard: width is the easiest; depth slightly less easy; height is the most difficult to change.
Cabinets can also be joined by removing the connecting walls if the cabinets are flush to help increase working areas and save space.
Adjustable Sash Height And Fan Speed
Sash height is crucial in order to maintain true laminar airflow. Working with the wrong sash height can result in failed KI testing or alarms.
Furthermore, cabinet certification will be based on a specific sash height. Specifying an electronically controlled sash ensures that it opens to the correct height every time.
The industry standard height is 200mm. We can manufacture cabinets with custom-height sashes to accommodate your operational requirements.
All SafeFAST cabinets offer an added safety feature: you must press two buttons to close the sash. This ensures that both hands are outside the cabinet.
Fan speed can also be adjusted up or down on request to help ensure true laminar airflow.
Full Stainless Steel Cabinets
Standard Class II cabinets all have a stainless steel work surface to different levels of degree (304/316 stainless teel).
Full stainless steel cabinets are available for specialised pharmaceutical requirements, such as dealing with vaccines. Stainless steel is also recommended for gas-tight Class III cabinets used for work involving pathogens.
Marble Plinths
Heavy and stable marble plinths are available on request to resist vibration if sensitive balances are required in the cabinet. They can be specified for new cabinets or retrofitted to existing Faster units.
CCTV Integration
CCTV helps to ensure quality control and protect users. Our SafeFAST cabinets can be specified with CCTV heads to accommodate cameras.
Get Expert Technical Support
Faster Air sells SafeFAST Class II microbiological safety cabinets through its official UK distributor Biopharma Group.
Contact Biopharma Group Airflow Product Sales Executive Stephen Pygott, 07467 941522, spygott@biopharma.co.uk or Northern Clean Air Specialist Dougie Scott, 07539 256628, dscott@biopharma.co.uk