Laboratory Equipment & Supplies | Catlabpro

We certainly don’t need to tell you how dangerous an active lab can get. Even the most careful scientist has to handle toxic or hazardous fumes and chemicals. That’s when Catalina Laboratory Products has your back. Our high-quality fume hoods and cabinets are made from the best materials and come at a surprisingly affordable price. The CatLabPro catalog features a full range of fume hoods, cabinets, and other accessories. All our fume hoods and other products not only meet but actually exceed the standards set by the Scientific Equipment and Furniture Association (SEFA). That means you never have to worry about whether or not your equipment is going to work for you.

Any laboratory that regularly has dangerous fumes or vapors needs to have fume hoods. Acting as localized ventilation devices, they help keep you and your fellow workers safe. After all, a safe scientist is a happy scientist. We at CatLabPro offer basic, standard, high-efficiency, and premium fume hoods. We can work with you and help you figure out which hoods are right for you and your lab.

Continue Reading

Choosing the Right Material for Your Lab Workstation

If you work in a lab, you know how vital it is to have the right equipment. After all, how can you finish anything on time if you don’t have the proper materials? One of the most important things you need to have in your laboratory is one or more laboratory workstations. What can you possibly do without somewhere to place your equipment? Here at Catalina Laboratory Products, we specialize in high quality and affordable lab furniture like workstations. We believe that quality products shouldn’t be reserved for the most well funded labs, so our catalog is full of premium furniture at an affordable price. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re choosing your lab workstation.

What Material Should I Choose?

The kind of workstation you decide on will obviously be based on the kind of lab that you’re running. A chemical lab, for example, will require something with a solid surface that can hold up to spillage from your experiments.

Continue Reading

Quality Laboratory Wall Cabinets for all your Needs

Here at Catalina Laboratory Products, our mission is to bring you quality laboratory wall cabinets for all your needs. We were founded on the belief that it’s possible to offer our customers top of the line lab wall cabinets at an affordable price that can fit any lab’s budget. That’s still our belief today, and we’re proud to offer a variety of wall cabinets, whether you need hinged or sliding doors, glass or solid, large or small.

All of our cabinets are built with full-frame steel construction, fully welded for unbeatable strength. Our construction is tested and certified to be SEFA compliant, so that you never have to worry about shoddy or subpar craftsmanship. Our heavy-duty plated shelves are fully adjustable along both their length and width. The interior is lipped to guard against dust build-up. All our cabinets that utilize hinges are equipped with lab-grade, 5-knuckle, institutional stainless steel hinges for a lifetime of durability. Every cabinet ships with a mounting cleat for ultimate ease of installation. When you buy a CatLabPro cabinet, you can be assured that you’re getting exactly what you pay for — reliable craftsmanship that won’t break the bank but will get the job done.

Continue Reading

Our Laboratory Product Catalog

At Catalina Laboratory Products, we’re proud to offer a full-service catalogue for all your laboratory needs. Whether you’re looking for lab cabinets, a laboratory workbench, fume hoods, fixtures, sinks, or more, CatLabPro has got you covered. All of our products are specially designed to not just meet official SEFA standards (Scientific Equipment and Furniture Association) but exceed them. We’re also proud to offer countertops and other accessories compliant with ADA recommendations (Americans with Disabilities Act) so that our products are accessible to anyone and everyone — just like science is.

The CatLabPro promise for our entire catalog is one of quality, durability, and affordability. With every product we strive to deliver on those three principles. We work tirelessly to bring you only the best products: our cabinets are built with full-frame steel construction and are fully welded for unbeatable strength, our lab workbenches come in multiple variants to fit every lab set-up, and our fume hoods ensure the safety of all your scientists.

Continue Reading

CatLabPro Laboratory Cabinets and Countertops

Laboratory cabinets and countertops are not created equal. Depending on the circumstances, some materials work better than others. Labs that handle corrosive chemicals will have different needs than ones that require a sterile cleanroom. CatLabPro has the best laboratory cabinets and countertops to construct durable and long-lasting casework. Furthermore, our laboratory cabinets and countertops can be custom-built based on your daily needs.

Choosing Counter and Cabinet Materials

When choosing the material that your laboratory cabinets and countertops are made out of there are some factors to consider. The first and probably the most obvious of which is what fits into your budget. You will also want to consider the overall appearance of your lab and what you would like the lab to look like. Another aspect to think about is the potential exposure to caustic chemicals, biological agents, and heat. Finally, you will want to ensure that the countertops do not clash with the laboratory cabinetry.

Continue Reading

Simple Ideas for Updating Your Lab

A productive and efficient laboratory workspace demands high-quality laboratory products and furniture. With laboratory furniture being such a large investment, it is important to purchase from lab furniture suppliers that can provide durable and long-lasting laboratory products. Buying from expert laboratory furniture manufacturers is a smart investment and will save you money in the long run. High-quality lab furniture that you can count on can be the difference between a smooth, productive workday and a long, miserable one. Here are some simple ideas to help you update your lab furniture.

Replace Worn Countertops

Before heavily investing in new lab furniture you may want to consider replacing the countertops. If the current casework is in pretty good shape, but the counters are damaged due to spills and accidents it might be a good idea to just replace them. Replacing worn countertops will instantly renew the appearance of your lab and restore functionality while being extremely budget friendly. Many lab furniture suppliers offer new countertops at a fraction of the price of all new casework.

Modular Lab Furniture

As laboratory technology continues to develop at a lightspeed pace the result is many labs are converting to modular laboratory furniture. Modular furniture is very adaptive and can be reconfigured quickly to allow for new methodologies and advancements in current technology. With modular laboratory products, you can be sure that your lab is always set up and running as efficiently as possible.

Continue Reading

Why Metal Lab Cabinets?

If you are ordering furniture for your laboratory, you may be tempted to order the cheapest laboratory cabinets and countertops possible. However, that may not be the best idea in the long run for the longevity of your lab. Although it might seem at the start ordering metal lab cabinets is expensive, they more than pay for themselves in the long run. Here is some information about the importance of metal lab cabinets for your laboratory cabinets and countertops.

Reasons to Love Metal Lab Cabinets

There are many reasons to love metal lab cabinets. First, when lab cabinets and countertops are made of stainless steel, they are safe to work on for almost any experiment. This is important, as plastic or wooden countertops are not as safe, especially if your lab deals with chemicals during the course of a day. Wood cabinets are not conducive to continuous cleanup, especially if you have to constantly wet the surface. This can cause mold or wood rot. It also means that chemicals, bacteria, viruses, and other items you may be using can become trapped in the wood. Powder coated steel or stainless steel offers an easier, safer surface to clean.

Continue Reading...

What Should My Laboratory Desk Look Like?

Most people who think of desks think about a large wooden desk with pictures of kids or a spouse, with perhaps a coffee cup or a plant. However, laboratory desks or laboratory workstations are different than a regular desk would be, because of the nature of the work. If you are working in a laboratory, or you manage one, there are things you need to think about when you are designing space for a professional to work. Here are some of the items you need to consider when you are designing a workspace.

What Kind of Work Will Be Done?

Some labs have a laboratory desk that is separate from the work area, while others have laboratory workstations where all the work is done. You need to think about the kind of work that is done in the lab. The most common type of laboratories are chemical ones. Chemical labs need specialized work areas for people to experiment. If you are working with chemicals, you will need a surface that is easily cleaned and impervious to chemicals. A wood desk would not be suitable here, because chemicals can cause deterioration of the wood, or it can rot. A better surface would be stainless steel or powder coated steel, as they clean easily and are impervious to most chemicals.

Continue Reading…

Should I Get Steel or Wood for My Lab Furniture?

If you are lucky enough to be getting lab furniture, you are faced with a dilemma. Should you buy steel lab furniture from lab furniture manufacturers, or should you get wood? Any lab furniture supplier will tell you that great lab furniture can be made with both steel and wood. In fact, over 80% of all lab furniture is made from either steel or wood. How do you choose? We have some thoughts.

The Vote For Steel

Not that long ago, lab furniture suppliers didn’t want to make lab equipment out of steel. The feeling was that for lab equipment, wood was best. However, steel lab furniture has made a comeback in a big way. There are many different types of steel you can buy for your lab furniture, such as stainless steel, powder-coated steel, and steel with chemical laminate. All of these different types of steel mean that lab furniture manufacturers can offer you a product that won’t peel, crack or chip. It also won’t corrode, which is important in many labs. Steel is also strong and rigid, which means it can last for years, no matter how much you use it.

Continue Reading…

What Should I Look for in a Lab Furniture Supplier?

Most managers who are looking for suppliers for office furniture can spend a little bit of money and get a decent product, even if it is made out of particle board and plastic. However, managers that are looking for laboratory furniture manufacturers know they need quality furniture for their laboratories. Because you need to be so particular, what should you look for in a lab furniture supplier? We have some suggestions.

Experience

You need to make sure that the lab furniture manufacturers in Arizona have experience in the manufacture of lab equipment. Lab equipment needs to be made by someone who understands the craftsmanship necessary for a good lab cabinet, for example. Also, a manufacturer also needs to understand that different lab needs require different lab equipment. If you are in charge of purchasing for a medical testing lab, your needs are different than those of an IT lab. A good manufacturer has the experience to know what you need and make sure that the lab equipment you buy is perfect for your setting.

Continue Reading...

What To Look For in a Good Fume Hood

There are few products in the lab that are more important than a fume hood. In fact, fume hoods are some of the most important equipment a laboratory can have, because it keeps employees safe. Fume hoods not only keep the employee working safe, but everyone in the lab. If you are looking for a laboratory fume hood in Tucson, here are some tips on what to look for in a fume hood or in fume hood accessories.

What Exactly Does A Fume Hood Do?

Fume hoods work to make laboratories safe from the fumes that may occur when people with chemicals that are toxic or that could be volatile. Fume hoods do two things. First, they work with airflow to ensure that fumes are taken out of the area and away from employees. Then fume hoods work to treat the air with filters and exhaust systems to treat the air as well as disperse it if needed. Fume hoods are essential for laboratory work, especially for work with toxic chemicals that could be fatal if inhaled.

Continue Reading...

Lab Cabinets and Countertops

an do their work safely.

Lab cabinets and countertops ensure that your workspace is durable as well as functional for your laboratory. Depending on your needs, we have the perfect workspace solutions for you. We know that it is important you’re able to find lab equipment that fits your needs and the needs of your staff. Our metal lab cabinets and other products are made to ensure your employees can do their work safely.

What Should I Look For In A Lab Cabinet and Countertop?

There are several things you can look for in cabinetry or countertops. First, when you have a laboratory, you can’t afford to scrimp on particleboard. Some of the best cabinets on the market are made of stainless steel. Stainless steel allows you to thoroughly clean and sanitize your lab, which is crucial if you operate a lab in a sterile environment. You also want to get cabinets that are durable, and can resist everyday wear and tear without chipping or fading. Stainless steel also resists penetration by chemicals, moisture or heat. This is also important, because laboratories don’t need contamination by mold, bacteria or liquids in a sterile environment. 

Continue Reading…

The Difference between Good and Bad Laboratory Workbenches

Everyone needs a sturdy surface to work on. Whether you’re typing at a computer or shaping metal, a reliable work surface can increase productivity and help you make a better product. And just like a writer or wood worker, a lab technician can benefit from a good work surface. Quality laboratory workbenches are important when dealing with both volatile and non-volatile compounds. However, you may be wondering, “What’s the difference between a good laboratory bench and a bad one.” Fortunately, knowing the difference is easier than you think.

Laboratory Benches: How to Select the Right One

Manufacturers make laboratory workbenches at varying degrees of quality. On the lower end, you may see benches made of flimsy plywood that’s been glued together. These types of benches can get the job done. However, they can’t stand up to the abuse of daily use for very long. These cheaper benches may only last a year or two before you need to replace them. They may also become wobbly over time, making it more difficult to work on.

Continue Reading...

Laboratory Fume Hoods are Essential to any Lab

All labs have them. They should make your work easier and not cost you a fortune. And no, we’re not talking about interns. We’re talking about laboratory fume hoods. Every lab has at least one fume hood for working with compounds that release toxic gasses in a reaction. Finding the right fume hood for your lab may seem like an impossible feat, but it’s a lot easier than you think.

What Makes a Good Fume Hood for a Lab?

Fume hoods play a crucial role in the safety of your lab. Having a good fume hood could be the difference between inhaling toxic compounds and being able to work with these compounds safely. A lab fume hood works essentially the same as the one above your stove. Though, it’s probably not a good idea to strip your kitchen of its fume hood and take it to work. Laboratory fume hoods work a little differently than the one in your kitchen. They can filter a myriad of volatile compounds released from chemical reactions whereas kitchen fume hoods filter out just cooking smoke. Fume hoods always have a quality air flow system that can dispose of toxic gas. When purchasing a fume hood, look at its air filtration specifications to see if they have a quality air filtering system.

Continue Reading...

Types of Furniture in a Laboratory

Scientific laboratories need specially-designed furniture that has the ability to withstand laboratory conditions. Lab furniture should be able to tolerate stains and chemical spills and be resistant to cold and heat. Every lab needs laboratory furniture that allows researchers and scientists to perform experiments comfortably. At Catalina Laboratory Products, our expert lab furniture manufacturer’s believe that you need these pieces of laboratory furniture in a lab:

Center Table

The center table is generally placed in the center of the room, as the name implies. This allows for a significant amount of mobility for scientists and researchers to work together. They will conduct experiments and research at this table while having easy access to apparatus and chemicals.

Lab tables must be able to withstand abrasions and impact that is normal in lab work. Laboratory tables must also be resistant to fire accidents, caustic chemicals, and biological agents. Good quality tables come with special materials and coatings.

The most common and affordable material is laminate. However, laminate is not durable and does not provide the best resistance. But epoxy resin offers excellent value for money. Other materials used for lab furniture are stainless steel and phenolic resin, both of which provide great performance in lab conditions.

Continue Reading...

What Type of Fume Hood Does Your Lab Need?

If you work in a laboratory environment, it is not only crucial to have a functioning laboratory fume hood and a worker that understands how to work it, it is also vital to have the correct one for your intended use to ensure the safety of everyone in the laboratory. However, there are several options available, making it tough to determine which one is ideal for your lab. CATLABPRO is here to help make the process of selecting the right fume hood much simpler.

Purpose of Fume Hoods

To put it simply, lab fume hoods allow chemists and scientists to work with potentially harmful substances without the worry of inhalation or accidental exposure. Inhalation of gas due to a chemical reaction can result in serious problems. Without a fume hood and proper ventilation, those working in a lab environment can redirect gases, vapors, and fumes produced by the substances they work with.

Correct Fume Hood Usage

To ensure that you are utilizing your lab fume hood to the top of its ability, consider the following:

When doing an experiment or boiling materials where splashing might occur, be sure to use a shield to protect themselves.


Continue Reading...

Laboratory Furniture Materials—Which One is For You?

When designing a laboratory, the goal is to provide the right furniture so that the employees can complete projects or reach goals. Specialized equipment is often in place to create a complete laboratory, including cleaners, fume hoods, etc. Each piece of equipment will complete a defined process used for specific needs of the lab. Today’s lab furniture manufacturers are creating pieces that meet work needs and include features for streamlined performance. Knowing what type of materials to choose for your lab is essential.

So, how do you know what type of lab furniture to purchase? Learning more about material type, such as plastic laminate, metal and polypropylene is the first step. Each type has its own pros and cons and working best in specific types of labs.

Metal Material

When you install metal casework within your laboratory, you have a material that is cost-effective and sturdy. The material is durable and has the ability to withstand the tough experiments you may complete in the lab. The material is easy to clean as well as maintain.

Plastic Laminate

Another option that many labs choose for their furniture pieces is plastic laminate. This type of laboratory furniture is cost effective as it is less expensive on the budget. The material can be purchased in several colors as well as patterns and textures. Many laboratories choose this material type due to the color variations as well as to create a quiet atmosphere. The laminate absorbs sound better than other materials, such as metal, which helps to create a quieter environment.

Continue Reading

Selecting the Right Material for Your Lab Casework

For decades, laboratory casework consisted of wood with black resin countertops. Thankfully, new advancements in technology have allowed for more variety when it comes to your casework options. When it comes to furniture and lab casework, it is essential that you learn more about material options so that you can purchase the right items for your space. Read on to find out which materials are best for specific spaces to build a lab that works for you.

 

Laminate

In a laboratory setting, laminate is created with a melamine resin that creates a strong bond. Phenolic resin is added in and casework is constructed that is both decorative and functional. This material has a low-cost and is easy to clean and maintain. On the negative side, this material is unable to withstand certain chemicals and bacteria and also has low corrosive resistance.

Wood

This is the traditional choice for laboratory casework as it is durable and visually appealing. The material can withstand a certain amount of damage, more so than a material like stainless steel. However, wood will show discoloration, dents, chips and scratches based on how the lab operates. This material is affordable and provides moderate durability. On the negative side, it has a low resistance to bacteria, fungus, chemicals as well as water and moisture.

Steel

Another option is to choose a steel material application for your casework. Most cabinetry created from steel is done so with 12-guage steel so that it has heavy-duty use. With steel, a special powder coat finish can be applied which helps to provide a resistance from chipping, peeling and cracking. This material is more resistant to chemicals, scratching, bacteria and fungus.

 Continue Reading

Importance of Laboratory Cabinets

In the scientific community, laboratory cabinets play an important role. That’s because in science, study involves putting theories to the test. Demonstration is needed to prove a point via practical experiments. Lab cabinets are used to house the materials needed to complete experiments and are therefore vital to the needs of the lab. Having the right laboratory furnishings is key to success. Learning more about the importance of cabinetry, as well as the types of materials and features to look for, is helpful in determining the kind of furniture to add to your lab.

Mobile or Stationary?

One big question to ask yourself is if you need mobile or stationary cabinets. In most laboratory design, scientists can benefit from both types of lab cabinets. Mobile cabinets have wheels so they can be moved within the lab or even to other laboratories. With movement, you have more flexibility. You can move the cabinet to any space, which is helpful when completing experiments. It is recommended that a laboratory have one to two mobile units, at minimum, to be able to move about the lab freely with components as needed.

Stationary cabinets will always be part of a laboratory. Within the stationary cabinets, materials used on a regular basis can be stored. This can include beakers and test tubes, various chemicals and other everyday items. When a cabinet is stationary, you can provide quality organization in the lab. By storing items in the same place, you will know when inventory is low and can order accordingly.

Types of Cabinet Materials

Laboratory cabinetry comes in a variety of materials, with something offered for every lab type. The type of experiments you complete will dictate the type of cabinet material you choose for the lab.

One option is stainless steel metal lab cabinets. These cabinets are durable and efficient for laboratories that require decontamination. Cabinetry of this type can be stationary or mobile and the metal can easily be cleaned and holds up to certain types of spills.

Continue Reading

Durability, Versatility, Safety, and Unities: Maintaining Effective Laboratory Workstations

 

Maintaining effective laboratory workstations is vital to not only person convenience but efficiency as well. Through the years, lab furniture manufacturers have fine-tuned designs to increase ergonomic comfort. Understanding the various options available, allows one to create a workspace that meets professional and individual needs.

There are four positive features that can change the laboratory working environment: durability, versatility, utilities, safety. The mixture of these components can help create the ideal system.

Durability

One excellent way to increase laboratory workstation durability is by using good lab workbenches. These workbenches should be resistant to typical chemicals that are commonly found in labs since it is not unusual for potentially harmful substances or gases to spill or leak.

Versatility

Installing a strong fume hood is an effective way to make a laboratory workstation more versatile. Fume hoods are vital for ensuring labs contain breathable, fresh air. Additionally, they also help in venting out potentially toxic fumes that can be damaging to human health.

Read More