Microfluidics has explained how laboratory equipment such as work benches, once delivered 'as is' by manufacturers, are now designed with options and flexibility in mind.
Michael Pohl, vice-president of scientific marketing at Horiba, said: 'It used to be that when you had a lot of relatively large instruments, you would sit on a tall lab stool because you wanted your chemistry and glassware to be at eye level.
'The modern lab, however, is equipped with instruments that are 1-3ft tall and sit atop 3ft or higher benches.
'Because of this, you would need a ladder to get the desired view of your work or access the top of the instrument.
'Therefore, benches are changing to bring ergonomic advantages to the end users - they either have a much lower work surface, or are adjustable to accommodate workers of various heights.
'Ergonomic design has become a priority.' Changes made in how workbenches allow access to disparate wiring and plumbing systems have also had an impact on user satisfaction and efficiency.
Pohl said: 'I've seen benches that were situated back-to-back, but featured a 1-2ft-wide access for organising and directing all cables and plumbing.
'Thankfully, customers no longer have to crawl under the bench or flip instruments around.
'Particularly in analytic chemistry labs with a lot of instruments, this makes life a lot easier and keeps the lab much tidier.
'Finally, manufacturers are investing in optimising not just how products work, but also how they are used - with a clear focus on the individual user.' In terms of instrumentation, more companies are diversifying product lines in order to meet application-specific needs.
Rocky Courtain, sales manager at Morehousecowles, manufacturers of media mill, mixer, and disperser technology, labs now realise the need for equipment designed for both current and potential future requirements.
Customers in industries ranging from paints, coatings, specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and food have tapped the engineering experts at Morehousecowles for superior machinery and service.
Courtain said: 'The first thing we think about in specifying equipment for a lab is "What is the future of this company?" 'We want to invest only in flexible and practical equipment that can easily be scaled up for production.' One company that is designing its laboratory machines with an eye toward a range of potential future needs is Microfluidics.
The company offers a range of equipment to address a full spectrum of pressure and flow needs while guaranteeing scale-up: from lab bench-top units for research-and-development applications to much larger production-ready machines.
Microfluidics offers plug-and-play solutions, such as the M-110P Microfluidiser processor line, which includes the M-110P and the M-110P-20, M-110P-20S, and M-110PS.
These bench-top machines place minimal demands on lab resources, and are ideally suited for labs that have limited access to resources such as pneumatic air lines and cooling water lines.
Dave Gucwa, product manager of Microfluidics, said: 'The M-110P family can work anywhere in the lab, without being connected to a compressor or water source.
'It runs on a standard electrical outlet, so beginning to process material is as easy as plugging the machine into a wall socket.
'Self-reliant instruments like the M-110P are part of a lab equipment trend toward increased automation and greater simplicity and ease of use.' Gucwa added: 'These days it's all about providing labs with all the right options.
Courtain said: 'The consistent success of our customers' product formulations hinges on having pressures and flow rates that meet exact specifications - and on sourcing the appropriate equipment to do it.
'Companies realise that the lab, and the equipment within the lab, are investments in the future, and they do have returns.
'When a product goes to market, needs change.
'It's essential to have equipment that can accommodate these changes.
'Repeatability and scale-up capabilities are essential.' From workbenches to Microfluidiser processors, it's quite clear that the days of 'one-size fits all' lab equipment are over.
Today's labs are as diverse as the people who work in them and the jobs on which they're working.
For lab equipment manufacturers, this means that to meet customer expectations and goals, offering options is truly no longer optional.
