Clean Air Wins Sustainability Award
at Lab Innovations 2024
Find Out More
Fume cupboards are, above all, a critical piece of lab safety equipment. They are relied upon to provide containment and safely remove noxious gases, thereby protecting operators.
Clean Air Ltd is an air movement and fume cupboard design, manufacture and installation specialist, and has been producing standard, custom and specialist fume cupboards, and the associated extract systems, for almost 30 years.
When Innova Design Group needed an energy-efficient, bespoke fume cupboard solution for their refurbishment project at Concept Life Sciences, the Clean Air team stepped up to the challenge. They designed a solution which meets all the client’s requirements.
The 24 custom High-Performance Radius Profile fume cupboards and their extract systems have been manufactured, installed, and commissioned at the Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire discovery and development laboratory.
Concept Life Sciences is a Malvern Panalytical brand. The company offers discovery and development services and analytical solutions across the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and agrochemical sectors. It covers activities including the discovery of chemistry, biology, bioanalysis, toxicology and GMP manufacturing.
Innova Design Group has undertaken a full lab refurbishment for Concept Life Sciences. Three smaller laboratories are now one large, airy lab, complete with Innova furniture and Clean Air fume cupboards.
Concept Life Sciences maintains the highest safety standards to protect its people, the public and the environment. To meet its exacting containment requirements customised High-Performance Radius Profile fume cupboards were chosen for the new labs.
The 2m wide x 1m deep units all feature energy-efficient Variable Air Volume (VAV) technology, which reduces carbon emissions; fire suppression systems; bespoke frames with steel drawers; and colour-matched panels and sash grips.
The High-Performance Radius Profile fume cupboard is designed to meet BS EN 14175 and delivers assurance that operators are safe and protected.
The range is engineered for ultra-containment, with a design proven to eliminate air eddies in the internal chamber. Independent testing has confirmed the highest level of containment currently claimed by any fume cupboard manufacturer: the High-Performance Radius Profile has a Robustness of Containment Protection Factor (PFR) of >4,500,000 for all widths at 0.5 m/s face velocity.
To deliver the energy efficiency our client required, the 24 Clean Air fume cupboards have cost-effective VAV technology.
In laboratories featuring fume cupboards, the conditioned air extracted through a ducted fume cupboard must be replaced. This is typically achieved with heated or cooled outside air. VAV fume cupboards can significantly reduce energy costs, typically by approximately 70%, by efficiently reducing the volume of air extracted.
At our client’s request, we have integrated steel drawers into the fume cupboard frames below the chamber. For ease of use, they have triple extension runners.
The eye-catching top panels and sash grips are powder coated to colour match Concept Life Sciences’ signature blue branding. With hundreds of RAL colours to choose from, a virtually exact match was easily achieved.
“We selected Clean Air to supply the fume cupboards and extract systems due to their ability to design and supply safe, innovative products with proven containment. Costs, service, a professional team, and lead times also contributed to the decision.
“The Clean Air team were easy to work with. The specific design details our client wanted were quickly incorporated with no fuss or hassle. Throughout the project they delivered an outstanding service, with each phase brought in on time and to budget. Our client is delighted with the completed laboratory.”
Peter Smith, Director, Innova Design Group