Moving a laminar flow cabinet

What a laminar flow cabinet is

A laminar flow cabinet, also called a clean bench, blows clean air through a HEPA filter over the work surface, in horizontal or vertical flow. It protects the sample or product from contamination, but unlike a biosafety cabinet it is not designed to protect the user from hazardous materials. So preparing it for a move is simpler, but it is just as sensitive to shocks.

Why care is needed

The HEPA filter is made of fine fibres sealed inside a frame. A knock, a strong shock or a sharp tilt on the way can cause a small tear or damage the seal. The cabinet then looks fine, but the air passing through it is no longer clean. So it is moved like a precision instrument, not like furniture.

Before the move

• The lab team clears the work surface and cleans it according to the lab's procedure.
• The cabinet is switched off and unplugged. If it is connected to gas or vacuum, a technician on the customer's behalf disconnects it.
• Loose parts such as shelves, trays and lamps are removed and packed separately.
• We measure the cabinet, the doors, the elevator and the route in the new lab.

Disassembly and transport

• If the cabinet stands on a base or a support table, it is separated from the base and each part travels separately.
• The front glass and the openings are protected, and the whole cabinet is wrapped.
• It travels upright, strapped and padded, in a truck with shock absorbers.
• In narrow openings it is tilted only when there is no other way, slowly and at a small angle.

In the new lab

We place the cabinet in its planned location, away from doors, air-conditioning vents and busy walkways, because all of these create air currents that disturb the clean flow. We assemble the base, level the cabinet and refit the accessories. Then a qualified technician on the customer's behalf checks the airflow velocity and the filter integrity, and work resumes only after the test.

Laminar flow cabinet or biosafety cabinet?

If the cabinet was used with biological material, it is probably a biosafety cabinet rather than a laminar flow cabinet. A biosafety cabinet usually needs full decontamination before the move, and testing and recertification after it. We wrote a separate guide on that, linked below.

Customer responsibilities

Disconnecting and connecting gas, water and power, instrument calibration and biosafety cabinet certification are done by the customer's technicians or contractors. If needed, we are happy to refer you to a qualified technician we know.

More about moving hoods and cabinets

• Biosafety cabinets after a move: why recertification is neededWhy a biosafety cabinet (BSC) needs recertification after it is moved, what is tested, and how the lab can plan the test to avoid delays.
• How to move a chemical fume hood safelyHow to move a fume hood: decontaminate, disconnect exhaust and gas, measure the route, move it upright and test airflow after reinstallation.

More guides

• How to move a chemical fume hood safelyHow to move a fume hood: decontaminate, disconnect exhaust and gas, measure the route, move it upright and test airflow after reinstallation.
• Biosafety cabinets after a move: why recertification is neededWhy a biosafety cabinet (BSC) needs recertification after it is moved, what is tested, and how the lab can plan the test to avoid delays.