The opening of a new laboratory almost always begins with the same mistake: they begin to select equipment for individual items, without connecting them with tasks, methods and future workload. As a result, some devices turn out to be redundant, and some really important items have to be purchased after launch.

The right approach starts with answering three questions: what analyzes and tests will be performed, how much work is planned per month, and what regulatory requirements apply to your industry. For chemical, food, medical, environmental and testing laboratories, the set of basic equipment will be different, even if the tasks seem similar on the surface.

The next step is to divide the equipment into four groups: mandatory, desirable, auxiliary and consumables. Mandatory items usually include scales, pH meters, thermostatic equipment, glassware, dispensers, exhaust solutions and environmental control devices. The required equipment depends on the profile of the laboratory: for example, photometers and conductometers are important for water analysis, testing machines and presses are important for a construction laboratory, and incubators, shakers and PCR equipment are important for biomedicine.

Separately, it is worth taking into account service, personnel training, custom delivery and commissioning time. That is why it is more profitable for a new facility to work with a supplier who helps not just sell the device, but assemble a complete solution. At LABERA, this approach is especially important for laboratories that are starting from scratch or undergoing modernization.