Turnkey Laboratory

Overview of a turnkey project

We consider a laboratory project to be a turnkey project, beginning with the analytics, up to the laboratory building, the working process, laboratory organization, basic rules and norms.

Basically a laboratory project consists of 6 areas:

• the analytical process
• the device-related equipment
• the laboratory with laboratory furniture and utilities supply
• the technical building equipment
• the laboratory building
• the working process and the laboratory organization

The analytical process

The analytics as the main function of a laboratory can be divided according to the following criteria.

Task:

• Quality management: control of raw materials, intermediate products or final product
• Researching analytics: as fundamental research or applied research

Of course there are laboratories and tasks, that can not be assigned to one of these main areas; that rather stand between or beside them. These are for example laboratories for the product design or investigative laboratories like a governmental research agency or a forensic laboratory that traces criminal activities. Aim of the researching analytics is, to broaden the scientific understanding. Applied research serves to pursue the technical advancement, and to utilize the resulting outcome for the industry.

Research method:

• Physical methods
• Chemical methods
• Biological methods

From these three sets of basic methods all other methods of special fields can be derived. Examples are fields like medicine, virology, pharmacy, physical product control and more.

Application or the special field:

• Molecular biological reseach laboratory
• Petrochemical laboratory for the quality management
• Chemical-physical laboratory for the production control of steel
• Biological and chemical physical quality management laboratory for the food and beverage industry
• Chemical-biological veterinary investigation offices
• Medical laboratory in a hospital or in research
• Nanotechnological research laboratory

The possiblities are manifold. Of course the list is incomplete and serves as an example only.

For the realization of laboratory projects parameters and analytical steps have to be determined, as well as the quantity and quality of the analysis. From this the necessary device-related equipment, and the requirements to the laboratory as a whole and to the laboratory team, can be derived.

Our team cooperates with scientists and specialists and hence is able to supply the required expertise for your laboratory. We elaborate concepts for the quality management or for research, develop project studies or check the viability by establishing feasibility studies. Some examples can be found in our reference overview.

The device-related equipment

We understand the device-related lab equipment as all devices that are needed to perform the analytics. Of course this ultimately includes the auxiliary materials and the consumables as well.

The following criteria have to be considered for the compilation of the device-related equipment:

• performed analytical methods
• needed quality of the results
• number of analyses per time unit
• automation of analytical systems; resp. the possibility hereof
• compatibilty to other systems or to data aquisition (LIMS)
• requirements to the staff based on the device selection
• requirements to the laboratory based on the device selection (utilities, furniture, TBE etc.)
• acquisition costs
• costs of analyses
• internal company or lab standards for devices or manufacturers
• availability and quality of manufacturer services

Furthermore, strategic considerations have to be taken into account, like the lab's future orientation.

Recommendations for the choice of the equipment and if need be, the compilation of tender documents, can be part of our laboratory planning or project study. As the case may be, we can attend to the further procedure as consultant or as conducting company.

Laboratory furniture and utilities supply

In most cases the laboratory equipment and the analysis need an individualized work station. For example, the demands to a work station for manual titrations differ from the demands to a work station for an AAS, a gas-phase-chromatography or a microbiological workplace.

Examples for the citeria of the laboratory planning of a work station:

• required space for the equipment and the handling
• Sample preparation respectively required peripheral devices
• Utilities supply and disposal (energies, gas, water, waste etc.)
• Material texture of the work station
• Aspects regarding safety at work (extractor hood, explosion control, microbiological safety etc.)
• Aspects regarding the work environment (temperature, ventilation, purity etc.)
• Appraisal of results and administrative demands to the work station

Beside the singular contemplation, the work process and the laboratory organization have to be considered for the laboratory planning.

Examples for the criteria of the space planning of the laboratory:

• Division of the space acc. to analytical method, process step or samples
• Offices and community spaces, logistics rooms (utilities, consumables, waste etc.)

Of course the strategic direction of a laboratory also has to be considered: expansion, flexibility of the work stations and spaces for example.

Thus, laboratories are always custom-made and each work station is individualized.

The laboratory planning has to be wholistic under consideration of the following points:

• the analysis
• the work process
• internal and external requirements
• basic rules, norms and laws

We plan laboratory furniture independently and autonomously with our team in a dialogue between laboratory workers, application experts and engineers.

The technological building equipment (TBE)

The technological building equipment comprises the complete technological appliances that are required for the internal operating schedule and for the operation of a building.

In order to perform the analytics specific requirements have to be met by the rooms. Hence, an environment has to be proveded that is tailored to the analytics in regard of utilies (electrics, gases etc.), temperature and ventilation, as well as safety installations (gas detection etc.). In addition to the consideration of laws and rules, the technical building equipment has to be planned individualized for the analytical processes and the laboratory.

The technical building equipment comprises the following areas:

• Ventilation and air conditioning
• Heating and refrigeration
• Electrical engineering
• Sanitary engineering
• Utilities supply and disposal
• Communication technology and building automation
• Fire protection and safety installations

An important aspect in the area of the technical building equipment amongst others is the ventilation and air conditioning. Some points and questions at this are:

• heat build-up (thermal load) caused by the operating process
• manner of heat dissipation
• amount of air exchange
• implications for the room air control caused by employing fume hoods

Additional important points are e. g. the following:

• utilities supply central or local
• required water quality
• implementation of the fire protection concept and other safety measures

These are only some of the questions that have to be evaluated and realized within the entirety of the laboratory.

In cooperation with experienced TBE sectoral planners THIEMT plans and realizes a homogenous laboratory project.

The laboratory building

The laboratory building combines the single areas of operation of a laboratory and those that are necessary for the operation of a laboratory. The actual laboratory and the analytics performed therein, is the central point of the complete planning of space and building. Laboratory workers, laboratory sectoral planners and architects conjointly draft a concept, that suits all needs.

The areas of operation of a laboratory building are:

• Laboratory rooms and the analytics
• Analysis rooms and offices that are in direct connection to the analytics
• Logistics areas (rinsing space, storage space etc.)
• Administrative areas and community space (offices, conference rooms, factory canteen etc.)
• Utilities space
• Technology space (energy supply, water treatment, waste disposal etc.)

Apart from the internal demands (analytics and process flow), the concept of the building also has to answer to external requirements.

External requirements to the laboratory:

• Locality and climate
• Laws and regulations of the approving authority
• Property with possibilites for utilization and site development
• Building (design, bearing structure, technology)

Beside the internal and external general framework, questions regarding the investment (building costs, property, site development), operating costs and sustainability of the building concept are in focus. Sustainability of the building concept means the resource management during the construction as well as the consumption of resources during the utilization and the life cycle of the building; furthermore effects on humans (health) and environment. This overall view is also called ecobalance or life cycle assessment.

Amongst others, we work in cooperation with architects that are experience in the laboratory field. Within this community we are able to plan and implement an homogenous and complete laboratory project. Some examples can be found on our reference page.

The laboratory organization and collateral work processes

Laboratory organization means all regulating, administrative and organizational work steps, guidelines and frame conditions, that facilitate a confident, goal-oriented, value adding and effective working in the laboratory and in the complete laboratory building.

Simply said, the laboratory organization serves the accomplishment of the main task, namely the analytics within the quality management or research. To accomplish this efficiently and confidently, a complete laboratory organization is required. The complex web of laboratory orders, guidelines and organizational etc. in this context can be summarized as the following four key aspects:

• work organization
• safety
• controlling
• rules and regulations

Mostly the single guidelines of the laboratory planning serve the above mentioned items.

Some example aspects covered by the work organization are as follows:

• analysis procedures
• sample flow
• actions on specific events
• documentation & LIMS
• user instructions for equipment and devices
• maintenance schedules
• responsibilities

Partly the points are specified in the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). The GLP is applied internationally and in part mutually recognized. It is basically a quality assurance system. Upon application and successfully completed examination, a corresponding GLP certificate can be obtained.

While accreditation to ISO 17025 is not mandatory, it is a must-have, as it demonstrates the integrity and reliability of testing and calibration laboratories. Therefore, third parties may not acknowledge the results if an accreditation has not been performed. Because of matches with the quality management system of the ISO 9001, a parallel certification of the (corporate) processes is also sensible. Thus, the entirety of all operational processes is organized, documented and constantly improved by a quality assurance system.

Safety is a central point in a laboratory and in a corporation. Questions and assignments regarding employment protection, hazard sources and dangerous substances, fire protection and many others, often are summarized in HSE respectively HSSE documents (Health, Safety, Security and Einvironment) within in-company rules. It defines, which general frameworks and standards are valid and have to be specified.

Furthermore the laboratory organization has to make sure that regulations and basic rules will be obeyed. The regulations for the laboratory planning, for laboratory equipment and furniture ad for the operation of a laboratory are divided into three groups:

• novernmental basic rules: these are laws, regulations and technical rules
• non-governmental rules (e. g. rules of insurance companies and trade associations)
• norms

The laboratory organization is an extremely complex subject, that has to be incorporated in the laboratory planning and the buildup of a laboratory, so it can subsequently serve as a basis for this.

We support you with specialists in terms of a wholistic solution.