Turnkey Laboratory

Overview of a turnkey project

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

PNF plans and implements turnkey projects – large and small.

Basically a laboratory projects 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.

By the 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 further development, and to utilize the resulting outcome for the industry.

By the research method:

• Physical methods
• Chemical methods
• Biological methods

From these three basic methods all further special fields like for example medicine, virology, pharmacy, physical product control and so on can be derived.

By the 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 capabilities are manifold. Of course the list is incomplete and serves as an example only.

For the realization of laboratory projects parameter and analytical steps, as well as the quantity and quality of the analysis, have to be captured. 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.
Here, please find some reference examples.

The device-related equipment

The device-related lab equipment means all devices that are needed to perform the analytics. Of course this ultimately also includes the auxiliary materials and the consumables

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

• which analytical method will be performed
• which quality of the results do I want to achieve
• how many analysis per time unit can be performed
• are the analytical systems automated or automable
• compatibilty to other systems or to data aquisition (LIMS)
• what are the requirements the devices demands of the staff
• what are the requirements the device demands of the laboratory (utilities,furniture, TGA etc.)
• how high are the acquisition cost
• cost of analysis: what does an analysis cost (as full- part- critical value viewing)
• does the laboratory or the group of companies have a standard for equipment or for suppliers
• does the supplier of the equipment have a good service on site

Of course furthermore, strategic considerations – what will my laboratory look like in the future ?– have to be taken into account.

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: the demands to a work station for manual titrations differ from the demands top a work station for an AAS, a gas-phase-chromatograph 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.

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

The laboratory planning has to be wholistic: the analysis, the work process as well as internal and external demands, 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.

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The technological building equipment (TGA)

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

The performance of the analytics has specific requirements to the spaces – the analytics has to be provided with a harmonized environment regarding utilites (electrics, gas etc.), indoor temperature and ventilation, as well as safety arrangements (gas detection etc.).

Beside the allowance of laws and basic rules, the technical building equipment hence has to be developed out of consideration for the analytical process of 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 item in the area of the technical building equipment for example is the ventilation and air conditioning: how high is the heat build-up (thermal load) that will during the operating procedure be generated by the equipment and by the staff; how can this be conducted; which air exchange should be achieved – each laboratory has individual requirements. Furthermore the application of fume hoods has to be integrated, as the opening of the front sliding door has an essential influence on the balance of inlet air and outlet air. In addition it has to be resolved if a local or a central utilities supply is wanted; which water in which quality will be needed at which work station; how is the fire protection concept and other safety installations to be accomplished. These are only some of the questions that have to be evaluated and realized within the entity of the laboratory.

We have concluded a cooperation with a laboratory experienced TGA sectoral planner – thus a homogenous laboratory can be planned in common.

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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.

Apart from the cooperation with the TGA sectoral planner we have also gone into a cooperation with an experienced architect. Within this laboratory experienced community we are able to plan and implement an ideal, homogenous and complete laboratory project . Here please find some reference examples.

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The laboratory organisation and collateral work processes

Laboratory organisation means all regulating, administrative and organisational 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 organisation serves the accomplishment of the main task: the analytics within the quality management or research. To accomplish this efficiently and confidently, a complete laboratory organization is required. From the unlimited tangled mass of laboratory orders, guidelines and organisational forms the laboratory organization can be summed up as follows:

• Work organisation: how do I perform my work
• Safety: how can I make sure the laboratory is safe for humans and environment
• Controlling: how can I ensure a clear overview of the activities from an organisational, technological and economic point of view
• Rules and regulations: which legal regulations and other norms have to be observed

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

Within the work organisation it will be defined, how an analysis has to be performed, how the sample flow is organized, which steps have to be taken if this or that event arrives, how I have to document the work and the results (LIMS and others), how are which devices to be operated, which maintenance timetable has to be observed, who is responsible for what. These are only a few items out of the range of the work organization. Partly the works are specified respectively documented in the “Good Laboratory Practice” (GLP). Ultimately the “Good Laboratory Practice” which is used nationally and internationally, and which is partially mutually recognized, is a quality management system. An appropriate GLP certificate can be applied for; it will be granted after a successful assessment. Likewise the complete operational activities should be organized and documented in a quality management system. If you are active in research, the accreditation acc. to DIN 17025 is requisite, as otherwise the results would not be accepted. The DIN 17025 lists the general requirements to test laboratories and calibration laboratories. The quality management system acc. to DIN ISO 9001 comprehensively describes the complete (corporate) process flow; the accreditation proves that it answers to certain norms.

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 within in-company rules. In this connection HSSE means “Health, Safety, Security and Einvironment”. 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:

• Governmental basic rules: these are laws, regulations and technical rules
• Non-governmental rules: these are for example rules of insurance companies and Mutual Indemnity
• Norms: commendations of institutions, that were created collectively, to mutually acknowledge work processes and results (national and/or international).

The laboratory organisation 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.