Hood; Vertical Laminar Flow, Wet Processing Station, Powder-Coated Steel, 100" W x 28" D x 89.5" H, 120 V

Provide Terra with your desired ISO rating. We will tailor the product to meet your rating and supply a certificate of compliance appended to your invoice, to be included in your compliance package. All certificates are archived in Terra's system for quick retrieval.

Terra’s filter fan unit motors are rated for 5 years of continuous, 24/7 operation, if the HEPA filters are consistently replaced. To accurately monitor your HEPA filter’s saturation levels, purchase Terra’s audible and visual filter replacement alarm system.

Included recessed light fixture simplifies cleaning and minimizes airflow disruptions (shown next to optional UV sterilization bulb).

PLC control panel provides control of fan speed, lights, and motorized shield; digital gauge monitors backpressure and issues alerts when filter(s) need replacement

To simplify filter replacement, HEPA filters can be removed and replaced while the FFU remains installed; the gel-sealed filter seats securely against the "knife-edge" on the blower housing to form a tight seal.

Side panels and access shield optimize unidirectional flow of HEPA-filtered air; advanced baffling technology ensures uniform face velocity to meet ISO 5 particle requirements.

Motorized access shield, included on select models, enhances laminar flow and protects operator from chemical fumes and other environmental nuisances.

Built-in stand with dissipative PVC side panels allows VLF Stations to be positioned over any table or processing equipment without transferring hood vibration to work surface (shown integrated with optional modular wet station).

Terra’s signature white powder coat finish provides a high quality, durable barrier to protect against corrosion, plus a clean and attractive aesthetic. The advanced heat-fused formulation exceeds ASTM and ISO paint standards to resist chipping, scratching, fading, and wearing.

Exposure to loud noises can lower the ability to focus on work and listen selectively, which may also lead to safety issues. Typical AC units can be annoyingly loud, measuring in the range of 70 dB (comparable to a vacuum cleaner). Terra’s WhisperFlow design produces far lower noise levels for a quiet environment comparable to a library. At 90 ft/min output, units measure under 50 dB from only 1 ft away (roughly 75% quieter than 70dB).

At Terra, we strive to develop and produce the highest quality products for our customers to improve health, safety, performance, and yields. Our product quality is enabled by high-grade manufacturing equipment and processes, 45 years of engineering and application expertise, and our commitment to continuously improve.

Terra is committed to building long-term relationships with satisfied clients; 94% of orders each year come from repeat customers

Since 1976, Terra has designed and manufactured over 4,000 cleanrooms for companies at the leading edge of high technology

Water’s ability to dissolve compounds, along with its polarity, bonding, melting, boiling and freezing points, heat absorption, and vaporization characteristics arguably make it the most versatile substance we know. It’s also ubiquitous and plentiful: the earth can’t live without it, most plants and animals can’t exist without it, and scientists can’t operate labs without it.

Water is the most common reagent used in the laboratory, and while water quality can often be overlooked, the grade of water being used in an application is critical. Minute traces of salts or biological contaminants can result in unfortunate consequences when culturing cells or performing analytical measurements of biological macromolecules.

With that being said, how is water quality measured and how do researchers determine the purity of water necessary for their process? Water quality is measured by examining a set of parameters from a water sample and comparing that to set values to achieve a water purity rating. These ratings were established by the international rating organization ASTM and ranked from Type 1 (the most pure) to Type 4 (the least pure). Let’s look at specifications that scientists measure to determine a purity rating:

Resistivity: Resistivity is a measurement of water’s ability to resist or conduct an electrical charge. Pure water has a resistance of 18.2 MΩ × cm at 25°C. The resistance of water can be easily and inexpensively monitored in a laboratory. As the level of ionic impurities (salts from minerals in the earth’s crust) increases in water, the resistivity decreases. Resistivity will only measure ionic impurities and does not account for organic compounds from biological contaminants.

Total Organic Carbon (TOC): TOC is a measurement of the amount of organic carbon that is found in a water sample. The measurement is calculated from the total carbon in a water sample, subtracting out inorganic carbon (from dissolved carbon dioxide and carbonic acid salts) to arrive at the TOC Count.

The TOC level can be affected by a host of contaminants in a water sample, such as decomposing biological material, bacterial growth or the chemical activity (metabolism) of living organisms. High TOC measurements can be indicative of bacterial biofilm growth within a water supply or other upstream biological contamination. TOC is typically measured in parts per billion (ppb), with Type 1 water systems having less than 10 ppb.

Bacteria: Bacteria are a common source of water contamination and often included in the measurement of laboratory water quality. The number of bacterial cells with the potential to multiple and grow in the water is counted and reported as colony forming units (CFUs) per unit volume (ml). For Type 1 water systems, 1 ml of water must form fewer than 10 bacterial colonies.

Endotoxins: Endotoxins are lipopolysaccharide molecules released when bacterial cells die. Results of in vivo and in vitro experiments are negatively impacted when they are present, and labware is easily contaminated. Thus, measuring the amount of these toxins in a laboratory water system is significant when measuring water purity. Type 1 water quality systems typically have measurements of less than 0.03 Endotoxin Units per ml of water.

Level of Contaminants in Different Water Purity Types*

Water Quality Type by Applications

The National Institute of Health (NIH), Division of Technical Resources has released guidelines that detail the type of water purity system that should be used in various scientific disciplines and for specific applications. While Type 3 water is considered usable for autoclaving, glassware rinsing or washing and water baths, Type 1 and Type 2 water are indicated for most laboratory procedures. Type 2 water is generally suited for reagent and buffer mixtures in addition to cultured media preparation. Type 1 water is reserved for the most sensitive processes, such as High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and trace analysis. The type of water required for a given application can be found summarized in this NIH table*:

Water is more complicated than simple hydrogen and oxygen. Like any chemical used in the laboratory, it has classifications and application-specific forms. Researchers should consider their analytical tasks and have the recommended water type on hand.

Learn more about water purification systems offered at Laboratory-Equipment.com.