Over Panel Built's nearly 25 years in operation, our wall panel systems have grown in popularity with our customers that are looking to install new space into their facilities quickly and affordably. And when it comes to creating a highly controlled environment, our same wall panel system can be implemented to get the job done. That's why our customers come to us when they are looking for testing labs and cleanrooms in their facilities. These are precision environments that can be used for testing anything from gas leaks to the purity of chemical compounds. And depending on the use of the testing lab, it can require different features and characteristics to ensure it functions properly and within the industry's specific codes and requirements.

In this post, we will go over what a modular testing lab can be used for, what characteristics each of the uses should have, and why Panel Built's modular panel system offers the best solution for this environment.

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What is A Testing Lab?

Testing labs are used in a variety of industries and fields in order to run examinations or experiments under a highly controlled environment like a cleanroom. Take for example the kind of testing lab that you would find inside of a medical research facility. Let's say the facility is researching a new compound that could combat a rare liver disease. Before this compound could become available in the open market, it must undergo several rounds of testing.

When the compound is going through these rounds, the most important aspect of the testing lab is that it provides a consistant, controlled environment. This means that all factors that could influence the outcome of this particular test should be the same each time the testing takes place. If any variable is different from test to test, then it could have an impact on the results of the test, making the results unreliable.  

And, while the stakes are not this high in every testing lab, the purpose remains the same: to provide a consistent, controlled environment.

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What Type of Industries Would Use a Testing Lab?

Over the years, Panel Built has completed modular testing labs for a variety of facilities from automotive to healthcare to the military. Let's take a look at some of the different testing lab types and what variables they aim to control.

Leak Testing Labs

One of the main testing labs (or in this case often referred to as Leak Testing Booths) is a leak testing lab. Leak testing labs can be found in the fields relating to the manufacturing, repairing, maintenance, or refurbishing of certain goods and products.

Many products use toxic or flammable gases during their operation. If the product is not well maintained or becomes damaged throughout its product lifecycle, these gases may begin to leak or may not burn efficiently whenever the product is in use, giving off a more concentrated (toxic) by-product. Probably the best and most obvious example of this is automobiles. Older model cars will oftentimes have to take emissions tests to see if the car's exhaust is still working in proper order. However, many of your everyday appliances have to undergo these same tests in order to make sure their own gases.

In some cases, if the gas that is being tested for is highly toxic, the leak testing lab will use negative pressurization to ensure none of the toxic gases escape the booth. When a room or building is under negative pressure, the air pressure inside the room is lower than the air pressure outside. This typically requires a tight seal around the (almost) the entire room.  With the testing lab under negative pressure, all airflow will be moving into the room, keeping any toxic gases from leaking into the rest of the facility. 

Food Testing Labs

The Food and Drug Administration's, or FDA, sole purpose as a part of the United States government is to ensure the safety and well-being of US citizens through the regulation of the Food and Drugs that's available to the public. And as you can imagine, they have put a great deal of effort and law into making sure these consumables are safe wherever they're sold in the US. For this reason, food and drug manufacturing companies (and third-party testing laboratories) have food testing labs to ensure they are consistently delivering products that meet or exceed these standards.

The types of food that are tested can range from meats to fruits and vegetables to even the spices that you have in your kitchen pantry. Meats are often tested for bacteria, diseases, and parasites. Fruits and Vegetables will typically be checked for pesticides, fungus, and overall cleanliness. And your spices will be screened for foreign contaminants, or 'filth,' that could have gotten into the spices during manufacturing, processing, or packaging.

Whenever these foods are being tested for contamination, it is very important that the testing environment be as clean as possible as well. Otherwise, the food could become contaminated from the laboratory itself, leading to a false-positive in the testing which could lead to A LOT of problems, including the disposal of a large amount of perfectly good food and a wild goose chase for the contamination source that does not exist. 

Research Testing Labs

And finally, research testing labs are the example we looked at when we initially described a testing lab. These are facilities that look at the results from new and developing drugs that have yet to used by the public. In some cases, billions of dollars rest on the accurate testing of these developmental drugs. So, having a completely controlled environment is, of course, going to be one of their top priorities throughout their research.

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Why Choose Modular Testing Labs?

With Panel Built's modular wall panel system, your facility will see a number of benefits over choosing a stick-built alternative. One of the biggest advantages that we have seen, especially for these testing labs, is the ease of installation that modular provides. Since our testing labs are prefabricated in our modular construction facility, there is minimal cutting, trimming, and alterations needed to be made on-site, meaning the structure is ready to be put together as soon as it is delivered on-site. This equals a far shorter installation time at your facility and minimal down-time at your facility. But perhaps more importantly, this means there will be very little wasted materials in comparison to a stick-built alternative. As a facility that is installing a new, precision environment testing lab, the last thing you want is to start off with an already dirty space littered with leftover, discarded materials.

Modular Construction Can Make Testing Labs More Affordable

And in addition to the ease of installation, Panel Built's modular testing labs allow you to install new, controlled environments into your facility affordably. The same panel system that is used to create Panel Built's modular office systems can be used to erect a modular testing lab. By mass-producing our panels and using similar materials from project to project, Panel Built is able to manufacture our panels more economically, allowing you to save money on your project overall.

In many cases, facilities are looking to add more lab testing space to their facility. For these facilities, our wall panel system is able to attach to existing wall systems, allowing the company to increase their amount of testing space without having to completely remodel the area. And if they are looking to expand their modular testing lab in the future, our panel system can be reconfigured and added to in order to create a new, reconfigured testing room, providing you with incredible flexibility for the future.

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If you're looking to add a testing lab to your facility, give us a call and we can see how we can help! You can reach us directly at 800.636.3873, send us your questions to info@panelbuilt.com, or ask us in our LiveChat feature in the bottom right of the page.  We are always more than happy to answer any questions or concerns that you might.