Have you ever looked at one of the pieces of lab equipment and made the impression that it has a brain of its own? You’re not alone. These are some of the best machines that form the very core of any scientific research in that they produce data without end. But like any high-performance athlete, they require servicing and rest too! Now, let me take you to the new colorful world of lab equipment maintenance.
The Heart of the Lab: Key Instruments
Pretend that your lab is a kitchen where many things are going on simultaneously. This is your fancy gadgets and equipment. It’s all there, from the chromatographs – what you get HPLC and GC doing – breaking down mixtures to smithereens; centrifuges whirling samples into the next world, and mass spectrometers-MS uncovering molecule revelations. Then there are the workhorses: These include incubation with cell cultures and ultra-low freezers for sample storage at very low temperatures. Of course, there is the hermetic environmental chamber, providing limited environments for tests.
When Things Go Wrong: Common Lab Equipment Issues
There’s this sickening feeling when your equipment just chooses to work a little less than what is expected of them. An imperfection in its centrifuge can take lots of hours of preparation to drain. The cells of a special culture may suffer because of an out-of-proportion incubator. You should only hear our horror regarding spectrometry, let alone a mass spectrometer that has decided to throw a tantrum in the middle of a procedure.
Common culprits include:
- Chromatography (HPLC, GC): It is quite disconcerting when these phantoms appear as ‘ghost peaks,’ pressure issues manifest, or when the retention time of the samples under study changes.
- Centrifuges: Issues such as unbalanced rotors, excessive vibration, and temperature changes are some of the causes of these problems.
- Mass Spectrometers (MS): They are skilled at discovering basic problems as well as dealing with more serious issues such as sensitivity drops or problems with mass accuracy, and noise.
- Incubators: These are some of the factors that can hamper performance and cause disastrous effects on equipment including temperature and humidity changes, variation in heating, and contamination.
- Ultra-Low Freezers: Temperature rise, compressor failures, and problems with door seals may affect the samples’ quality.
- Environmental Chambers: Some external conditions that may interfere with experiments include temperature and humidity changes, inadequate lighting as well as issues with the sensors.
Precision is Key: The Need for Calibration and Maintenance
These machines are the Ferraris of the science world. They require accuracy and tender loving care. Calibration is like changing the engine oil of your car: it needs to be done often and consistently. It makes sure that you get the correct and credible outcome of your research. Oh dear, what will they do having a scale that is slightly off by 1/1000 as much as 1 gram for your baking? That’s right, calibration is very important.
It is the cleaning for your lab equipment in a broader sense of the term or better still, the oil change for your lab equipment. Much like our cars require regular servicing and replacements of some of their parts, electronics require general washing, replacement of some of the parts, and updating of the software. It is a way of giving your equipment an aesthetic touch much like when one takes his or her car for a wash. Not getting a unit check is the same as flooring it while your car’s check engine light is on; the car might be running for a few more minutes without trouble but you are essentially courting disaster.
The Human Touch: Lab Technicians as Equipment Whisperers
A scientific lab technician is a workhorse of science, a person who is always behind the scenes but is very important. They fully understand all these machines’ functions, features, working, and capabilities. They can hear a motor whine which would mean that there is a problem before the problem worsens to a dangerous level. Also, they are the ones who bring back orders when there is none. So next time you are frustrated with some part of the scientific lab equipment needing repair service then please do not worry because there are people available for this purpose. They are the magicians behind the scenes and without them, your entire scientific reality is in a state of perpetual motion.
A Word to the Wise
Lab technicians can be said as the backbone of science and nothing can be said and done without their assistance. These people understand these machines as the back of their hands. They can detect abnormal sounds of a motor that indicates there is something wrong before it gets serious. That’s why they are the ones who have the task of bringing order where there is confusion. But, when one is frustrated about a complex scientific lab equipment that has developed some kind of fault, which requires repair service, then one should know that it is possible. Yes, they are the people behind the scenes, the magicians that make your scientific world go round.
Remember, happy lab equipment equals happy scientists.
