Clean Benches: What is a Clean Bench?
clean bench is a laminar flow work cabinet or similar enclosure that provides filtered air across the work surface to protect against contamination. The clean bench was originally created to supplement clean room technology and today is used across a broad spectrum of industries including research, manufacturing, aerospace, biocience, pharmaceutical production and food processing. Many medical preparations take place on a clean bench, which explains why you often see them hospitals, clinics, laboratories and medical facilities worldwide.

What does a clean bench do?

The clean bench is recommended for work with non-hazardous materials where clean, particle-free air is necessary to avoid contamination. The clean bench ensures that the work surface is constantly flooded with HEPA-filtered air in a laminar flow.
Unlike a biological safety cabinet, the clean bench protects the work on the work surface, but not personnel or the surrounding environment from aerosols created on the work surface. The HEPA air filter can trap 99.999% of particles with a diameter greater than and less than 0.3 micron.

Why Laminar flow?
Clean benches are equipped with either vertical or horizontal laminar flow. Both of these configurations provide a unidirectional velocity along parallel flow lines. Simply, all of the air inside the confines of the bench flows in a single direction without

backwash, typically an an area of turbulent airflow created by obstructions, equipment, or movement within the clean bench enclosure. Proper enclosure design helps prevent backwash and ensures that the vertical or horizontal laminar air flow continues to protect work on the surface of the clean bench.