A laminar flow hood bathes the work surface in HEPA-filtered air moving in one direction, giving you an ISO 5 (Class 100) work zone on an ordinary bench. It protects the work from airborne particles — media, plates, cultures of non-hazardous organisms, PCR set-up, non-hazardous sterile compounding, electronics. It does not protect the operator: the filtered air exits toward you. Anything hazardous to you — pathogens, human cell lines, cytotoxic drugs, volatile chemicals — belongs in a biological safety cabinet or a fume hood, not here.
Which one
| Your work |
Buy |
Why |
| Media prep, plating, non-hazardous cultures, sample prep, non-hazardous sterile compounding |
AC600 vertical laminar flow workstation |
ISO 5 vertical flow, no ductwork, polypropylene body, 24–48 in |
| PCR and other DNA/RNA set-up where carry-over between runs is the risk |
AC600 PCR workstation |
Same airflow plus UV irradiation of the surface and tools between runs, digital UV timer, sash safety switch |
| Moving the hood between rooms or benches |
AC600 mobile cart |
Locking casters, matched to the 24, 32 and 48 in widths |
| BSL-2 organisms, human cell lines, cytotoxic compounding |
A Class II biological safety cabinet |
A laminar flow hood gives the operator no protection |
| Volatile or toxic chemicals |
A chemical fume hood |
A laminar flow hood has no exhaust capture |
Models at a glance
| Family |
Width |
Height |
AirClean model |
Internal W × D × H |
| Vertical laminar flow |
24 in |
Standard |
AC624LF |
23 × 23 × 18 in |
| Vertical laminar flow |
32 in |
Standard / Tall |
AC632LFC / AC632TLFC |
31 × 23 × 18 in / 31 × 23 × 27 in |
| Vertical laminar flow |
48 in |
Standard / Tall |
AC648LFC / AC648TLFC |
47 × 23 × 18 in / 47 × 23 × 29 in |
| PCR workstation, HEPA + UV |
24 in |
Standard |
AC624LFUV |
23 × 23 × 18 in |
| PCR workstation, HEPA + UV |
32 in |
Standard |
AC632LFUVC |
31 × 23 × 20 in |
| PCR workstation, HEPA + UV |
48 in |
Standard |
AC648LFUVC |
47 × 23 × 21 in |
Every unit plugs into a standard 110 V or 220 V outlet, needs no ductwork, ships fully assembled and is ISO 5 tested. Sizing rule: pick the width that leaves the work surface uncrowded — a full bench inside the hood creates turbulence. The 24 in unit suits one operator with small items; 32 in is the general-purpose size; 48 in gives one operator a full range of motion or room for a small instrument.
Questions buyers ask
Vertical or horizontal laminar flow?
Both give ISO 5 air; the difference is direction. Vertical flow comes down from the top of the chamber and suits larger items on the work surface, powders and general sterile compounding. Horizontal flow comes from the back wall toward the operator and suits small items placed in a line upstream of each other. The AC600 units on this page are vertical flow.
Is a laminar flow hood the same as a biological safety cabinet?
No. A laminar flow hood protects the work and blows filtered air toward the operator. A biological safety cabinet pulls air away from the operator and HEPA-filters the exhaust. Any organism, cell line or drug that is hazardous to you needs a biological safety cabinet.
Does it need ductwork or installation?
No. The AC600 Series recirculates filtered air to the room and plugs into a standard 110 V or 220 V outlet. It arrives fully assembled.
What does ISO 5 mean?
ISO 5 (formerly Class 100) is the cleanroom class that allows no more than 3,520 particles of 0.5 µm or larger per cubic metre of air. It is the class required at the critical work surface for sterile compounding and most cell-culture and media work.
What is different about the PCR workstation?
It adds UV irradiation of the work surface and tools between amplifications, on a 1–59 minute digital timer, with a sash switch that turns the lamp off and starts the blower the moment the sash is raised. Airflow, construction and sizes match the standard AC600.
More detail — HEPA vs ULPA, filter testing, siting, purge times — is in What is a laminar flow hood and when do you need one?
