Waldner

Read about how global leader in laboratory infrastructure solutions Waldner strives towards more #sustainable products.

Renewable and Sustainable Laboratories

Waldner is the global leader in laboratory infrastructure solutions and customised process systems. From our home in South-West Germany, Waldner Laboratory is the world’s largest manufacturer of laboratory furniture, ceiling supply solutions and fume cupboards.

Waldner’s SCALA range is the perfect combination of design and functionality that contributes to improving all laboratory environments. Waldner Process Systems design and manufacture single vessels to complete custom-made manu­fac­tur­ing processes. Our solutions include skids and process lines, containment systems and isolators, vessels, drying technology, and cooking equipment.

Part of our service offerings is consultancy, where we work with our clients to design all elements inside the laboratory/STEM space; ranging from needs analysis, concept and infrastructure design, product development and supply, turnkey construction works and preventative maintenance. 

As a group, Waldner works with the largest pharmaceutical and chemical companies delivering world-wide. As a company, we must look at minimizing our impact on the environment through our own actions. In order to act sustainably and to consume energy efficiently we have implemented three key elements of our sustainability strategy for our operations: Renewable Energy, Energy Recovery and Certification.

The Road to Efficient Energy

Waldner has installed two photovoltaic units at our facility that produces more than 750 MWh of electricity a year, correspondent to the consumption of 200 private households. The use of an energy source that generates no pollution and no greenhouse gas emissions is integral in the long term sustainability goals of our organization and we have plans to include more units in the near future.

Energy recovery is another important factor for us. Currently, 98% of the heating capacity our facility needs are covered by burning wood chips made from furniture offcuts. Our highly automated manu­fac­tur­ing process utilizes as much raw materials as possible, however there will always be some leftovers in the process. Instead of using oil to heat our facility, this is the perfect way to “recycle” our waste - by providing a necessary service for the facility.

Waldner has high standards regarding environmental management, energy saving and sustainable resources, which are validated by independent assessments. Currently we have attained certifications for the following:

• ISO50001 Certification: An international energy management system standard that certifies organisations of any size to systematically optimise energy performance and promote more efficient energy management.
• IS014001 Certification: A standard that specifies the requirements for an effective environmental management system.
• Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC): Our products are certified by the PEFC, an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation, and the world’s largest forest certification system
• Forest Stewardship Council: Providing a market-based certification program used as a transnational environmental policy, the Council is an international non-profit organization established in 1993 that promotes responsible management of the world's forests.

We are not only committed to our customers, but also committed to protecting the natural resources that make our products.

Creating Renewable and Sustainable Products

As a manufacturer, we strive to ensure the products we produce are sustainable and energy efficient. With this in mind, Waldner has designed the world’s most energy efficient fume hood, Secuflow.

During laboratory operations, a standard fume cupboard consumes about the same amount of energy per year as a family home. It is therefore not surprising that the ventilation of the laboratory building accounts for bulk of the laboratory operating costs. The flow rate of conditioned air supply and the dimensions of the ventilation system clearly depend on the fume cupboards used.

With the Secuflow, supportive air is systematically directed into the internal workspace from the aerodynamically designed sill on the side panel and along the worktop. This prevents turbulence and perfectly stabilises the inflow of air. Extraction is performed safely on the rear panel of the fume cupboard above the worktop, around the service panels and top panel.

At 270m3/h, Secuflow fume cupboards easily fall below the maximum values for tracer gas specified by the relevant regulatory bodies. Conventional fume cupboards require approximately 900m3/h. In this way, the Secuflow reduces air volume significantly compared to conventional fume cupboards. This means hefty savings not only in energy and investment costs for the ventilation system, but also in the sizing of the entire building.

Maintenance and Future-Proof Facilities

Apart from being a manufacturer, Waldner is also one of the leading laboratory design companies. We work with some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical, chemical and research companies to design sustainable, flexible, energy efficient and future-proof facilities.

Flexibility is the key element in building a future-proof science facility. By creating a space that can be changed and configured with ease, we can increase the lifespan of the facility itself. Utilising a fully flexible ceiling grid system along with moveable furniture allows us to ensure that a facility can be reconfigured for new research needs within days. This means that instead of replacing furniture equipment and fixtures every 3 years or so, R&D departments can reconfigure office space and research layouts without wasting precious natural and company resources, making laboratories future-proof against new research needs and requirements.

An integral element of a sustainable laboratory is ensuring that it functions as designed for the full life cycle of the facility. That requires a comprehensive service and maintenance plan that will look after the equipment and allow the facility to operate as efficiently as possible. Through our dedicated team of service engineers, Waldner offers a complete range of services to maintain our clients’ facilities. This begins with technical support and includes maintenance, inspection and repair work, as well as retrofitting of old facilities, supply of spare parts and various accessories. Through continuous care, a facility’s lifespan can be extended considerably from that of a traditional laboratory.

As the global leader in laboratory infrastructure solutions, we strive to build a business that is sustainable and leaves as little impact on our world as possible. We start internally with our own facility and manu­fac­tur­ing processes, designing products that help our clients reduce their energy consumption, and build facilities that have flexibility, maintaining them throughout their long lifespan.

For more information on Waldner here in Sin­ga­pore, please visit www.waldner.asia