To answer this question, we asked Pál Mezei, fire safety expert, explosion-proof Equipment Manager, EXON certified Explosion Protection Zone Classification plan preparer.
The fire safety expert’s opinion can be found here.

It is actually a wood chipboard furniture, often referred to as HPL. HPL stands for High Pressure Laminate. This is the sheet that covers furniture panels and is applied by gluing. HPL is one of the highest quality decorative panels. It can be used for the body (carcass), front (door, drawer) and worktop of furniture.

It can be recommended almost anywhere. The quality of the worktop is the main factor affecting the durability of the furniture, as it is exposed to the highest physical, chemical and thermal stresses. It is an excellent choice for office, kitchen or even laboratory environments.

For office or kitchen environments, particleboard is suitable, but for laboratory and industrial environments, Fundermax Max Resistance compact board is the best choice.

Fundermax Max Resistance is also HPL, but it is different from the traditional particleboard-based version. It is a sandwich panel with both sides covered with an acrylic polyurethane coating and the centre made of paper impregnated with phenolic resin. The acrylic coating is highly resistant to physical impacts, such as scratches, and provides excellent acid and alkali resistance. In addition, Fundermax Max Resistance is particularly resistant to high water usage, such as in a dishwashing environment. Although wood chipboard worktops are water resistant, water can cause long-term damage to the wood chip without a proper ABS edge seal.

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is a plastic used to seal the edges of furniture panels. Its function is to protect and improve the aesthetics of wood chipboard. Edge sealing is done by gluing, and ABS is usually the same colour as the decorative panels, but can be a different colour if you want to highlight the edges of the furniture.

The energy column is a “tower” made of steel plate or compact sheet, which is often used for island tables. Its function is to provide mechanical, high and low current connections. The pole is installed on the work surface of the island table and can reach up to the ceiling. It can also serve decorative purposes if the incoming supply is not from the floor but from the ceiling. An additional function of the column is to provide space for protection devices such as circuit breakers, pressure relief devices.

An energy tunnel is a horizontally oriented energy pole that does not provide connections to machinery, but only serves as a discreet conduit for mechanical, high and low current wiring and cables. The tunnel is located behind the furniture, concealing it.

A chemical flask is a laboratory apparatus designed to create and maintain a depression space. Vapours and gases generated during work in the enclosure can be dangerous to the user and should not be allowed to escape from the enclosure. The ventilator of the chemical enclosure exhausts the air through the enclosure and provides a supply of air to the room. In addition, chemical chambers can be equipped with VAV control and frequency inverter to ensure economical operation.

VAV (Variable Air Volume) control is a method used in air handling systems to ensure that the required air volume is maintained at an optimum level. This improves comfort and reduces energy demand. VAV control allows the amount of air removed by the fan of the chemical fume hood to be equal to the amount of air introduced into the room. The system automatically controls the air volume, which is particularly important for sustainable operation.

A variable speed drive is a device that allows the speed of the fan motor to be controlled steplessly. By using a variable speed drive, energy consumption can be reduced by adjusting the fan speed according to the actual needs. It also provides protection for the fan, eliminating the need for a separate motor protection switch.

The window position potentiometer of the chemical enclosures directly controls the fan speed depending on the position of the window. This ensures the ideal flow rate without the user having to adjust anything. The automatic system always maintains an optimal airflow level.