Laminar Flow Enclosure

Free Standing Enclosure Frames for Nexus^® Optical Tables
HEPA Filters and Enclosure Frame Create a Clean Environment
Laminar Flow from HEPA Filter Units

LFE1220-US

Wraparound Laminar Flow Enclosure

LFE1220W-US

Walkway Laminar Flow Enclosure

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Overview
Compatible Tables
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Rendering of Wraparound Laminar Flow Enclosure with a Nexus Optical Table

Features

Free Standing Enclosure Frames
- Wrapround Version Encloses Table Surface
- Walkway Version Provides Space to Walk Around the Optical Table
Designed to Fit a 1.2 m x 2.0 m (4' x 6') Nexus^® Optical Table
HEPA Fan Filter Units (FFU) Create a Clean Environment
Air Quality Monitor (AQM) Continuously Monitors the Enclosure's Air Quality

Thorlabs' Laminar Flow Enclosures are designed to create a clean environment around 1.2 m x 2.0 m (4' x 6') Nexus optical tables by providing an enclosed air volume and filtration system to help minimize contamination. Two varieties of enclosures are available: a wraparound enclosure that minimizes both installation space and the enclosed volume, and a walkway enclosure with a larger perimeter that allows the user to walk around the optical table inside the enclosure. Both systems incorporate an enclosure frame; soft wall transparent curtain sides; an enclosed ceiling; top-mounted HEPA Fan Filter Units (FFU); and an Air Quality Monitor (AQM) that continuously monitors the quality of the air inside the enclosure. The enclosure frames do not touch the enclosed optical tables in order to avoid the transmission of vibrations from the frame to the table.

Laminar Flow Enclosures are
designed in our UK office.

Interested in Custom Capabilities?

Thorlabs is in the process of expanding our offering of Laminar Flow Systems and accessories. If you are interested in features that you don't see here, please contact us to discuss custom requests.

Each enclosure frame includes an LED light strip, which can be added to the interior of the structure to help illuminate the optical table. Additionally, the wraparound enclosure includes an attachable curtain bar with brackets, allowing for the transparent curtain walls to be moved out of the way when working inside the enclosure. If a solid enclosure is desired, Thorlabs offers acrylic panels separately below, which can be used to replace up to three of the soft curtain walls. Furthermore, if more storage space is needed, a shelf unit for laminar flow enclosure frames is also available below. Finally, the enclosure frames are composed of rails that are compatible with our 50 mm & 75 mm construction rail accessories, including T-nuts and screws, mounting brackets and feet, rail joiners, and channel inserts, giving the potential for further customization.

Please note that these enclosures require assembly, a manual process that requires four people to work on at least one of the assembly steps. Each fully assembled enclosure is designed to enclose a Nexus optical table. Tables are not included and must be purchased separately. To view a list of compatible Nexus optical tables, please see the Compatible Tables tab. For full assembly instructions, please view the manual by clicking on the red docs icon ( info icon ) below.

An LED light strip is included with the enclosures. If additional light is needed, the PSY240E LED light strip can be used. It is a 850 mm (33.46") long LED light strip that comes with a 4.3 m extension cord for compatibility with these enclosures.

Compatible Nexus Optical Tables
Item #	Dimensions	Mounting Holes	Additional Features
T46H	4' x 6' x 8.3"	1/4"-20	-
T46V	4' x 6' x 8.3"	1/4"-20	Sealed Holes
T46J	4' x 6' x 12.2"	1/4"-20	-
T46W	4' x 6' x 12.2"	1/4"-20	Sealed Holes
T46HH^a	4' x 6' x 8.3"	1/4"-20	Two Through Ports
T46K	4' x 6' x 18.1"	1/4"-20	-
T46X	4' x 6' x 18.1"	1/4"-20	Sealed Holes
T1220C	1.2 m x 2.0 m x 210 mm	M6 x 1.0	-
T1220P^b	1.2 m x 2.0 m x 210 mm	M6 x 1.0	Sealed Holes
T1220D	1.2 m x 2.0 m x 310 mm	M6 x 1.0	-
T1220CH	1.2 m x 2.0 m x 210 mm	M6 x 1.0	Two Through Ports
T1220E	1.2 m x 2.0 m x 460 mm	M6 x 1.0	-
T1220R	1.2 m x 2.0 m x 460 mm	M6 x 1.0	Sealed Holes
T1220Q	1.2 m x 2.0 m x 310 mm	M6 x 1.0	Sealed Holes

Also available bundled with 700 mm tall active isolator legs (Bundle Item # T46HK).
Also available bundled with 700 mm tall active isolator legs (Bundle Item # T1220CK).

Posted Comments:

user (posted 2022-06-20 15:16:36.6)

Hi I have a Nexus 6x4' table with a PTA280 free-standing shelf. I want to know if the laminar flow enclosure (LFE1220-US) will work with the table+shelf system that I have?

cwright (posted 2022-06-22 05:20:37.0)

Response from Charles at Thorlabs: Thank you for your query. The width of the shelves is 2150 mm while the internal dimensions of the laninar flow enclosure is 2100mm so these would not fit. The top shelf would also be about 20mm from the filter and would block the flow of air.

Wraparound Laminar Flow Enclosures

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General Specifications
Maximum Additional Load^a,b		400 kg
Maximum Load per Construction Rail		100 kg
Total Weight of Enclosure		150 kg
Foot Height Adjustment		±11.5 mm
HEPA Filter Efficiency		99.95%
Internal Dimensions		1230 mm x 2100 mm x 1132.5 mm^c
Frame Dimensions^d		2.20 m x 1.33 m x 2.36 m
Crate Dimensions		2.29 m x 0.75 m x 0.79 m

To prevent the frame toppling, any attached load which acts outside the perimeter of the frame should not create a moment load >800 Nm about an axis between any two of the feet.
The maximum load per roof panel is a 40 kg distributed load.
Height is measured from the base of the soft wall transparent curtains.
300 mm clearance is needed above the HEPA filter.

Wraparound Design Encloses the Surface of a Table
Designed to Fit a 1.2 m x 2.0 m (4' x 6') Nexus Optical Table
HEPA Fan Filter Unit (FFU) Creates a Clean Environment
Air Quality Monitor (AQM) Continuously Monitors the Enclosure's Air Quality

The Laminar Flow Enclosures provide an enclosed air volume and filtration system to help minimize contamination for setups built on our Nexus optical tables. The system is enclosed by a frame; soft wall transparent curtain sides; a ceiling; and a top-mounted HEPA Fan Filter Unit (FFU). The enclosure frame does not touch the table in order to avoid the transmission of vibrations from the frame to the table. An Air Quality Monitor (AQM) is included and continuously monitors the quality of the air inside the enclosure. An LED light strip is also included with the enclosures. If a solid enclosure is desired, up to three of the transparent curtain sides can be replaced with the acrylic plastic panels sold in kits below. Furthermore, if additional light is needed, the PSY240E LED light strip can be used (sold below).

The HEPA filter units shipped with the enclosures require a voltage of 115 V (-US enclosures) or 230 V (-EU and -UK enclosures). Please note that cables are not provided with the HEPA filter. Assembly and wiring of the filter should be carried out as per local regulations. For more information, please refer to the HEPA manual shipped with each enclosure.

Walkway Laminar Flow Enclosures

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General Specifications
Maximum Additional Load^a,b,c		300 kg
Maximum Load per Construction Rail		100 kg
Total Weight of Enclosure		270 kg
Foot Height Adjustment		-0, +10 mm
HEPA Filter Efficiency		99.95%
Internal Dimensions		2100 mm x 3140 mm x 1920 mm^d
Frame Dimensions^e		3.29 m x 2.25 m x 2.40 m
Crate Dimensions		3.25 m x 0.90 m x 0.85 m

To prevent the frame toppling, any attached load which acts outside the perimeter of the frame should not create a moment load >1600 Nm about an axis between any two of the feet.
Please do not put heavy objects on the roof panels.
Maximum load rating applies only when the frame is stationary and is resting on the rubber feet of the casters. When the rubber feet are raised and the frame rests on the caster wheels (i.e. when moving the frame), ensure that no additional loads are attached to the LFE frame.
Height is measured from the base of the soft wall transparent curtains.
300 mm clearance is needed above the HEPA filters.

Walkway Design Provides Space to Walk Around the Optical Table
Designed to Fit a 1.2 m x 2.0 m (4' x 6') Nexus Optical Table
Two HEPA Fan Filter Units (FFU) Create a Clean Environment
Air Quality Monitor (AQM) Continuously Monitors the Enclosure's Air Quality

The Walkway Laminar Flow Enclosures provide an enclosed air volume and filtration system to help minimize contamination for setups built around our Nexus optical tables. While these enclosures can be used with any table that fits inside, they are specifically designed to work with a 1.2 m x 2.0 m (4' x 6') Nexus Optical Table: the enclosure will encompass 625 mm and 525 mm of walkway space on the short and long sides, respectively, of a 1.2 m x 2.0 m table (see drawing to the lower left).

Click to Enlarge
Walkway Space Around a 1.2 m x 2.0 m
Optical Table Inside the Enclosure

The system is enclosed by a frame; soft wall transparent curtain sides; a ceiling; and two top-mounted HEPA Fan Filter Units (FFU). The enclosure frame does not touch the table in order to avoid the transmission of vibrations from the frame to the table. Castors are located at bottom of each leg of the enclosure and provide freedom of movement. Lowering the feet of the enclosure allows it to remain stationary. An Air Quality Monitor (AQM) is included and continuously monitors the quality of the air inside the enclosure. An LED light strip is also included with the enclosures. If additional light is needed, the PSY240E LED light strip can be used (sold below).

Acrylic Panels for LFE1220 Wraparound Frames

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Item #	Panel Dimensions (W x L)	Compatible Frame	Weight^b	Panel Material
LFEPS	1220.0 mm x 1067.0 mm (48.03" x 42.01")	LFE1220^a, Short Side	5 kg (11.0 lbs)	Acrylic Plastic (PPMA)
LFEPL	2090.0 mm x 1067.0 mm (82.28" x 42.01")	LFE1220^a, Long Side	10 kg (22.0 lbs)	Acrylic Plastic (PPMA)

The panels can also be used with the LFE1220-US, LFE1220-UK, and LFE1220-EU Laminar Flow Enclosures, as these are based on an LFE1220 Frame.
Includes panel, handles, and mounting hardware.

Create a Solid-Walled Enclosure on LFE1220 Frames
- Two LFEPS and One LFEPL are Needed to Build a 3-Sided Enclosure
- Can Be Used with the Transparent Strip Curtains and the HEPA Fan Filter Units to Create a Clean Environment
Sturdy Acrylic Plastic Construction with Half the Weight of Glass and High Resistance to Wear
Each Kit Includes One Panel and Mounting Hardware

Thorlabs' LFEPS and LFEPL acrylic panel kits allow a solid-walled enclosure to be fitted to the LFE1220, LFE1220-US, LFE1220-UK, and LFE1220-EU enclosure frames. Each kit comes with one acrylic plastic panel and all of the hardware necessary to mount it; two handles that can be attached to the panel for assistance with positioning during installation are among the included parts. The panel weighs half as much as a glass panel of equal size and has a high resistance to wear, making it suitable for enclosing a variety of different workstation setups.

Shelf for Enclosure Frames

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Stacked LFES1 Shelves for
Laminar Flow Enclosure Frames

General Specifications
Maximum Load^a	70.0 kg (154.0 lbs)
Shelf Dimensions (W x L)	350.0 mm x 1175.0 mm (13.78" x 46.26")
Shelf Weight^b	6.74 kg (14.83 lbs)
Shelf Hanging Height^c	403.0 mm (15.87")

This is the maximum load of the hanging shelf. Be careful not to exceed the maximum loads of the enclosures that are specified above.
Includes Hanging Bars and Mounting Equipment
With Included Hanging Bars

Provides Additional Storage Space within LFE1220 and LFE1220W Enclosure Frames and LFE1220 Series Laminar Flow Enclosures
Multiple Shelves can be Stacked for Increased Storage Space
Shelf Panel is Slotted to Assist in the Preservation of Laminar Flow within the Enclosure

The LFES1 Hanging Shelf provides additional storage space within our LFE1220 and LFE1220W Enclosure Frames and LFE1220 Series Laminar Flow Enclosures. The shelf panel is slotted to improve airflow for mounted equipment as well as preserve laminar flow within the enclosure. To mount the shelf, the top-bar of the shelf's hanging frame can be connected two adjacent T-slots in the rails that support the enclosure frame's ceiling using the included mounting hardware. The shelf features 403.0 mm of vertical space from the shelf surface to the top of the mounting cross bars, and the height can be adjusted by swapping out the included vertical hanging bars with 25 mm rail extrusions of a different length. For additional shelving space, multiple hanging shelf units can be stacked, as shown in the image to the right.

LED Light Strip

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Specifications
Brightness	1530 Lumens
# of LEDs	51
Power^a	15.3 W
Voltage	12 VDC (Power Supply Included)
Dimensions	850 mm x 17.4 mm x 8.2 mm^b (33.46" x 0.69" x 0.32")

Power usage per LED is 0.3 W.
A 4.3 m extension cable is included.

850 mm (33.46") Long
4.3 m Extension Cable
Sturdy Aluminum Base Resists Warping
Frosted Plastic Cover Ensures Even Spread of Light
Shipped with 3 Spring Clips, 3 T-Nuts, 3 M6 Screws, 4.3 m Extension Cable, and a Power Supply

This rigid LED light strip is 850 mm (33.46") long, comes with a 4.3 m extension cable, and is held in place by three spring clips. If more light is needed in one of our laminar flow enclosures above, a PSY240E can be used in addition to the LED light strip included with the enclosures. It can also be used with racks or shelves, such as our Free-Standing Overhead Shelf or our Nexus Table Frame Overhead Shelves. The light strip can also be mounted over a bench for general laboratory use.