Containerised and Flat-Pack Laboratories

We manufacture containerized laboratories for clients with portable, low cost or temporary laboratory needs. These mobile container laboratory units are fully customizable and can be developed in many configurations for a wide range of budgets, including single container or multi-container configurations as well as containers with semi-permanent attached structures such as shade structures.

 

 

MARC Technologies can manufacture turnkey portable containerized options for the following :

• Onsite Sample Preparation Laboratories such as crushing, pulverizing and splitting prior to sample shipment to commercial assay labs
• Onsite Analytical or “clean” laboratories which can accommodate AA Spectrometers, XRF Analyzers and associated sample preparation work areas.
• Water Testing Laboratories
• Digestion or Fire Assay Laboratories
• Metallurgical Laboratories for wet and/or dry metallurgical work.

 

 

Container laboratories can be made to be shipped in a fully operational state or they can be made for minimal site installation. With the latter we can supply all the fixtures required with the unit for a site installation and either the client’s – or MARC’s – Installation staff can install them.

 

Some of the key features or accessories which can be included in/with the container laboratories (or separately as a kit) are:

• Stand alone or on-board power generation
• Stand alone or fully incorporated air compressors
• Integrated or semi-integrated dust or fume control equipment
• Fully or semi-automated sample preparation equipment
• Full insulation for operator comfort in harsh conditions
• Office facilities
• Air conditioning if required
• Shade structures or lean-to’s, either solid roof or cloth, can be supplied as a kit for site installation.

These portable facilities can easily be mobilized to extremely remote locations and made operational in a very short time.

 

Modified Shipping Containers are typically used as laboratories in very remote locations where the cost of shipping materials – and flying skilled labour – to site is high.  Shipping containers are, however, subject to international shipping regulations. For every cut made to a container we have to reinforce with structural steel to get the structural integrity back so the container does not twist – and potentially even collapse – when lifted or stacked on a ship in transit.  Few people realize the financial risks involved in shipping modified containers around the world. If your modified container that you have sent on a ship collapses the shipping company will investigate and hold someone financially liable for the delays and the loss of goods.  The maritime safety authorities will probably also get involved.  

While it is high risk, the point is to ensure you work with manufacturers that can re-engineer the container after modifications and will get the container re-certified for ocean freight. It is actually recommended to over-engineer the container to prove structural strength increases over a standard container. 

The other factor to consider is the spatial limitations within a container. A shipping container has a limited width – as you would expect – and laboratories generally need good air flow as the substances worked with are generally considered hazardous and should be well extracted. Feeding air into a small area in large volumes results in turbulent air which can affect fume extraction systems and either cold or hot plumes of air that can cause operator discomfort.  Once again – this is not a factor that cannot be overcome, but it does add to the cost of trying to create a laboratory from a container for permanent installation. 

Another factor to consider is shipping containers generally don’t look good in coastal / high humidity zones after a few years – they are made from mild steel and will eventually corrode.   

 

Flat-Packed Sheds can be used effectively as laboratories where more space is needed. If you’re worried about expensive and time consuming remote laboratory design and manufacturing, with MARC’s design experience we can transform a simple flat-pack shed into a fit-for-purpose mine site laboratory that can be shipped in containers to anywhere a container or flat bed truck can get to. Yes there will be labour costs but the benefit is the package is pre-engineered and all materials are supplied. The biggest benefit is in the fact that the structure will be much larger and therefore can be permanent. 

Use our concrete and erection drawings to employ local skilled contractors to erect the building under the guidance one of our experienced site supervisors. We will ship all the components to you – electrical boards, lights, conduit, vinyl floor covering, etc.