The LABOPORT Laboratory Vacuum System
Nature fills any empty space, at least with air. This observation led Aristotle to make the above statement. However, operating a laboratory without being able to create vacuums is inconceivable. A vacuum serves to pump gases, to filter, distill or dry. Traditionally, vacuums were created with the help of water aspirators. This has the drawbacks of high water consumption and chemical pollution of the waste water, as well as only offering a limited performance.
This is where the KNF diaphragm pump literally fills a vacuum in laboratory operation. The first laboratory diaphragm pump is launched by KNF back in 1962. In 1980, the first universal, chemically resistant diaphragm pump for corrosive media gets introduced and in 1994, KNF presents the then revolutionary LABOPORT pump series at Analytica. Thus begins the victory march through the laboratories. The compact, quiet and powerful pumps are easily upgraded according to a given laboratory’s requirements using modular accessories to form a customized laboratory system. This marks the birth of the LABOPORT vacuum system, which is compatible with each of the three new types of pumps. And because it’s also about aesthetics, an industrial designer designs the pump housings to both look good and be user friendly.
In 1995, this ground-breaking new concept earns KNF the “Dr.-Rudolf-Eberle-Preis,” an award bestowed by the federal state of Baden-Württemberg honoring “outstanding efforts by medium-sized companies in the development and application of new technologies.” The fact that the laboratory pump system is modular and can be retrofitted easily, quickly and flexibly in everyday lab practice makes it so innovative. The vacuum controller which switches off the pump as soon as the set vacuum has been achieved is also novel at the time. The controller makes it possible to save up to 80 % energy. The low operating costs and the option to recover solvents also represent new ecological and economic benefits of the vacuum system.
The LABOPORT has been continuously expanded since the 1990s. Among KNF’s new, customer-oriented developments are remote-controlled vacuum pump systems with in-house engineered electronics and software.
To ensure that the requirements of laboratories and laboratory equipment distributors can be fully met moving forward, KNF consolidates its laboratory activities into its own, separate Business Unit in 2020. One thing has remained unchanged since the LABOPORT series was first launched is KNF’s uncompromising commitment to combining design and functionality. This is why the LABOPORT pumps undergo a complete redesign in 2020. The result gets honored with the coveted international Red Dot Award for Product Design in 2020 for the LABOPORT N 820 G.
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