Guide · Laboratory instruments
Lab instrument site preparation: a coordination checklist
Instrument manufacturers publish site preparation requirements for good reason: an HPLC, a mass spectrometer or a liquid handler cannot be installed on a bench that is too small, next to a missing gas line or without the power the unit needs. This guide is about the coordination around those documents — getting the lab to confirm each requirement before the installation engineer travels, across instruments and brands.
Updated September 28, 2026Start from the manufacturer's document, always
The target values — bench load, clearances, room temperature and humidity ranges, gas purity and pressure, power and UPS, network — belong to the instrument's own site preparation guide or pre-installation checklist. Do not copy values from another model or from a generic list, including this one.
What varies between manufacturers is the format: a PDF to print, a form to return, a checklist in a portal. What does not vary is the job on your side: every requirement needs a confirmed answer from the lab, somebody has to notice what is missing, and the go/no-go for the visit has to be decided in time.
The coordination checklist
Space and environment
- Bench width and depth at the final position, measured on site and compared with the instrument's footprint and required clearances.
- Bench load and stability where the manufacturer states a requirement.
- Environment: temperature, humidity and ventilation within the manufacturer's range; no direct sun, drafts or vibration sources nearby if the document names them.
- Photo of the installation area including neighbouring equipment — optional context, not a condition.
Gases, power and IT
- Gas supply: the required gases available at the bench, correctly identified and labelled, with the regulator the document asks for.
- Power and UPS: outlets of the right type and rating at the bench, and a UPS where required.
- Network: a port or connection for the data system, and who in the customer's IT approves it.
Delivery path
- Narrowest point between the loading area and the lab: doors, corridors, elevators.
- Delivery window and who receives the crates.
People and dates
- Lab contact who answers and confirms the measurements.
- Facilities contact for gas, power and network work.
- Decision date before the engineer's visit.
A blank coordination sheet
Use one row per requirement from the manufacturer's document. The last two columns are what makes the difference between a checklist and a decision.
| Requirement | Source in the manufacturer's document | Lab's answer | Proof | Blocks the visit if… | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bench width | Site prep guide, dimensions | — | Measured on site | below the footprint plus clearance | Lab contact |
| Bench depth | Site prep guide, dimensions | — | Measured on site | below the requirement | Lab contact |
| Gas supply | Site prep guide, gases | — | Photo of fitting and label (optional) | not available or not identified | Facilities |
| Power and UPS | Site prep guide, electrical | — | Confirmation | not confirmed | Facilities |
| Network port | Site prep guide, data system | — | Confirmation | your call | Customer IT |
| Delivery path | Shipping dimensions | — | Measured on site | narrower than the crate | Lab contact |
Worked example: an HPLC installation
Fictional example. The instrument is from InstallCue's demo catalog, whose manufacturers are invented. Real target values come from your manufacturer's documents.
A service partner schedules the installation of an Aurelia HPLC Infinity III in a university lab. The coordinator uses the “HPLC or UHPLC” starter template, attaches the model from the catalog and sends the lab contact one link.
- Week 1SentThe lab answers what it can
Bench width is measured and compared with the model's width from the catalog: it fits. Bench depth is confirmed. The lab adds a photo of the bench area.
- Week 1BlockedGas not confirmed
The lab cannot yet confirm that the required gas connection is available and correctly identified. The request is Blocked with that reason — the engineer's visit is not confirmed.
- Week 2Needs reviewFacilities fixes it
Facilities installs and labels the connection; the lab updates the answer and submits, confirming that the measurements were taken on site. No blocker is open, so the request moves to Needs review.
- Week 2ReadyDecided before the decision date
A reviewer checks the answers against the manufacturer's document and marks the site Ready. The engineer travels with the install pack.
What InstallCue adds to the manufacturer's checklist
InstallCue does not replace the manufacturer's site preparation document and does not know its values. You enter them once — per model in your equipment catalog and as thresholds in your templates — and the customer's answers are compared against them on every job.
- Three laboratory starter templates — HPLC or UHPLC, LC/MS or GC/MS, automated liquid handling — covering space and environment plus gases, power and IT, all editable to match your documents.
- Measurements compared with the equipment data; where a model has no stored value, the office is told to check that requirement manually before approval.
- One link per job for the lab, no account, in English, German, French or Italian.
- Ready is a human decision, restricted to admins and reviewers and recorded.
- Decision deadlines before the visit and reminders to the lab contact.
Map one of your instruments in your workspace: get started, compare plans and prices or read the general site readiness checklist.