The FG Laboratory Oven (also known as a Drying Oven or Forced Air Oven) is a device designed to provide uniform heat for drying laboratory samples. Ovens are generally classified into two categories: fan-assisted and non-fan-assisted models, and they come in various sizes. In some cases, they are also categorized based on body material, controller type, and temperature range.

The FG Laboratory Drying Oven is a fixed laboratory instrument, and due to its wide range of features and temperature capabilities (up to 300°C), it is widely used in various laboratories, including pharmaceutical factories, clinical laboratories, hospitals, universities, research centers, and the food industry.

Depending on their specific use, these devices are also referred to as drying ovens (DRYING OVEN) or thermal ovens.

What is a Laboratory Incubator?

A laboratory incubator is a device designed to provide a uniform temperature while controlling humidity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels, creating an optimal environment for the growth of various microorganisms and bacteria.

This device is an essential tool in pharmaceutical, clinical, microbiology, biology, and cellular research laboratories, as well as in industries such as food, oil and gas, cosmetics, and agricultural research centers.

Incubators are crucial for many experimental procedures in cell biology, microbiology, and molecular biology, and they are used for culturing both bacterial and eukaryotic cells.

Differences Between an Incubator and a Laboratory Oven

1. Differences in Application:
   • Incubator: A laboratory device that provides uniform temperature (usually 37°C) to culture and grow living samples such as cells or microorganisms. Incubators come in various types and are generally classified based on air circulation (natural convection or forced-air), temperature range (heating and cooling), and controllable parameters (humidity, light, CO₂, O₂, etc.).
   • Laboratory Oven: A device that generates high temperatures for drying laboratory samples. Due to their high temperature range, ovens are widely used in different laboratories. They are commonly classified based on air circulation (with or without a fan).
2. Differences in Temperature Range:
   • The maximum temperature of an incubator is typically 70°C, though some models can reach 100°C.
   • The maximum temperature of laboratory ovens usually ranges from 250°C to 300°C.
3. Differences in Temperature Precision:
   • Incubators operate within a narrower temperature range, which allows for higher temperature accuracy. The temperature uniformity in incubators is usually 0.1°C.
   • Ovens, due to their wider temperature range, have lower temperature accuracy compared to incubators. The temperature uniformity in ovens is typically around 2°C, which varies based on the temperature setting and whether the oven has a fan.
4. Differences in Appearance:
   • Incubators and ovens have similar designs, and distinguishing them based on appearance alone can be challenging.
   • One notable difference is that incubators often have an inner glass door, which prevents thermal shock to the samples inside when the outer door is opened.
   • Some ovens also feature a glass section on the door to allow users to observe the chamber during experiments.

Question: Can an oven be used instead of an incubator?

Given the oven’s temperature range, some people ask whether an oven can be used at low temperatures (for example, 37 degrees)? The answer to this question requires a careful examination of the customer’s wishes. As you know, the oven’s temperature range is wide, and since ovens are usually designed for temperatures above 80 degrees, they usually do not have the necessary accuracy at low temperatures. Of course, some manufacturers have set settings in the laboratory oven device that can be used when working at low temperatures. Although this may increase accuracy, it should be noted that the type of use of incubators is different in any case. And even the standards of these two devices are different. Therefore, it is not recommended to use an oven instead of an incubator for cultivating microbes and living cells. However, an oven can be used at low temperatures in experiments that do not require high thermal accuracy and for tasks other than cultivating living cells (industrial experiments). Can a regular incubator be used instead of a refrigerated incubator? Given the higher price of refrigerated incubators compared to thermal incubators, the question sometimes arises as to whether a thermal incubator can be used instead of a refrigerated incubator? In response to this question, it should be noted that refrigerated incubators are usually used in the food industry for mold growth and according to relevant standards at temperatures of 25 and 30 degrees. Since the laboratory temperature is usually in the range of 25 degrees and the ambient temperature can change in different seasons of the year, a cooling system must definitely be used to provide a temperature of 25 degrees. If the temperature of my laboratory is 22 degrees, can I use regular incubators to provide a temperature of 25 degrees? In response to this question, note that the minimum temperature range of incubators is usually 5 degrees higher than the ambient temperature (of course, this number varies in different brands) and a cooling system is definitely needed to provide a temperature of 25 degrees. On the other hand, the temperature of the entire laboratory cannot always be accurately controlled, and there is a high probability that the temperature of the laboratory environment will become warmer. Therefore, laboratory standards consider the use of a refrigerated incubator essential for these tests. If the temperature of my laboratory is 22 degrees, can I use ordinary incubators to provide a temperature of 30 degrees? In answering this question, note that the minimum temperature range of incubators is usually 5 degrees higher than the ambient temperature (of course, this number varies in different brands), so a cooling system is definitely needed to provide a temperature of 30 degrees. On the other hand, the temperature of the entire laboratory cannot always be accurately controlled, and there is a high probability that the temperature of the laboratory environment will become warmer. For example, the temperature in the summer may be 22 degrees during the day due to the operation of the cooling system, and at night the temperature will become warmer by turning off the cooling system. In this case, a cooling system is needed to keep the temperature at a constant 30 degrees. Therefore, laboratory standards consider the use of a refrigerated incubator essential for these tests.