TLC & Electrophoresis Apparatus Lab Equipment Manufacturer, Supplier and Exporter in India

Thirty-one items are listed here, TLC-0001 to TLC-0031: thin layer chromatography apparatus, submarine gel electrophoresis units in three sizes, polyacrylamide bar gel and vertical slab gel apparatus, paper strip and manifold and immuno electrophoresis, ultraviolet inspection cabinets and transilluminators, a platform rocker and a dry bath. Eleven of the thirty-one codes are accessory sets for the item above them, so the listing is really about fifteen pieces of apparatus plus their accessory packs.

Three safety matters govern this range and they should be settled before any specification is compared: electrophoresis puts hundreds of volts into a tank of liquid; the ultraviolet viewing equipment will injure eyes without any sensation at the time; and polyacrylamide gels are made from a monomer that is a neurotoxin. Each is set out below, with what to ask the supplier.

Electrophoresis: high voltage in a wet tank

An electrophoresis tank is a container of conducting buffer with electrodes at each end and a few hundred volts across it. People have been killed by this apparatus, and the protections are specific:

• A lid interlock, so that power cannot be applied unless the lid is in place and is removed the instant the lid is lifted. Ask whether every unit you are quoting has one, confirm it works on arrival, and make it a rule that it is never defeated, taped or bypassed.
• Nobody opens a tank, adds buffer, or reaches towards a gel with the supply switched on. Power off, supply isolated, then the lid comes off. That sequence goes in the written procedure, not in a verbal briefing.
• Shrouded leads and plugs at both the supply and the tank, so no conductor is exposed when a lead is disconnected, and leads that cannot be plugged in the wrong way round.
• Residual-current protection on the bench, and a supply with its own earth-leakage detection and over-current and over-voltage limits. Ask what protection the supply provides and what it does on a fault.
• A dry bench and no spilled buffer. Wipe up spills before switching on, keep the supply above bench level where it cannot sit in a puddle, and route leads so they cannot fall into a tank.

The practical question that follows: is a power supply included? It very often is not, and the tank is useless without it. Ask whether a supply is quoted, and if so its maximum voltage, current and power, whether it offers constant-voltage, constant-current and constant-power modes, since different methods specify different ones, whether it has a timer and will shut down at the end of a run, and how many tanks it can drive at once.

Ultraviolet viewing: the injury arrives hours later

The inspection cabinets and transilluminators here use short-wave and long-wave ultraviolet. Short-wave ultraviolet is invisible, produces no warmth and gives no warning sensation at all while it is being absorbed; over-exposure of the eyes causes a painful inflammation of the cornea that appears several hours afterwards, and skin burns in the same way as sunlight but faster. So:

• A transilluminator is viewed through its own ultraviolet-blocking screen or a face shield, never directly. Ask whether an amber or orange viewing screen and a face shield are supplied, and buy them if not.
• Ask whether a lid interlock cuts the lamp when the cover is lifted, and never defeat it. For the cabinets, ask whether the viewing window blocks ultraviolet and whether the door is interlocked.
• Ask the wavelengths each unit provides, since long-wave and short-wave are used for different purposes and carry different risk, and ask whether both are switchable, which TLC-0029 appears to offer.
• Ventilation, because short-wave ultraviolet lamps can generate ozone; and lamp life, replacement price and how the lamp is changed, with the unit unplugged.

One related question: ask what stain your methods will use on the gels you view. Several common nucleic acid stains are mutagens, and there are less hazardous alternatives now in routine use, so it is worth settling the stain, the gloves, and the gel waste route at the same time as the apparatus rather than afterwards.

Polyacrylamide: the monomer is the hazard, not the gel

Six codes here are polyacrylamide apparatus, bar gel and vertical slab. A set gel is comparatively benign; the acrylamide monomer it is made from is a neurotoxin and is treated as a probable carcinogen, and it is at its most hazardous as a powder, where it can be inhaled. Before buying the apparatus, settle how your laboratory will make the gels:

• Buy pre-mixed acrylamide solution rather than powder wherever the method allows it, which removes the weighing step and most of the exposure.
• If powder must be weighed, it is weighed in a fume cupboard or a balance enclosure, with gloves, never on an open bench.
• Unpolymerised gel solution and casting waste are hazardous waste, not sink waste. Ask the supplier what the apparatus holds in volume so you can plan for it, and settle the disposal route before the first gel.
• Ask for the safety data sheet for every reagent the method needs, and check each can be imported where you are.

The specification to ask for

For every electrophoresis unit: the gel dimensions, and the number of samples per gel, which is the throughput figure that actually matters; the comb options, how many wells and what thickness, and whether combs and a casting stand are included; the buffer volume, since that is a recurring reagent cost; whether the unit can be cooled, which long runs need; and the material and expected life of the tank and the platinum or other electrode wire, which is the part that eventually fails. The three submarine units are described as student, analyst and master, so ask the gel size and sample capacity of each rather than inferring from the names.

For the eleven accessory codes whose names say only "accessories for" the unit above: ask for the itemised contents of each, and ask whether any of it is already in the main unit's price. As written, these codes cannot be ordered from or compared.

For the thin layer chromatography apparatus (TLC-0001 to TLC-0003), ask what the apparatus comprises, since the term covers a plate coater, a plate rack and template, and a developing tank, and the two codes differ only by metal. Ask the plate sizes it handles, whether plates are supplied or are to be coated in-house, whether a spotting template and applicator are included, and the developing tank size. One operational point: a development tank holds volatile solvent and is opened in a fume cupboard, not on an open bench, and the solvent is disposed of as solvent waste.

For the rocker (TLC-0030) and the dry bath (TLC-0031), ask the speed and tilt range and the load for the rocker, and for the dry bath the temperature range, the block options and tube sizes, and the uniformity across the block. The dry bath block is hot and stays hot, so ask whether a block lifter is supplied.

Also worth confirming

Two spelling faults in this listing will cost you searches and are worth fixing in your own records as well: ultraviolet is written "ultra voilet" on two codes, and polyacrylamide is written "polyacrlamide" on six. Ask also for the manual with a worked method, the quantity per student group, consumables and electrode replacement prices, the supply voltage, frequency and plug type for your country, and the warranty. Any figure quoted is confirmed in writing on the quotation; ask for its basis.

Related ranges on this site

Sterilisation, incubation and shaking are under Autoclaves, Sterilizers and Shakers. The water these buffers are made up with is under Water Distillations and Stills, weighing under Lab Balances and Scales, and colorimetric and flame measurements under TDS Meter, Photocolorimeter and Flame Photometer and Conductivity and Dissolved Oxygen Meters. Solvent handling and recovery are under Mantles and Soxhlet Apparatus and Rotary Vacuum Evaporator.

Request a quote

Ask for each unit as a working set with its power supply, and get the interlock position in writing. For example a submarine gel unit (TLC-0007) with the gel size and sample capacity stated, the accessory pack itemised, a power supply with its voltage, current and modes specified, and the lid interlock confirmed; plus a transilluminator with its ultraviolet-blocking screen and a face shield. Contact Ray Export for specifications, prices and lead times.

Frequently asked questions

Is a power supply included with the electrophoresis tanks?

Very often it is not, and the tank is useless without one, so ask whether a supply is quoted. If it is, ask its maximum voltage, current and power; whether it offers constant-voltage, constant-current and constant-power modes, since different methods specify different ones; whether it has a timer and shuts down at the end of a run; and how many tanks it can drive at once. Ask too what protection it provides - earth-leakage detection and over-current and over-voltage limits - and what it does on a fault. Request each unit as a working set with its supply specified.

What safety features should an electrophoresis tank have?

Four, each named on this page. A lid interlock, so power cannot be applied unless the lid is in place and is cut the instant it is lifted; confirm it works on arrival and never defeat it. Shrouded leads and plugs at supply and tank, which cannot be connected the wrong way round. Residual-current protection on the bench. And a dry bench: wipe spills before switching on, keep the supply above bench level and route leads away from the tank. Put the sequence - power off, supply isolated, then lid off - in the written procedure, not a verbal briefing.

How do we protect students using the UV transilluminators and cabinets?

Short-wave ultraviolet is invisible, gives no warmth or warning, and over-exposure causes a painful inflammation of the cornea several hours later. So a transilluminator is viewed only through its own ultraviolet-blocking screen or a face shield; ask whether an amber or orange screen and a face shield are supplied, and buy them if not. Ask whether a lid interlock cuts the lamp, whether cabinet windows block ultraviolet and doors are interlocked, which wavelengths each unit provides, whether they are switchable as TLC-0029 appears to be, and about ventilation, since short-wave lamps can generate ozone.

How should a lab handle acrylamide for the polyacrylamide gel units?

Six codes here are polyacrylamide bar gel and vertical slab apparatus. A set gel is comparatively benign; the acrylamide monomer is a neurotoxin and is most hazardous as a powder that can be inhaled. Buy pre-mixed acrylamide solution wherever the method allows, which removes the weighing step and most of the exposure. If powder must be weighed, do it in a fume cupboard or balance enclosure with gloves. Unpolymerised solution and casting waste are hazardous waste, not sink waste. Ask for the safety data sheet for every reagent, and check each can be imported where you are.

What do the accessory codes in this listing contain?

As written, nobody can tell. Eleven of the thirty-one codes are named only as accessories for the unit above them, so the listing is really about fifteen pieces of apparatus plus their accessory packs. Ask for the itemised contents of each accessory code and whether any of it is already included with the main unit. The same caution applies to the three submarine gel units described as student, analyst and master: ask the gel dimensions and number of samples per gel for each, since samples per gel is the throughput figure that matters, rather than inferring capacity from the name.

What does the thin layer chromatography apparatus include?

The term covers a plate coater, a plate rack and template, and a developing tank, and the TLC-0001 to TLC-0003 codes are distinguished only by metal, so ask exactly what each comprises. Ask the plate sizes it handles, whether plates are supplied or coated in-house, whether a spotting template and applicator are included, and the developing tank size. One operating rule matters more than the specification: the development tank holds volatile solvent, so it is opened in a fume cupboard rather than on an open bench, and the used solvent goes to solvent waste.

Key takeaways

• Safety before specification: high voltage, ultraviolet and acrylamide each decide what must be ordered alongside the apparatus.
• Order a working set: tank plus power supply with voltage, current and modes stated, and the lid interlock confirmed in writing.
• Never view a transilluminator directly: use its ultraviolet-blocking screen or a face shield, and keep lamp interlocks working.
• Choose pre-mixed acrylamide over powder: and settle the gel waste route before the first gel is cast.
• Compare on samples per gel: not on the student, analyst and master names of the submarine units.
• Itemise every accessory code: the eleven accessory packs cannot be ordered or compared from their names alone.

About this page

Ray Export is a manufacturer and exporter of laboratory, scientific and educational equipment based at Plot No. 449, HSIIDC Industrial Area, Saha, Ambala, Haryana 133104, India. Enquiries: [email protected], +91-9817319615.

Written by Palak Mall, Senior Content Writer. Technically reviewed by Arvind Kumar, Lab Equipment Specialist, 12+ years in laboratory and testing instrumentation. Last updated: 18 October 2026.

Specifications for each unit - gel dimensions, samples per gel, comb options, buffer volume, cooling, supply voltage and current, lamp wavelengths and dry bath temperature range - are confirmed in writing on the quotation. For certificates, standards or approvals, contact us for the latest copies of the relevant certificates. No price is quoted on this page. Listing note: eleven codes are named only as accessories for the unit above; ultraviolet is misspelt ultra voilet on two codes and polyacrylamide is misspelt polyacrlamide on six; and the thin layer chromatography codes differ only by metal.