⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.4 / 5 | Google reviews for norlab.com.au
The Norlab Wood Cabinets offer the highest level of design versatility and workspace integration that your laboratory requires for building organised, professional storage environments in education, healthcare, and general research facilities:
• Aesthetics
Our wood cabinets are the only cabinetry option in the Norlab range that combines laboratory-grade performance with the warm, professional appearance of a finished workspace. HPL laminate surfaces resist diluted acids, bases, alcohols, and disinfectants.
• Customisation
Our wood cabinets can be customised in HPL finish, configuration, door style, drawer layout, and hardware to match the specific storage requirements, aesthetic direction, and spatial design of your laboratory, across a wide range of wood-grain and solid-colour finishes.
• Compliance
Our wood cabinets meet SEFA 8 W, AS/NZS 2982, and ISO 9001 standards, ensuring every unit delivers the structural integrity, surface resistance, and material performance required for professional laboratory environments.
Moisture Resistance
Structural Stability
Easy to Clean
Optimal Space
Label Holder
Long Durability
Norlab wood cabinets are engineered using high pressure laminate panels bonded to an engineered wood substrate, producing a cabinet body that resists moisture penetration, surface staining, and the daily wear of disinfection cycles with hypochlorite and alcohol-based cleaners without discolouration or finish breakdown.
A stainless steel frame with internal reinforcements maintains structural alignment and stability across the full cabinet run, while high-quality stainless steel drawer runners and soft-close hinges support reliable long-term operation under daily laboratory use. Every unit is manufactured under strict Australian quality standards and designed to deliver a practical, visually refined storage system for laboratories where functionality and professional appearance must coexist across every area of the facility.
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Reference |
NLDW-1C2PP |
NLDW-2PP |
NLDW-C3P |
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External Dimensions: |
1000″ x 450″ x 820″ mm |
1000″ x 450″ x 820″ mm |
800″ x 450″ x 820″ mm |
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Maximum Load Capacity |
100 kg |
100 kg |
100 kg |
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Shelves |
3 |
2 |
3 |
• SEFA 8 W
Performance standard developed by the Scientific Equipment and Furniture Association (SEFA) for wood laboratory casework and cabinetry. Establishes testing and performance requirements for structural integrity, load-bearing capacity, moisture resistance, finish durability, impact resistance, chemical resistance, and long-term reliability under laboratory operating conditions. Provides evaluation criteria to ensure wood cabinets maintain performance, structural stability, and durability in demanding research, healthcare, pharmaceutical, educational, and industrial laboratory environments where reliable laboratory storage and furniture systems are essential.
• AS/NZS 2982
Australian and New Zealand standard for the design and construction of laboratory facilities. Establishes requirements and recommendations for laboratory layouts, material selection, furniture integration, safety considerations, durability, workflow efficiency, and operational functionality. Provides guidance for the specification and installation of laboratory casework, storage systems, and specialised furniture, including wood cabinets used in research, healthcare, pharmaceutical, educational, and industrial laboratory environments. Widely referenced throughout Australia and New Zealand to support safe, efficient, and long-lasting laboratory facilities.
• ISO 9001
International quality management standard published by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). Establishes requirements for a documented Quality Management System (QMS) focused on consistent manufacturing processes, quality assurance, customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and product traceability. For wood cabinets, ISO 9001 certification demonstrates that manufacturing operations follow recognised quality management practices designed to ensure consistent product quality, reliable performance, manufacturing precision, and compliance with customer and regulatory requirements across laboratory, healthcare, educational, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications.
• One of our main concerns was finding cabinetry that could handle heavy use without showing wear too quickly. These wood cabinets have performed well in that regard. They are easy to clean, provide plenty of storage space, and have helped keep our laboratory more organised. The overall build quality has been excellent, and we have not experienced any issues since installation. 
• We installed these wood cabinets during the renovation of our teaching laboratory and have been very pleased with the result. The cabinets feel solid, the doors operate smoothly, and the finish has held up well despite constant daily use by students and staff. Several months after installation, they still look as good as they did on the first day.
No, wood cabinets are not rated for chemical or hazardous material storage. For proper chemical storage, Norlab offers a full line of safety storage cabinets specifically engineered for that purpose — including flammable storage, acid cabinets, and sample storage units built to meet SEFA 11 and AS 1940 requirements. You can see those options at safety storage cabinets.
Yes, with Norlab’s wood cabinets, the functional surface is the High Pressure Laminate (HPL) layer, not the underlying wood substrate. The HPL is what provides resistance to diluted acids, bases, alcohols, and disinfectants. The wood core (typically MDF or particleboard) is the structural substrate underneath, and it has no inherent chemical or moisture resistance on its own.
This distinction matters practically: as long as the HPL surface and its edge banding are intact, the cabinet performs as specified. If the laminate cracks, delaminates at an edge, or is mechanically damaged down to the substrate, the exposed wood core is vulnerable to moisture and chemical penetration. Surface damage on wood cabinets needs to be addressed promptly — not for cosmetic reasons, but because the core is what’s at risk.
The indicators that point to maintenance rather than replacement: surface scratches or scuffs that haven’t penetrated the HPL, slow or stiff drawer slides, minor gaps in sealant or edge banding, and hardware that’s worn but functional. All of these are addressable without replacing the cabinet.
The indicators that replacement is the right call: delamination of the HPL from the substrate that exposes the wood core across a significant surface area, swelling or warping of the cabinet body that prevents proper door or drawer alignment, and structural damage to the frame that compromises load capacity. In practice, wood cabinets in a well-maintained laboratory environment typically reach this point at 15 to 20 years — earlier if moisture was a chronic issue, later if cleaning protocols were conservative and spills were managed immediately.
The HPL laminate surface on Norlab’s wood cabinets is tested and rated for the following agents at the concentrations listed: hydrochloric acid (10%), phosphoric acid (10%), acetic acid (10%), hydrogen peroxide (30%), sodium hypochlorite (13%), bleaching gas (25%), and ammonia (25%).
These cover the most common disinfectants and diluted acids used in daily laboratory operations. The protocol that matters: apply, allow contact time, then wipe and dry. Prolonged pooling of any of these agents at joints, edge banding, or hardware cut-outs will work into the seams over time regardless of surface resistance — keep those areas dry and reseal any gaps immediately when they appear.
Yes. Norlab’s wood cabinets are certified under SEFA 8 W, AS/NZS 2982, and ISO 9001:2015. In practice, this means the following for audits: SEFA 8 W establishes the performance standard for wood laboratory furniture specifically — surface resistance, structural load, and hardware durability. AS/NZS 2982 is the Australian and New Zealand standard for laboratory design and construction, which makes these cabinets directly specifiable for facilities subject to TGA inspections or NATA accreditation requirements. ISO 9001:2015 covers the manufacturing quality management system — auditors reviewing supplier qualification documentation will find it there. Compliance documentation for all three certifications is included as part of project delivery.
Your laboratory storage solved — chemically resistant, durable, and configured around the way your team works.
Tell us what equipment, and supplies you need to store and we’ll recommend the right cabinet configuration, layout, and storage solution — at no cost, no obligation.
Expert guidance included — free 3D design
Our lab safety specialists review your project personally.
Fully custom — configuration, doors, drawers and shelving
Moisture resistant wood cabinets matched to your workflow.
Australian owned & operated — nationwide delivery
Manufactured and supported from Victoria.
