Metro Cleanroom Furniture: Gowning Benches, Carts & Starsys
How to choose Metro stainless cleanroom carts, TableWorx work tables, gowning-room benches and Starsys workcenters for cleanrooms, compounding suites and controlled labs — then design and price them online.
What Makes Furniture Suitable for a Cleanroom
Cleanroom furniture has one job that ordinary lab furniture does not: it must not become a source of particles, residue or microbial growth in a space built to control all three. That changes what you look for. Smooth, non-shedding surfaces matter more than decorative finish. Open frames that are easy to wipe beat closed boxes with hidden corners. Materials must stand up to the disinfectants and sporicides your cleaning program uses every day, and casters and feet must not trap debris.
Metro (InterMetro Industries) makes several product families that are widely used in cleanrooms, compounding pharmacies, vivaria and controlled manufacturing: stainless steel carts and shelving, TableWorx stainless work tables, gowning-room benches and accessories, and Starsys mobile workcenters. This page explains how each fits a controlled environment and what to ask before you specify it.
Labs USA supplies Metro products to labs, hospitals and controlled environments from Salt Lake City. For cleanroom furniture from several manufacturers, including pass-throughs and specialty seating, see our cleanroom furniture page. When you know what you need, the Metro Workcenters configurator and the Metro TableWorx configurator build valid configurations and save a shareable quote.
Materials: Type 304 vs Type 316 Stainless and Polymer
Material is the first decision because it drives everything else. Most Metro cleanroom products are available in stainless steel, and the grade matters.
| Material | Strengths | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Type 304 stainless | Smooth, durable, resists most cleaning agents | General cleanroom carts, tables and shelving in ISO 7 and ISO 8 support areas |
| Type 316 stainless | Added molybdenum improves resistance to chlorides and harsh disinfectants | Compounding, aseptic processing and areas cleaned with chlorine or sporicides |
| Polymer (MetroMax) | Corrosion-proof, mats lift out for washing | Wet areas, cold rooms and wash-down zones |
| Chrome or epoxy wire | Light, open, low cost | Dry support areas outside the controlled space |
Type 316 stainless costs more than 304, so many facilities use 316 inside the most aggressive cleaning zones and 304 in anterooms and support areas. Your contamination-control team and cleaning-agent supplier are the right people to confirm which grade a given room needs. We do not certify furniture to any ISO class; cleanroom classification applies to the room and its operation, and the furniture’s role is to be easy to keep clean and compatible with your process.
Ask about your disinfectant. Bring the actual list of disinfectants, sporicides and rotation schedule to the specification meeting. Repeated use of chlorine-based products is the most common reason a facility upgrades from 304 to 316 stainless.
Gowning Room Benches and Garment Storage
The gowning room is where clean and dirty meet, so its furniture has to make the line obvious. A step-over gowning bench marks the boundary: staff sit on the dirty side, remove street shoes, swing their legs over and put on shoe covers or cleanroom footwear on the clean side. Stainless benches with open frames are the usual choice because they can be wiped down on every surface.
Shoe hooks and shoe racks under or beside the bench keep footwear off the floor. Garment storage — for gowns, hoods, boot covers and goggles — works best on open stainless or wire shelving with hooks, so items are visible, ventilated and easy to rotate. Bins for clean supplies and a separate, clearly labelled return for used garments help staff follow the gowning sequence without thinking about it.
Plan the gowning room by walking the sequence: enter, hand hygiene, hair and beard covers, face mask, shoe covers at the bench, gown, gloves, then the clean-side door. Each step needs a place for its supplies, in the order they are used.
- Step-over bench length matched to peak shift-change headcount
- Shoe hooks or racks on the dirty side; cleanroom footwear on the clean side
- Garment shelving sized for gowns, hoods and boot covers in every size you stock
- Wall-mounted or mobile dispensers for gloves and masks at the point of use
- Separate soiled garment return clearly marked and away from clean stock
- Mirror and sequence signage so staff can check their gowning
Stainless Cleanroom Carts and Shelving
Type 304 cleanroom cart
Open stainless shelves for moving materials between rooms.
Solid-shelf lab cart
Solid stainless shelves contain small spills and are easy to wipe.
Stainless post clamp
Stainless hardware for anchoring shelving in controlled rooms.
Material transfer is a constant source of contamination risk, so cleanroom carts should be easy to wipe from top to casters. Metro’s Type 304 and Type 316 stainless carts for labs and cleanrooms use open frames with smooth shelves; solid-shelf carts contain small spills and give a flat surface for sealed containers. Many facilities keep dedicated carts on each side of a pass-through or airlock so carts from uncontrolled areas never enter the clean space.
Stainless shelving inside the cleanroom holds consumables, components and staged materials. Keep the bottom shelf high enough to clean under, avoid overloading the top shelf where airflow is critical, and choose solid or perforated shelves to suit your airflow pattern. Where seismic restraint applies, stainless post clamps and anchoring hardware keep fixed units in place without introducing painted or plated parts.
TableWorx Stainless Work Tables
Metro TableWorx is a family of stainless steel work tables that can be configured with a Type 304 or Type 316 work surface, stainless legs and leg mounts, and either an open three-sided frame or an undershelf. Open-frame tables leave room for seated work, carts or equipment underneath; undershelf tables add storage but create another surface to clean.
Productivity risers with cantilevered overshelves lift frequently used items off the work surface, keeping the surface clear for the process and easier to disinfect. For compounding and assembly work, specify the table height for the task: seated work, standing work and work at a hood each have a different comfortable height.
Size, grade, frame and riser options are all validated in the Metro TableWorx configurator.
Type 304 table
General-purpose stainless table with an open three-sided frame.
Undershelf table
Adds a stainless undershelf for supply storage.
Productivity riser
Cantilevered overshelves keep the work surface clear.
Starsys Mobile Workcenters and Cabinets
Starsys is Metro’s modular system of mobile carts, drawers and cabinets. In a controlled lab it is used to organise supplies that must be kept closed and tracked: small parts, labelled consumables, sample kits and secure reagents. Drawers and bins keep items enclosed, and lockable configurations control access where needed.
Because Starsys units are mobile, they can be rolled out for floor cleaning and rearranged as a process changes. Specialty versions such as the biomedical cart add organised drawer storage for lab and clinical supplies.
Inside the strictest zones, open stainless furniture is usually preferred because it is easier to clean; Starsys fits well in anterooms, support labs and areas where closed, organised storage matters more. Your contamination-control team should confirm where closed storage is acceptable.
Configure Starsys widths, drawer mixes, bins and lock options in the Metro Workcenters configurator, which also covers SmartLever and Super Erecta workstation layouts for support labs.
Design & price it online: Metro Workcenters configurator. Choose a workcenter or Starsys layout, set sizes, shelves, drawers and accessories, and the configurator validates the build and saves a shareable quote. Open the Metro Workcenters configurator or browse every tool in the Metro configurator hub.
Planning Cleanroom Furniture
- List every room with its classification and cleaning-agent rotation
- Choose stainless grade per room: 316 where chlorides and sporicides are frequent, 304 elsewhere
- Map the material flow and assign dedicated carts to each side of every airlock
- Walk the gowning sequence and place a bench, storage and dispensers for each step
- Choose open frames wherever closed storage is not required
- Specify table heights for each task and leave clear space to clean under furniture
- Confirm seismic anchoring needs with your engineer for fixed shelving
A short floor plan, a room list and your cleaning-agent list are enough for us to recommend a starting configuration. We will flag where a different grade or an open frame would make cleaning easier, and where a Starsys unit would better organise closed storage.
Material Transfer, Cleaning and Maintenance
Furniture choice and cleanroom procedure work together. The best stainless cart still brings contamination in if it crosses from an uncontrolled corridor straight into the clean space, so plan the transfer points first. A common pattern is a dirty-side cart that delivers to the pass-through or airlock, a wipe-down step where items are transferred into clean containers, and a clean-side cart that never leaves the controlled area. Colour-coded labels or tags make the two cart sets impossible to confuse.
Cleaning furniture should follow the same top-to-bottom, clean-to-dirty sequence as the room. Open frames and wire or perforated shelves let cleaning staff reach every surface with a mop or wipe, while solid shelves should be lifted or wiped on both sides. Casters collect debris, so include them in the routine and choose sealed or stainless casters where wet cleaning is frequent.
Inspect furniture on a regular schedule. Look for scratches that trap residue, loose hardware, worn caster treads and any chipped coating on non-stainless parts. Replace damaged parts promptly rather than living with them, because a small defect in a controlled room is a cleaning problem every day.
Document what furniture is in each room and its material. When an auditor or a new cleaning agent raises a compatibility question, a simple list of grade, finish and location answers it quickly. We can provide product information sheets for the Metro items you buy so that list is easy to keep.
Training matters as much as hardware. Show new staff where each cart lives, which side of the airlock it serves and how it is cleaned, and post a simple diagram at each transfer point. Small visual cues, such as labelled parking spots on the floor and tags on each cart, keep the system working on busy days and through staff turnover.
Finally, leave room to grow. Cleanroom processes change, and mobile, modular Metro furniture can usually be reconfigured or moved to a support area rather than replaced, protecting the investment as your operation evolves.
Related Pages
- Metro Workcenters configurator — Starsys and workstation layouts online
- Metro TableWorx configurator — stainless work tables online
- Metro configurator hub — all 17 Metro online configurators
- Cleanroom furniture — cleanroom furniture from several manufacturers
- Metro wire shelving for cleanrooms and hospitals — stainless and epoxy wire shelving guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Metro cleanroom furniture certified to an ISO class?
Cleanroom classification applies to the room and how it is operated, not to furniture. Metro stainless products are chosen because they are smooth, non-shedding and easy to clean; your contamination-control team confirms suitability for your process.
Should I choose Type 304 or Type 316 stainless?
Type 316 resists chlorides and harsh disinfectants better and is common in compounding and aseptic areas. Type 304 suits most support areas and anterooms. Your cleaning-agent list usually decides it.
What goes in a cleanroom gowning room?
Typically a step-over gowning bench, shoe hooks or racks, garment shelving for gowns and hoods, glove and mask dispensers, a mirror and a separate soiled-garment return.
Are Starsys carts suitable for cleanrooms?
Starsys suits anterooms and support labs where closed, organised storage is needed. Inside the strictest zones, open stainless furniture is usually easier to clean.
Can I design Metro cleanroom tables online?
Yes. The Metro TableWorx configurator configures stainless work tables, and the Metro Workcenters configurator covers Starsys and workstation layouts. Or call (800) 326-4403.
Do you supply cleanrooms outside Utah?
Yes. Labs USA is based in Salt Lake City and ships Metro products to labs, pharmacies and manufacturers across the region and beyond.
Planning a cleanroom or gowning room?
Send us your room list and cleaning agents and we will recommend Metro carts, tables and storage. Call (800) 326-4403 or request a quote online.