Quincy Lab: Ovens & More

Quincy Lab is a respected American manufacturer of laboratory ovens and incubators, with a legacy of over 50 years in providing heating and culture equipment that’s both high quality and reliable. Their instruments serve diverse applications — research laboratories, clinical settings, industrial labs, and educational institutions. At MediDepot, the Quincy Lab brand category offers a curated selection of Quincy Lab ovens (bench ovens, lab ovens) and incubators (analog, digital, forced-air). This content dives into the strengths of the Quincy Lab line, highlights key product variants, and helps you decide which models best match your lab’s needs.

Why Choose Quincy Lab for Ovens and Incubators?

1. Heritage & Expertise

Quincy Lab, based in Illinois, has expertise going back decades. Their mission centers on providing dependable, precision heating and incubation equipment at a fair value. Their commitment to quality shows in their use of durable construction, proven temperature control, and long-term support. 

2. Broad Product Range

Quincy Lab covers a wide spectrum of heating and incubating needs:

• Incubators: Analog or digital models, ambient‑plus temperature ranges, and optionally forced‑air circulation. 

• Lab Ovens: Gravity‑convection (GC series) or forced‑air (AF series) designs for baking, drying, curing, sterilizing, evaporating, testing, and more. Bench Ovens: Portable benchtop ovens with PID control, fan‑forced air, wide temperature ranges (up to 550°F / ~287°C). 

This diversity makes Quincy Lab a one-stop brand for both temperature‑controlled growth (incubators) and thermal processing (ovens).

3. Precision & Safety

Quincy Lab systems use reliable controllers — many digital models use PID microprocessor control, giving accurate and stable temperature settings and even ramp‑soak cycles for bench ovens.
Safety is built in: over-temperature protection, well‑insulated doors, and sturdy heating elements help avoid accidents or sample damage.

4. Build Quality

• Interiors: High-grade aluminum (in incubators) or aluminized / stainless steel (ovens) ensure long life and resistance to corrosion.

• Exteriors: Powder-coated or hammer-finish steel for durability and resistance to wear.

• Insulation: Dense insulation reduces heat loss, improves energy efficiency, and maintains temperature uniformity.

5. Value & Support

Quincy Lab balances performance and affordability. They back their products with a solid warranty (often 18–24 months) and provide replacement parts and technical support.
Their mission explicitly notes “integrity meets innovation” — delivering dependable tools without over-engineering or unnecessary cost.

Key Quincy Lab Products on MediDepot

Here is a detailed breakdown of some Quincy Lab models available through MediDepot, and what makes them special for lab workflows:

Incubators

1. 10‑140 and 12‑140 Analog Incubators

   • Temperature range: Ambient + 2°C to ~62°C.

   • Analog (bimetal) controller: provides simple, reliable temperature control. 

   • Interior: High-grade aluminum for even heating; exterior: steel. 

   • Doors: Acrylic (bronze-tinted) for visibility (in 140 series), or steel (in 180-series).

   • Shelving: One fixed + one adjustable shelf. 

2. 12‑180E Digital Incubator

   • Digital PID controller: high precision, ±0.5 °C typical. 

   • Temperature range: Ambient +3°C up to ~93°C (200°F) for demanding culture or heating tasks.

   • Interior: Aluminum; heating elements: incoloy resistive tubes. 

   • Door: Insulated solid steel for safety and minimal heat loss. 

   • Additional: One fixed + one adjustable shelf, self‑diagnostic safety features. 

3. 12‑180AE Digital Forced‑Air Incubator

   • Features a blower for horizontal cross-air flow, which improves temperature uniformity across shelves. 

   • PID controller (digital), ±0.5 °C accuracy, solid steel door, incoloy heating. 

   • Capacity: Suitable for petri dishes, flasks, or multiple samples thanks to consistent heating. 

Lab Ovens

Quincy Lab ovens come in several series, designed for different lab heating tasks:

• GC Series (Gravity Convection):
  Uses natural convection (no fan) to gently and evenly heat samples — ideal for drying, curing, or annealing. 
  Common temperature range: up to ~232 °C (450°F). 
  Construction: Double-wall steel, corrosion-resistant interior, durable handles. 

• AF Series (Forced-Air Convection):
  Utilizes a fan for circulating hot air, enabling faster heat-up, quicker recovery, and more uniform temperature — great for evaporating, dehydrating, or thermal testing. 
  Also rated up to ~232°C (450°F), with strong insulation and reliable controllers.

Bench Ovens

Quincy Lab’s bench ovens are portable, powerful, and user‑friendly — designed for preheating, part drying, thermal testing, and more.

• Models and Ranges:

  • 21‑250ER: Ambient + 25°F to 300°F (~150°C).

  • 31‑350ER: Larger capacity, up to 450°F (~232°C). 

  • 51‑550ER: High-temperature model, up to 550°F (~287°C).

• Features:

  • Digital PID microprocessor controller: precise setpoints, ramp & soak, countdown timer.

  • Forced-air circulation: promotes uniform heat, faster recovery.

  • Construction: aluminized interior (or stainless steel option), incoloy-sheathed heating elements, heavy insulation.

  • Load capacity: Shelves support up to 80 lb (~36 kg), adjustable shelving helps fit different sample types. 

  • Connectivity: RS-485 for temperature logging and remote control with optional software. 

Applications: Where Quincy Lab Ovens & Incubators Excel

• Cell Culture & Microbiology: Incubators (especially forced-air) provide stable environments for tissue culture, bacterial growth, and sample warming.

• Quality Assurance & R&D: Bench ovens and lab ovens support drying, curing, and thermal testing for materials, pharmaceuticals, or electronics.

• Sterilization: Ovens can be used to sterilize metal tools or glassware via dry heat.

• Industrial Labs: Heat treatment, part drying, and batch processing in electronics or materials science.

• Education & Teaching Labs: Reliable, easy-to-use ovens and incubators that support student training and experimentation.

• Clinical Labs: Incubators and sterilization ovens for diagnostic kit incubation, warming reagents, and heat-based sample prep.

Selecting the Right Quincy Lab Product

When choosing among Quincy Lab ovens and incubators, consider several key criteria:

1. Temperature Range & Precision:

   • For high-heat needs (up to ~287 °C), go with high-temp bench ovens like the 51-550ER.

   • For incubation, choose analog or digital depending on required accuracy. The 12‑180E / AE models offer tighter control and faster recovery.

2. Airflow Type:

   • If you need uniform heating and fast recovery, forced-air (AF, bench ER) models are ideal.

   • For gentler heating or when circulation is not critical, gravity-convection (GC) is sufficient.

3. Size & Capacity:

   • Bench Ovens: multiple sizes (e.g., 21, 31, 51 series) depending on your workspace and sample volume.

   • Incubators: 0.7 cu ft (compact) vs 2.0 cu ft (larger) capacities are offered; choose based on sample load.

4. Control Interface:

   • Digital PID: more precise, programmable (ramp/soak), better stability.

   • Analog/Bimetal: simpler, potentially more cost-effective if high precision isn’t required.

5. Safety & Use Case:

   • Use solid-steel doors for incubators when working with harsh substances (vs acrylic).

   • For logging and regulated environments, opt for bench ovens with RS-485 connectivity.

6. Durability & Maintenance:

   • Ensure sturdy interior (aluminum for incubators, aluminized or stainless steel for ovens).

   • Verify shelf capacity if heavy or large loads are used.

   • Check insulation and durability for long-term lab or industrial use.

Best Practices for Operation & Maintenance

• Installation & Placement: Set your unit on a stable, level surface with adequate ventilation.

• Calibration: Regularly calibrate temperature controllers using external probes to ensure accuracy.

• Use & Loading: Distribute samples evenly on shelves; don’t overload to ensure consistent heat distribution.

• Cleaning:

  • Incubators: wipe out interior with mild detergents; avoid harsh chemicals on acrylic doors. 

  • Ovens: clean interior surfaces when cool, remove shelves for cleaning, check the door gasket.

• Alarm & Safety Checks: Periodically test over-temperature protection and ensure controller diagnostics are working.

• Energy Efficiency: Turn units off when not in use; for long "soak" runs, ensure insulation is effective.

FAQ – Quincy Lab Ovens & Incubators

Q1: What is the temperature range for Quincy Lab incubators?
A1: Quincy Lab offers incubators with temperature ranges such as Ambient + 2°C up to ~62°C (140 Series) and Ambient + 3°C to ~93°C (180 Series).

Q2: What types of convection do Quincy Lab ovens use?
A2: Quincy Lab ovens come in gravity-convection (natural airflow) and forced-air convection (fan-driven) versions, depending on the series.

Q3: How hot can Quincy Lab bench ovens go?
A3: Their bench ovens reach up to 550°F (approximately 287°C) in high-temperature models.

Q4: Do Quincy Lab incubators offer digital control?
A4: Yes. Models like the 12‑180E / 12‑180AE use a digital PID controller that gives precise temperature control and ±0.5°C accuracy.

Q5: Can I log temperature data from Quincy bench ovens?
A5: Yes — many digital bench ovens support RS-485 connection and remote temperature logging using optional software.

Q6: Are Quincy Lab ovens suitable for drying, curing, and sterilizing?
A6: Absolutely. Quincy Lab ovens are widely used for drying, curing, part testing, evaporating, sterilizing, annealing, and other thermal processes.

Final Thoughts

The Quincy Lab brand category at MediDepot offers a rich and trusted portfolio of laboratory heating and incubation equipment. Whether you need compact incubators for culture work, high‑temperature ovens for materials testing, or bench ovens for versatile heating tasks, Quincy Lab delivers robust, reliable, and thoughtfully engineered solutions.

Their mix of analog and digital controls, convection options, wide temperature ranges, and durable construction makes them a go-to choice for labs prioritizing consistency, safety, and value. By understanding your workflow and thermal needs, you can select the Quincy Lab model that supports your research or industrial processes effectively and efficiently.