Laboratory equipment can conventionally be divided into the following categories:
1. General laboratory equipment: It can be found in every laboratory (tables, cabinets, thermostats, centrifuges, and laboratory glassware)
2. Measuring equipment: This includes sensors, meters, thermometers, and measuring tools, as well as specialized measuring instruments
3. Analytical equipment: It allows laboratories to establish qualitative and quantitative characteristics of a substance or process (devices for chemical, biological, physical, or chemical and physical analysis)
4. Special-purpose equipment: This type of equipment is designed specifically for the main activity of a laboratory (instruments for soil analysis; equipment for product quality analysis, etc.)
5. Testing equipment: Just as special-purpose equipment, testing equipment is designed to solve a specific problem that the laboratory is dealing with. It may include test benches, multi-purpose testing machines, etc
Specialized industry institutes and organizations are involved in designing and equipping most of the modern laboratories. As a rule, they also supply special-purpose equipment and instruments