Carrying Tray, Aluminium/Stainless Steel

Quick Answer: The Carrying Tray, Aluminium/Stainless Steel is a flat metal tray with raised edges, offered in aluminium or stainless steel, used to carry slides, small instruments, glassware and samples around a laboratory. A carrying tray keeps items together and contains small spills in transit.

Aluminium or Stainless Steel

The listing offers the tray in two metals. Aluminium is light, which matters when a loaded tray is carried across a teaching lab, and it does not rust, though strong acids and alkalis, including some detergents, attack it and leave it dull. Stainless steel is heavier but more resistant to most laboratory chemicals and to repeated washing and heat, which makes it the usual choice where trays are disinfected, autoclaved or used for staining work.

In a microscopy room a tray keeps a set of prepared slides, cover slips, immersion oil and lens tissue together on the way from the cupboard to the bench. In histology it holds staining dishes or slide racks, and the raised edge catches drips. Size and depth are not stated in the listing, so match them to the slide boxes, racks or instruments you plan to carry.

Slide sets from the prepared slides range travel well on a tray, as do the razor, dishes and brushes used with the Hand Microtome, Bench Type.

Specifications

Applications

• Carrying slide boxes, cover slips and lens tissue to microscope benches
• Holding staining dishes and slide racks in histology and microbiology
• Setting out dissection instruments for a practical
• Collecting used glassware from benches for washing

Care & Handling

• Wash an aluminium carrying tray with mild, neutral detergent; strong alkaline cleaners and bleach corrode aluminium.
• Stainless steel trays can be scrubbed and, where your procedures require it, autoclaved; dry them afterwards to avoid water spots.
• Wipe up stains, acids and salt solutions promptly rather than leaving them to stand on either metal.
• Carry the tray level with both hands, and do not stack heavy items above the rim.

Why Choose LabEquip

School and college labs, histology units and microbiology departments buy metal trays in sets for each bench. This one is listed in the LabEquip Microscope & Optics range; state the metal and quantity on the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I choose aluminium or stainless steel?

Choose aluminium for a light tray used mainly for dry items such as slide boxes. Choose stainless steel if the tray will meet chemicals, stains, disinfectants or autoclaving, since it resists them better.

Can the tray be autoclaved?

Stainless steel trays generally tolerate autoclaving. Aluminium can also withstand autoclave temperatures but may discolour, especially with hard water or alkaline residues.

Will the tray contain a spill?

The raised edge holds small drips and spills, which keeps them off the floor during transit. It is not a substitute for a proper spill tray or secondary container for hazardous liquids.

What cleaning products are safe for aluminium?

Mild, pH-neutral detergents and warm water. Avoid strong alkaline cleaners, bleach and hydrochloric acid, which pit and darken aluminium.

Is a tray useful in a microscope room?

Yes. Keeping slides, oil, tissue and cover slips on one tray reduces trips and drops, and the tray returns everything to the cupboard in one go at the end of the lesson.

What size of tray do I need?

Measure what the tray must hold, such as a slide box, a staining rack or a set of instruments, and allow a margin around it. The listing does not state tray dimensions, so give those sizes when you enquire.

Last Updated: September 2026