Equipment
Equipment properties, event history, and how to add and edit equipment records.
The equipment module tracks instruments and devices with status, maintenance histories, and location assignment.
How the equipment system works
Equipment in Lab Belay uses a two-tier model:
-
Global equipment catalog — a shared reference database of instrument types maintained by Lab Belay, containing model specifications, manuals, and standard maintenance procedures. This catalog is read-only.
-
Your equipment inventory — your organization's owned instances, linked to labs and benches, with their own status, maintenance records, and serial numbers.
Equipment record fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name and model | Identification |
| Serial number | Unique unit identifier |
| Asset ID | Optional internal asset tag |
| Location | Assigned lab and/or bench |
| Purchase date | For warranty and lifecycle tracking |
| Purchase price | For financial records |
| Status | Current operational state (see Maintenance) |
| Owner | Assigned user or user group |
| Notes | Free-text notes about this unit |
Event history
Every change to an equipment record — status updates, maintenance entries, ownership reassignments — is logged in the equipment's Events tab with a timestamp and the name of the user who made the change.
Adding equipment
AI search
Enter the equipment name, manufacturer, and/or model number and click Search with AI. Beaker searches for a matching manual online, shows you the result for confirmation, then walks you through adding your unit to inventory.
Upload a manual
If you have a PDF equipment manual, use Upload Manual to let Beaker extract the equipment details from it automatically. Useful when AI search doesn't find the right result.
Custom equipment
Use Add Custom Equipment to enter details by hand — name, manufacturer, model number, category, dimensions, voltage, and amperage. This creates a new equipment record without any catalog or manual match.
Bulk import from CSV
Open Beaker AI and use the Auto Equipment Upload workflow. Upload a CSV of your equipment list and Beaker will parse it, match entries to the global catalog where possible, and create the records after your review.
Beaker AI
Beaker can search your equipment inventory in plain language:
"Find all centrifuges in the lab."
"Which equipment items are currently under maintenance?"
Related
- Maintenance — setting up maintenance schedules and logging service
- Benches — assigning equipment to specific workstations