A cleanroom is a
space that has been specially designed and set to exclude dust particles and
air pollutants. They're frequently employed in scientific research,
pharmaceutical manufacturing, and other businesses that manufacture items that
filthy or polluted circumstances could harm.
The particulate
matter (PM) amount, a descriptor for liquids and particles in a cleanroom's air
per cubic meter, determines its categorization. In a cubic meter of air, there
are approximately 35 million particles with an estimated size of 0.5 μm,
one-millionth of a meter or micrometres.
The International
Organization of Standards (ISO) does clean room classification using a grading
system that ranges from ISO 1 (very clean) to ISO 9 (satisfactorily clean). The
size and number of particles in the room's air are used to determine the
classification.
IEST - The Institute
of Environmental Sciences and Technology released Federal Standard 209E, a
clean room classification system in the United States, in 1963. The IEST
employed an ISO 3 classification system that went up to Class 100,000, an ISO 8
rating. Even though the IEST system is still in use in a few countries, it was
declared outdated in 2001.
Scientists,
engineers, and designers had tried for years to construct an uncontaminated
environment but had failed due to unpredictable particles and airflow issues.
Willis Whitfield, a physicist, invented a filtering device in 1960 that paved
the way for the current cleanroom.
A Cleanroom's Requirements
Pharmaceutical,
semiconductors, biotech, microchip manufacturers, laboratories, and solar
industries all employ cleanrooms. A cleanroom is used in any manufacturing
process that requires highly regulated product and production handling. The
level of cleanroom required is determined by the delicacy and nature of the
product.
The requirements for
a cleanroom start with personnel protection, including protective gear and
accessories. These specialist goods are created from a wear-resistant synthetic
material and are only used once. Everything that enters the cleanroom must be
classified and approved to the tiniest detail.
There is no furniture
in cleanrooms, and all surfaces are free of nuts, bolts, visible joints, or any
other source of dust particles. Equipment and surfaces are frequently constructed
of plastic or high-grade stainless steel and are smooth and well polished.
Cleanrooms are designed and built in a simple and minimalistic manner.
A cleanroom's
lighting must offer enough light for a smooth operation while also adhering to
strict hygiene standards. It is critical that lighting does not require
frequent cleaning and is long-lasting, as cleanroom interior cleaning
necessitates re-certification.
The air circulation
system in cleanrooms is the most significant aspect. The ventilation system,
which strictly controls air movement, provides airflow. Air enters from the
ceiling and exits through the floor in some designs. In some situations,
negative pressure is used to keep contaminants from escaping harmful items. The
type and type of airflow system used are determined by the goods being handled.
Cleanrooms are quite
expensive to maintain and build, costing an average of between $100 and $150
per square foot. The cost of a ten-foot-by-ten-foot cleanroom, roughly the size
of a small bedroom, ranges from $10,000 to $15,000, depending on the air
control system and instrumentation.
What is the purpose of a cleanroom?
A cleanroom does
exactly what it says on the tin: keeping things clean. They're used in a
variety of industries where airborne particles can influence the outcome of a
physical product.
A cleanroom is a
highly sterile environment where air must pass through a filter before
entering. Humans who enter and exit the room are the main source of
contamination. Aside from that, the filter, which is made of smooth, antistatic
materials, keeps small particles out of the room.
Which industries make use of a cleanroom?
Production by
technicians and manufacturers in a variety of industries uses cleanrooms.
Electronics, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, life sciences, food manufacturing,
and automotive are some of the most common industries.
Environmental issues
must be closely monitored in all of these businesses during manufacturing.
Temperature, pressure, and particle saturation of the air in the room are all
environmental parameters that can be monitored and controlled in a cleanroom.
Industries are Using Clean Rooms in 6 Amazing Ways
Clean rooms and their
controlled surroundings have long been linked with the pharmaceutical and
medical industries. Still, thousands of cleanroom jobs have been created in
other industries, where practitioners execute incredible applications and
experiments. The cleanroom's clean atmosphere lends itself to many
manufacturing endeavours that rely on its enhanced quality controls since it
may be created to precise specifications and function in compliance with tight
industry regulations. The following are among a few of the incredible uses for
cleanroom technology.
Aerospace
In 1957, Russia was
the first country to launch a satellite. Sputnik 1 was the name given to it. In
1958, the US Explorer 1 was released. Lt. Yuri Gagarin was the first person to
orbit the Earth, and Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon in
1969.
People would still be
gazing up at the night sky, dreaming of space, if it weren't for the efforts of
aeronautical specialists. Countries are cooperating in space exploration thanks
to their combined efforts.
To undertake studies
and develop things like space-flight lasers, the aerospace sector relies on the
cleanroom environment and its state-of-the-art upgrades. Creating aerospace
instruments like lasers necessitates the utilization of controlled settings to
ensure that no contaminants or pollutants affect the manufacturing tools or the
product itself. Absolute precision is critical in the case of space-flight
lasers. Some of these lasers are used to charge aerial vehicle batteries. Other
aircraft lasers have been constructed with ablation in mind, which means they
are used to vaporize space junk in Earth's orbit.
It's thrilling to
watch the rocket launch into orbit. Many individuals are unaware of what occurs
in the background. For sophisticated equipment such as space travel lasers, a
clean room is required in the aerospace sector.
These can be used to
charge aerial vehicle batteries or perhaps evaporate space junk.
Aside from the space
laser, there's the astronaut suit, satellites, and the Mars rover to consider.
Clean room supplies are required to ensure that no pollutants contaminate the
components throughout the manufacturing process.
Cameras and Optics
Instagram users share
a selfie every ten seconds. Every day, 93 million selfies are taken, according
to the same authority. This equates to 2.583 million film rolls.
Have you ever spent
time learning about the science behind a smartphone camera?
When most people take
a wonderful photo with their smartphone, they are ecstatic. Still, those lenses
and the high-end lenses of professional cameras must be created using cleanroom
technology. High-end lenses and image sensors with a resolution of more than 21
MP are used in smartphone cameras. These technological devices are quite small.
Production takes place in a clean room to guarantee that photo quality is not
compromised.
Particle
contamination, humidity and temperature management, and vibration isolation
techniques are all required in the lens production process. The cleanroom
setting allows experts to design lenses that allow us to record the eternal
grins of our loved ones or the breathtaking views we picture while on vacation.
Nanotechnology
While some people
think of the nanotech cleanroom as a niche form of a cleanroom dedicated to
electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, the nanotech cleanroom is used for
various industries, including food and fuel cells, to mention a few. Clean
rooms dedicated to nanotechnology are now involved in the production of
nanotech solar cells in a world that is becoming increasingly green. Because
these cells are significantly less expensive to manufacture than standard solar
cells, they could have a significant impact on global environmental projects.
University Research Labs & Facilities
It isn't easy to
comprehend, yet even adding a few extra particles can throw even the most
meticulously planned studies off. For clean results, all variables that
potentially affect an experiment must be eliminated. The cleanroom maintains
this contaminant-free environment, allowing experimentation in a variety of
sciences and technologies to take place. The cleanroom provides a constant that
allows researchers to reduce, if not eliminate, cross-contamination and other
factors that can skew results.
Biological Protection
Scientists and their
teams are increasingly in need of safe working spaces, as their work frequently
involves dangerous biological agents. Cleanroom environments safeguard the
outside regions of a facility from harmful biological agents, while inside
equipment meant for technicians, such as biological safety cabinets, protect
scientists while conducting processes involving hazardous compounds. For
example, designing a novel medicine may necessitate testing the drug against a
deadly virus or bacteria. This type of activity necessitates using a cleanroom
and its associated devices to ensure personnel safety.
Military
Cleanrooms are used
by the military and numerous government entities for a variety of projects and
tests. In fact, if James Bond were genuine, his many gadgets would very
certainly be developed in a cleanroom setting. Cleanroom laboratories are now
used by the military to develop future technology systems and improve current
technology. Developing new and creative materials, such as a barrier to protect
training pilots from excessive noise exposure, is only one example of how the
military employs cleanrooms.
Many sectors, as well
as tomorrow's innovative products, rely on clean rooms. These are only a few
examples of cleanroom applications. There are plenty more—and plenty more are
sure to be invented in the future.
The modular cleanroom
is a more flexible type of cleanroom because it is versatile, simple to create,
and can be easily changed and adjusted. They have all of the advantages of more
expensive kinds and offer the same clean environments at a reduced cost.
Applications of a Cleanroom
Clean rooms were and
are an important part of the treatment process during the COVID-19 scare of
2020. Clean rooms have been used in various businesses since their introduction
in 1960, including some that may seem surprising. The following is a list of a few
of the cleanroom's applications.
Isolation Rooms Hospitals are a type of isolation room
that is used in hospitals.
Negative pressure is
required in isolation rooms to prevent contamination from spreading from one
room to another due to sneezing, coughing, or breathing. Cleanroom engineers
and healthcare personnel collaborated to create these one-of-a-kind spaces.
They have pressure drop alerts, hands-free showers, and toilets, and there is
no moving air. They use HEPA filters, which are designed to filter out dust,
pollen, mold, bacteria, and any particles larger than 0.3 microns.
Microelectronics and Semiconductors
Because of the
sensitive and fragile nature of electronics manufacturing equipment, strict
environmental controls are required. Any flaws or weaknesses in a cleanroom can
significantly impact a manufacturing run. These manufacturers' airtight
cleanrooms include UV-filtered lighting and electrostatic charge management
devices. Cleanrooms for the electronics industry, unlike most others, are larger
and roomier.
Manufacturing of Medical Devices
Airborne particles
and bacteria are controlled in medical device cleanrooms. They must also be
tested for their bioburden rate, which is the number of bacteria residing on a
surface. Over the last few years, the demands and requirements placed on
medical device producers have progressively increased. The most strict
regulations apply to Class III medical devices implanted with or maintaining
life.
Compounding pharmacies
Compounding
pharmacies have grown in popularity in recent years, although they have been
restricted due to the chemicals and compounds they generate, which necessitate
cleanrooms. The ability of a compound pharmacy to mix, produce, and sell
medications particularly tailored to a customer's needs distinguishes it from
other pharmacies. Because of the nature of the materials they use, they require
a sterile, contained environment. Their cleanrooms must comply with ISO 7 or 8
standards.
Air Flow in a Laminar Pattern
Because all
cleanrooms have some type of airflow control, most are classed as laminar.
Unidirectional airflow, also known as laminar airflow, occurs when air passes
through a room in a single direction. The air comes from the ceiling and
escapes through outlets in the floor in a typical configuration. Air enters via
one wall and exits through the opposite wall in other designs, which is known
as horizontal laminar. Where the airflow enters the room, HEPA filters are
installed. The ducting in most rooms is stainless steel or other non-shedding
metal.
Ballrooms
This type of
cleanroom is utilized for the large-scale manufacturing of precise items. On
the other hand, mini environments are built to manufacture a single tool or
process. Ballrooms are big spaces with full production capabilities. The
ability of ballroom designs to create a completely confined setting is one of
their primary flaws.
Do you require a cleanroom for your company?
If you're reading
this, your company may already utilize a clean room, and you're seeking to
learn more about it, or you may think your company may benefit from one.
So, to determine if a
cleanroom is suited for your company, ask yourself the following questions:
• Is your company involved in the production of
micro-goods?
• Is your company involved in the food industry?
• Is your company involved in scientific
research?
• Do your items frequently fail due to hardware
faults caused by particles interacting with the product?
If you responded yes
to any of the above questions, a cleanroom could benefit your company. While
they are an investment and require constant management, they can significantly
impact your production.
And
you want to make sure you're protecting and maximizing your investment. We want
to ensure your cleanroom is working harder for you than you are for it as one
of the leaders in cleanroom monitoring systems.