A Cleanroom must protect equipment from contamination from the structure and in turn the manufactured products need to be protected against contamination from Operators and particle generation. Consideration of cleanability of room surfaces and airtightness are heightened and the room fabric and associated elements need to be chosen with care to negate such problems.
Temperature humidity control can also be critical and in certain applications low humidity levels necessary for the process can create static issues; in these cases electrostatic dissipative materials may need to be considered.
The design of a cleanroom is typically created moving from the dirtiest areas to the cleanest areas with suitable air pressure cascades. As the cleanroom classification increases, the need for suitable gowning, cleaning, monitoring, and material transfer also increases, so the need for well-designed cleanrooms is vital to achieve strict industry classifications and standards.
Equipment and materials entering the cleanroom must be pre-cleaned and moved through either an airlock or a pass-through, and all equipment required for the cleanroom process should remain in the area to avoid bringing contaminants into the facility.
Personnel and goods-in / goods-out airlocks are an essential part of cleanroom design and Access Control Systems will prohibit non-trained personnel entering sensitive cleanroom areas.
A cleanroom needs to be constantly measured to ensure that factors such as particle count, air flow, humidity, temperature, and cleanliness are at the appropriate levels. If your cleanroom handles hazardous materials, extra considerations include using a negative air pressure system and the special treatment of waste air, as well as personal protection, and separate entrances & exits.
With due consideration and investment in cleanroom design and installation required to reach industry classification, it’s vital to ensure your cleanroom is as flexible in design as possible to accommodate future expansion, new equipment or changes to processes.
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