This project, which reinforces Airkey's growing reputation in the Southeast Asian life sciences sector, demonstrates the company's capability to provide turnkey contamination control environments that meet the exacting standards of mycology research and production.
Project Scope and Facility Dimensions
The modular cleanroom complex occupies a footprint measuring 14.35 meters in length, 7.53 meters in width, and 3.1 meters in height. The facility was configured to support the full workflow of fungal cultivation, including strain separation, tissue transfer, liquid propagation, and sterile culture medium processing. Cleanliness was certified to ISO 7 classification, which corresponds to a particulate concentration limit appropriate for mycology applications where control of airborne contaminants such as Trichoderma, Penicillium, and Neurospora is essential to prevent
Freestanding Clearspan Structural Design
One of the standout engineering achievements of this project is the fully freestanding nature of the modular cleanroom. The system employs Airkey's proprietary clearspan technology, enabling the structure to stand independently without requiring suspension from the existing building roof or ceiling grid systems. This design approach, featuring a robust aluminum frame structure with rock wool sandwich panels, ensures the cleanroom is solid and can maintain stable positive pressure without external support. The clearspan feature gives the client full flexibility to relocate or reconfigure the cleanroom in the future without major building modifications, while also simplifying installation and reducing overall project costs.
High-Visibility Window Design
In response to the client's operational requirements for monitoring and observation, the cleanroom incorporates continuous large and high windows constructed from tempered glass. This design provides exceptional visibility into the workspace, allowing supervisors to observe critical procedures such as mycelium separation, spore collection, and mother strain transfer without compromising the controlled environment. The high-transparency windows also enhance the working environment by reducing the enclosed feel of the cleanroom, contributing to personnel comfort during extended work periods.
Rapid Material Transfer with Cargo Air Shower
To facilitate efficient material handling while maintaining strict contamination control, the cleanroom is equipped with a cargo air shower featuring fast-roll up doors. This configuration enables rapid transfer of substrates, consumables, and equipment in and out of the clean zone while effectively removing particulate contaminants from material surfaces. The fast-roll up door minimizes air exchange during transfers, helping to maintain stable internal pressure and cleanliness levels. This is particularly important for fungal cultivation operations, where culture dishes, inoculation needles, and glass bottles must be unpacked and temporarily stored in clean conditions to prevent attachment of airborne bacteria.
Materials and Construction Methodology
Every component of the modular cleanroom was fabricated in Airkey's Chinese manufacturing facility using high-quality, durable materials selected for their cleanroom compatibility, structural performance, and ease of maintenance. The primary framing consists of precision-extruded aluminum profiles, which offer an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and a smooth surface finish that minimizes particle accumulation. The wall and ceiling panels are constructed from rock wool sandwiched steel sheets, providing effective thermal insulation, fire resistance, and sound attenuation. The ceiling system incorporates a grid structure with individual ceiling panels, which can be selectively removed or adjusted to accommodate future equipment installations or modifications.
For natural light and visual monitoring, tempered glass windows were integrated into the panel system at strategic locations, complementing the overall high-visibility design philosophy. These windows not only enhance the working environment but also allow supervisors to observe operations without entering the cleanroom.
Prefabrication and Factory Preassembly
A defining feature of Airkey's delivery model is the degree of prefabrication performed at its factory prior to shipment. Rather than shipping raw materials and performing extensive on-site cutting and assembly, Airkey prefabricates all panels, frames, windows, and ceiling components to precise dimensions based on the project's engineering drawings. This approach reduces on-site labor requirements, minimizes construction waste, accelerates installation timelines, and ensures a higher level of quality control .
For this Malaysian project, Airkey undertook the additional step of preassembling the modular cleanroom in its factory for a full system test. This mock-up assembly served multiple purposes: it allowed the engineering team to verify dimensional accuracy, check the fit and alignment of all components, test the sealing performance of panel joints, and confirm the functionality of the integrated systems under simulated operating conditions. Any minor adjustments or corrections could be made in the factory environment, where tools, materials, and skilled technicians were readily available, rather than at the remote project site in Malaysia.
Contact Airkey today to discuss how our ISO-certified modular cleanrooms can enhance your production quality and efficiency.
