CRC provides ultra-clean air for new LEP plant

Contamination control specialist, Clean Room Construction (CRC), has supplied and installed over 100 Envirco Mac 10 fan filter units (FFUs) from Trion to provide ultra-clean air filtration for a new light-emitting polymer (LEP) manufacturing plant at Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) Ltd.

Founded in 1992, CDT is the original developer of LEP technology and is now leading industry efforts to expand the use of these compounds in commercial display applications, such as mobile communications, computers and consumer electronics. LEP displays are constructed by applying a thin film of the light-emitting polymer onto a glass or plastic substrate coated with a transparent electrode. A metal electrode is sputtered or evaporated on top of the polymer and an electric field created between the two electrodes, creating an emission of light from the polymer. As part of the company's ongoing r&d programme, CRC was appointed in a £3m design and build turnkey contract to deliver a new, 2,000m² clean, pilot plant for manufacturing the substrate used in these LEP display screens. "The sensitive nature of CDT's manufacturing process demanded that we engineer a clean, precisely controlled environment for this project," explains Steve Lawton of CRC. "Reliable air filtration is an important component in such a specification and Trion's Envirco Mac 10 was the ideal choice for CDT on performance and value criteria. The unit's modular design has also given us the flexibility to double-bank FFUs and create Class 100 (ISO5) conditions where required." CRC has fitted the Mac 10 units within double ceilings which form an integral part of the modular metal partitioning system used to sub-divide the various manufacturing areas. Single, standard size Mac 10 units (600mm x 1,200mm nominal) have been installed to achieve Class 1000 air flow (ISO 6) background for the plant, while two units installed side-by-side produce Class 100 (ISO 5) cleanliness for optimum product protection. Fully CE marked and exceeding IEST recommendations, the standard Mac 10 provides a minimum efficiency of 99.995% at 0.3µm. ULPA filters capable of removing particles of 0.12µm or larger at 99.9995% efficiency can be fitted for critical applications. Units are modular in design with a slim profile of 318mm (STD version), and are equally suitable for clean stand, T-bar or Gel Seal ceiling installation. In addition to the air filtration system, CRC's contract at CDT involved an HVAC plant with full BMS and raised access/ return air flooring throughout, effluent treatment and collection plant, and early warning fire detection and suppression system. A mezzanine area with labs and offices was also created.