Leica Microsystems opens new cleanroom
To optimise production processes and improve quality, Leica Microsystems, a global designer and producer of precision optics systems for the analysis of microstructures, has opened a new cleanroom at its facility in Weilburg, Germany.
The new 594m2 facility, which replaces the company's cleanroom in Wetzlar, will also bring together some assembly lines previously maintained at two separate locations. Built by M+W Zander, the facility will be used for system assembly and integration, as well as customer acceptance tests. The sensitive entrance, packaging and system integration areas correspond to cleanroom class 10,000, while the 328m2 assembly cleanroom is class 100,000. Completed in three months at a cost of approximately €450,000, it provides the company with 50% more capacity for assembly. Combining the cleanrooms and centralising assembly in Weilburg is expected to enable a more flexible and efficient use of manpower, reduce throughput time, improve quality and significantly lower contamination risks. Leica has also begun to systematically qualify its workforce.