Displaying items by tag: design

People often come to us for a budgetary price for their cleanroom project without much information about their needs. A cleanroom is an investment and a real asset in a company’s strategy and needs to be well thought through. Many decisions must be taken when building a cleanroom, and these will affect the cleanroom performance, ergonomics and cost. The following 5 questions are, in our opinion the first ones to ask when initiating a cleanroom project.

Cleanrooms are a vital part of laboratories and the microelectronics industry, especially semiconductor manufacturing. To maintain and assure quality, there are specific standards that apply to these spaces and guide the process of constructing and operating the rooms. While adhering to these requirements makes designing and constructing a cleanroom more complex than conventional construction projects, the standards serve as a blueprint for the successful completion of a cleanroom that will meet the exacting demands of the end-user.

A cleanroom is a modular environment in which the following environmental factors are kept under control; temperature, airborne particulates, microbes, relative humidity, differential pressure, and air flow.

"Easy" may not be a word that comes to mind for designing such sensitive environments. However, that doesn't mean you can't produce a solid cleanroom design by tackling issues in a logical sequence. This article covers each key step, down to handy application-specific tips for adjusting load calculations, planning exfiltration paths, and angling for adequate mechanical room space relative to the cleanroom's class.

Many manufacturing processes need the very stringent environmental conditions provided by a cleanroom. Because cleanrooms have complex mechanical systems and high construction, operating, and energy costs, it is important to perform the cleanroom design in a methodical way. This article will present a step-by-step method for evaluating and designing cleanrooms, factoring in people/material flow, space cleanliness classification, space pressurization, space supply airflow, space air exfiltration, space air balance, variables to be evaluated, mechanical system selection, heating/cooling load calculations, and support space requirements.

The HVAC system is at the heart of the cleanroom. Although many clients are unenthusiastic when broaching the subject, the HVAC system should not be overlooked given its central role. HVAC is actually the most complex and important system of a cleanroom facility as the HVAC is responsible for controlling air cleanliness, temperature, humidity, and pressure. This article aims at simplifying the cleanroom HVAC concept to facilitate conversations with your cleanroom supplier for your next project.

With an increasing emphasis on maximizing product yield, improving quality control and ensuring safety, companies throughout many industries are looking to install clean rooms and controlled environments in their facilities.

Whether you need to build a Class 1 environment for nano-technology research, or a temperature- controlled enclosure to protect delicate machinery or processes, PortaFab has over 35 years of modular clean room design and construction expertise. Featuring a complete line of modular systems and interchangeable components, we can offer a custom solution for your cleanroom application.

The following presents a brief overview of how clean rooms are classified, as well as some design considerations for perfecting your clean room project. For in-depth information on designs pertaining to pharmaceutical cleanrooms, review our bio-pharmaceutical cleanroom design guidelines, as well as other helpful articles in our cleanroom learning center.

TIP 1: Cleanrooms are designed with Specific Industrial Applications in Mind
As a rule, your project’s industrial category will determine which cleanroom design requirements are in effect. Here are four of the most common categories:

• Healthcare product manufacturing (includes pharmaceuticals and medical devices)
• Electronic semiconductor manufacturing
• Food manufacturing
• Biological and chemical research laboratories

 
Each of the above has their own unique design requirements.

Cleanroom designs can be further segregated into two groups: those that work with hazardous materials and those that do not.

The turnkey approach to design building a cleanroom has been moving toward the forefront of cleanroom design and construction for many reasons — one of the most important being schedule. Design build lends itself to fast track construction in such a way that a high quality product can be delivered, as well as help reduce a customer’s time to market. With the critical nature of hitting a window with certain products, the faster the project completes the better.

Clients often come to me specifically requesting an “ISO 7 cleanroom” or an “ISO 8 cleanroom.” What they often fail to realize is that the ISO class does not define the layout of the cleanroom. It only defines the cleanliness level that needs to be met. In fact, the ISO classification actually corresponds to a specification of how clean the cleanroom must be. The ISO 14464-1 standard doesn’t say how to design the cleanroom, it only specifies the maximum quantity of air particles allowed.

Whether the goal is high yields or regulatory compliance, controlled environments are integral to pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Air showers are vital to maintaining the clean environment; they help protect operations from the constant threat of air particulate contamination. Medical device, bio-tech, and pharmaceutical industries require contaminant-free environments and use air showers as part of their operations.