It goes without saying that setting up a cleanroom calls for careful attention to detail. But what must be understood is that it’s not enough to train personnel on safety practices in the cleanroom—if the room itself is poorly designed, contamination may happen regardless. What follows is a brief overview of the most important cleanroom design elements.
• There is no standard cleanroom design. Owing to the varying cleanroom certification rules for different industries, each cleanroom must be constructed to comply with specific manufacturing processes. • Nonetheless, it is possible to spotlight certain basic design features common to most cleanrooms. Those are what we will focus on here.
• All surfaces inside the cleanroom must be resistant to deterioration and shedding of particulate matter that can lead to contamination. • These surfaces must be able tolerate cleaning fluids and products without experiencing this kind of deterioration. Be sure to test surfaces to confirm compatibility with cleaning supplies. • Surfaces should also be smooth and impermeable for easy cleaning.
• Static electricity can easily cause contamination. This is an especially hazardous phenomenon in cleanrooms that manufacture delicate electronic parts. • Installing electrostatic discharge (ESD) flooring in the cleanroom will go a long way toward counteracting this phenomenon.
• High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters play an important role in minimizing the concentration of pollutants in the air. • HEPA filters can remove 99.97% of particles that pass through them. They also enhance employee comfort by providing a continuous supply of fresh air. • Ultra Low Particulate Air (ULPA) filters are available for cleanrooms with more demanding requirements.
• Maintaining appropriate temperature levels is essential. You need to ensure that your HVAC system can compensate for the heat generated by the people in the room as well as the equipment in use.
• Controlling humidity is also very important to prevent equipment from corroding and reduce the incidence of static electricity.
• The room should be designed to permit air to flow through with minimal obstruction. Otherwise, you may enable the development of turbulence that can project contaminants into the air.
• Installing airlocks allows personnel to enter and exit the cleanroom without altering the room's air pressure.
• The best practice is to design your cleanroom in a way that allows easy expansions and/or modifications in the future. This will enable you to install new equipment without requiring major renovations.
• Setting up modular workstations gives you the freedom to make these kinds of changes with minimal effort.
• Requiring the use of properly designed cleanroom uniforms and apparel is another important step in controlling contaminants. • Cleanroom apparel should include contaminant-resistant safety features, such as: • Arc flash resistance • Static dissipation • High-density, tear-resistant, & non-linting fabric
• Reusable cleaning implements and PPE can save your cleanroom a substantial amount of money in the long run. Instead of disposing of these items after a single use, you can simply have them cleaned. • Consider hiring a uniform supply service that specializes in gamma sterilization. This will ensure that your products conform to sterilization standards necessary for safe cleanroom operations.
Founded in 1960, Prudential Cleanroom Services (PCS) provides uniform rental and laundry services to organizations across multiple industries, including the pharmaceutical, medical device, semiconductor, bio-science, and aerospace sectors. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, PCS maintains a number of ISO 9001-certified garment processing facilities around the U.S. To learn more about our cleanroom supply services, visit us online at PrudentialUniforms.com.