WHAT IS A CLEANROOM? A clean room is a controlled environment where pollutants like dust, airborne microbes, and aerosol particles are filtered out in order to provide the cleanest area possible. Most cleanrooms are used for manufacturing products such as electronics, pharmaceutical products, and medical equipment. A cleanroom can be classified into different levels of contamination depending on the amount of particles allowed in the space, per cubic meter. Cleanrooms also control variables like temperature, air flow, and humidity. HOW DOES IT WORK? Essentially, cleanrooms work to remove pollutants, particles, and contaminants from outside ambient air. Outside air is first circulated to a filter system. The filters (either HEPA or ULPA) then clean and decontaminate this outside air according to their specifications. The filtered air is then forced into the cleanroom. Additionally, contaminated air within the cleanroom is forced outside the room by registers, or it is recirculated back into the filters, and the process restarts. WHO NEEDS A CLEANROOM? There are a wide variety of reasons that a company may need a cleanroom. If you’re manufacturing something that is easily affected by contaminants or particles in the air for example, it’s likely that you’ll need a cleanroom. If you’re not sure, or if you’d like an estimate, give the experts at Angstrom a call. Here are a few common reasons you might need a cleanroom, and some common industries that regularly use cleanrooms: Manufacturing Companies Research Facilities Pharmaceutical Companies Medical Laboratories Electronic Part Production What is a sandwich panel? A sandwich panel is a product used to clad the walls and roofs of buildings. Each panel comprises a core of thermoinsulating material, skinned on both sides with sheet metal. Sandwich panels are not structural materials but curtain materials. The structural forces are carried by the steel framework or other carrier frame to which the sandwich panels are attached. The types of sandwich panel are generally grouped by the thermoinsulating material used as the core. Sandwich panels with cores of EPS (expanded polystyrene), mineral wool and polyurethane (PIR, or polyisocyanurate) are all readily available. The materials mainly vary in their thermal insulating performance, sound insulating performance, reaction to fire and weight. Why use sandwich panels anyway? Sandwich panels are widely acclaimed due to a number of benefits, mainly those related to cost. Comparisons between frame or stud partition technology (frames lined with sandwich panels) and traditional building technologies based on masonry walls reveal advantages of sandwich panels in three key areas: 1. Direct costs Construction of a building in either technology requires similar capital expenditure levels. The comparison in this area includes the costs of construction materials, labour and shipping. 2. Construction time A building based on a traditional masonry process may take 6 to 7 months to complete. A building of the same volume utilising stud partitions takes just 1 month to complete. The construction time is business-critical. The sooner a production building or warehouse is commissioned for use, the sooner a return on the investment can be achieved. Stud partition buildings are assembled rather than “built”. The finished structural parts and cladding components arrive on site, and are then assembled like a house of toy bricks. Another plus is that there is no need to wait for the building shell to lose excess moisture. In some sectors of industry, the construction requirements can be critical for a building project. Stud partition construction is a ‘dry process’, with no water needed for the construction materials. A dry process requires only the assembly of the structure and fixing of the cladding (here, the sandwich panels) with screws. Traditional masonry construction uses ‘wet processes’, which require significant amounts of water to make the mortar for bricklaying, concrete for casting or the plaster for rendering. Some sectors of industry, like wood processing or pharmaceutical manufacture, require fixed and controlled relative humidity levels, which preclude wet construction processes. Pass box is one of the cleanroom systems, which is used to transfer materials from one side to other side through controlled environment in order to avoid airborne cross contamination. As the name states itself, the primary and only work of a pass box is to pass material from one side to other without raising contamination concern and if any particulate matter presents on the material surface, it swipes away during the operation. Interlocking door mechanism is the prime feature of a pass box, when door at one side is open the door at other side remains closed. It is popular with other names such as cleanroom pass through, clean transfer window and transfer hatch; in addition, it is widely used in microbiology laboratories in food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. A pass box is designed in two different types; static and dynamic, it is the user specific requirement which decides the right design configuration. The difference between these two is explained as: DYNAMIC PASS BOX (DPB) A dynamic pass box is fitted between classified and non-classified areas. Material is passed through vertically HEPA filtered air. STATIC PASS BOX Static pass box on the other hand is fitted only between two clean room areas and has no air supply or extract. It is also known as passive pass box and equipped with UV light. We are ISO certified pass box manufacturers in India. Our pass boxes deliver low noise and easy to use operation, rugged construction promises long service life. Standard size is 2 x 2 x 2 ft. or 60 x 60 x 60 cm, we also make customized pass through boxes to any customer provided size. Every box is made to comply international standards and supplied at industry leading price in India. What Is a Clean Bench? A clean bench is an enclosed laboratory bench that is designed to prevent pollution and contamination by controlling and keeping the air cleanliness level at a certain point. A clean bench is a type of laminar airflow cabinet (also known as a tissue culture hood). Clean benches are frequently used in laboratories across a wide range of industries all over the world. These hoods utilize state-of-the-art technology in order to provide the laboratory with a clean, safe, bacteria-free environment for sensitive biological substances. The hood ensures that the operating environment is 99% free of .3 micron particles. What Exactly Does a Clean Bench Do? Clean benches prevent dust, smoke, bacteria, microorganisms, and other undesired dirt in the air from contaminating the biological materials and samples that the lab worker is currently working on. The HEPA filter, which is a high-efficiency mechanical filter, lets the air through, cleaning it and directing the air flows right to the substances. A clean bench can maintain a high level of air cleanliness even in a significantly polluted environment. Does a Clean Bench Protect the Worker Too? A clean bench only provides protection for samples, substances, and materials that are being worked on, as it directs the filtered air across the operating surface towards the worker. These hoods can be used for particular cleaning operations, such as the dust-free assembly of sterile facilities or electronic devices. A clean bench must never be used while working with drugs, highly infectious substances, or other dangerous samples. The lab worker will be exposed to the substances, which could lead – depending on the material – to poisoning, infection, contamination, or toxicity. So, a clean bench should not be mixed up with a biosafety cabinet. What Are the Different Types of Clean Benches? Circulation bench: this hood allows clean air to circulate. Light table clean bench: the workstation is made of glass or acrylic; plus, it has a fluorescent lamp. Drainage bench: the workstation also includes a sink with a tap. Drying bench: the infrared light allows the materials to dry quickly. Built-in bench: floor-standing units are built into the equipment. Exhaust bench: the air can be sucked in from the workstation or just a part of it. Vibration-free bench: the gap between the main unit and the workstation prevents the hood from vibrating. Why Choose Laminar Flow? Laminar flows are used in all industries where there are high demands on the purity of the air environment. Clean benches for particular environments are equipped with either horizontal or vertical laminar flow. This means that the air flows in one direction and at one speed in parallel lines without backflow. This type of protection and the right enclosure design ensures that the laminar flow protects the work on the clean bench surface. Laminar flow can carry contaminants away from the clean bench to where they can be efficiently collected by filtration and disposed of in another, even more convenient location. Clean room doors are an essential part of cleanrooms since they are responsible for sealing the controlled environment. If they do not work properly, the cleanroom is exposed to a higher risk of contamination. Here, Kleanlabs provide 10 key considerations when choosing a cleanroom door based on its many years in the cleanroom construction industry. 1. Completely flat surface Opt for a door that has a completely flat surface on both sides. If there are no edges for the dust to settle in, it becomes very easy to clean and maintain exceptional hygiene. The best option is a door that has smoothly embedded windows and is completely flush with clean room walls. 2. Easy to integrate Be aware of system dependence of cleanroom doors. Many manufacturers market doors that can only be integrated into their systems. This makes it difficult to change parameters within the facility without the cleanroom door integrity being compromised. System independent doors however, can be installed into any cleanroom regardless of the manufacturer. Kleanlabs have designed bezels that fit into any wall structure. 3. Thick door panels Choose a door that is resistant to bending and shock. Kleanlabs recommend a thickness of 60 mm which provides both strength and reliability under most industrial circumstances. Aluminum is a particularly durable material. 4. High level of air tightness What level of appropriate air tightness should the door have? 3,5 m3/hm2 measured at 200 Pa pressure is a reliable and good value. Some doors can be equipped with double gasket technology and an integrated sink gasket, improving air tightness even more. 5. Resistance to cleaning products Cleanrooms are exposed to intense cleaning every day with a variety of strong chemicals to assure high levels of hygiene. Cleanroom doors, as any other cleanroom surfaces, need to be resistant to the regular usage of any cleaning products and any reaction between the door and the chemicals need to be avoided. Kleanlabs have carried out several tests to make sure that its own brand of doors resist any cleaning product used within the industry. 6. Safety glazing In a cleanroom, safety comes first. Therefore, every part of the product should be designed to meet the highest safety requirements. Kleanlab doors are equipped with shatter proof, safety glazing, meaning if the window breaks, it stays in place and there is no risk of scatter.