Tag: Cleanroom
Product manufacturing, research and development, and other applications in fields ranging from aerospace and semiconductors to pharmaceuticals require a sterile environment for safe operations. As such, cleanrooms are very important in these industries, helping maintain product integrity and limiting the presence of airborne contaminants.
Standard HVAC equipment is insufficient for managing cleanroom air conditions because it can’t reach the tight temperature and humidity requirements and doesn’t contain the HEPA filters needed to maintain such an environment. That’s why Air Innovations creates customizable environmental process control systems for critical cleanroom applications.
What Are Cleanrooms?
For industries in which even small particles can have a detrimental effect on products or operations, cleanrooms are an optimal solution. These highly regulated, contaminant-free spaces are designed and constructed to ensure safe product research, manufacturing, assembly, testing, and packaging. To be considered a cleanroom, a space needs to meet the minimum cleanroom classification standards set forth in FED Std 209E or ISO14644-1. Cleanrooms can be designed to meet various classes ranging from ISO 1, which provides the most sterile environment, to ISO 9, with less strict air quality and cleanliness requirements.
Air Innovations’ HVAC Solutions for Cleanrooms
Each industry has its own specifications and regulatory requirements for cleanroom HVAC systems. At Air Innovations, we operate a dedicated HVAC division to create systems specifically for cleanrooms and related critical applications. We develop and manufacture both standardized and customizable solutions for complete integration into cleanroom modular environmental systems, giving you the size, functionality, and system features you need for your specific application. Also, our certified systems can be designed to comply with ANSI, CE, CSA, ETL, MIL-STD, SEMI, and UL performance and safety standards.
Our cleanroom HVAC systems can effectively accomplish the following:
- Eliminate open drive or belt-driven parts that could otherwise produce particles and contaminate the air stream
- Create smaller footprints to save valuable floor space
- Manage cleanroom humidity and temperature with precision
- Dehumidify your cleanroom
- Use sealants that are non-out-gassing
- Combat HEPA filter losses through high-static blower integration
Maintaining a Cleanroom Environment
To effectively maintain your cleanroom environment, there are certain steps you should follow:
- Develop proper cleaning routines. Clean your HVAC system from top to bottom to decrease the likelihood of contamination. Depending on its ISO class, the appropriate cleaning frequency for your system might be daily, weekly, or monthly.
- Schedule regular air system maintenance. Conducting an air sampling and checking temperature, humidity, and pressure readings regularly will help ensure proper system performance.
- Use the right cleaning materials. Incorrect cleaning materials can introduce corrosion-causing contaminants. Instead, use non-ionic, non-foaming, neutral solvents and chemicals coupled with woven rags or wipes of polyester construction. Mopping systems equipped with dirty-water separation are also helpful.
- Train your employees. Teach employees about the proper cleaning protocol, as well as the standard dress code of protective clothing to wear during cleaning.
Before Requesting a Cleanroom HVAC System
Prior to consulting our team for your ideal HVAC system, it’s important to determine certain key details about your cleanroom:
- Size of your cleanroom
- Heat load (the total amount of heat exuded by employees and equipment)
- Required temperature, humidity, and dew point specifications
- Desired air pressure and air supply source
Partner With Air Innovations for Environmental Process Control Solutions in Cleanrooms
When a sterile environment is crucial, cleanrooms prevent contamination that would otherwise compromise the safety and effectiveness of sensitive products. Regulating your cleanroom’s temperature, humidity, pressurization, filtration, airflow and rate requires high-performance HVAC systems that meet your needs and regulatory requirements.
Air Innovations has a quarter-century of expertise in design, manufacturing, and testing environmental process control systems for various industries. Whether you need a fully customized cleanroom HVAC system or you’d like to integrate an Air Innovations solution into your existing equipment, contact us today and we’ll assist you in finding the right system to regulate your cleanroom.