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 […] Read More »
Cleanroom vs. Controlled Environment
Deciding between a clean room vs. a controlled environment requires a thorough understanding of your application and facility requirements. Some operations even use both, reserving a cleanroom for certain quality controls and more sensitive tasks. Read on to learn what controlled and cleanroom environments are, and what types of applications each is best suited for. […] Read More »
How Sterile Storage Cabinets Protect Your Medical Supplies Through Multiple Levels of Functionality
Maintaining sterile storage conditions is necessary to protect medical instruments, drugs, surgical implants, and other equipment from contaminants. ARON guidelines on sterilization are straightforward: temperatures should not exceed 72℉ (22℃) to 78℉ (26℃), relative humidity should not exceed 60%, and airflow should be positive pressure with at least four total air changes per hour. Hospital […] Read More »
Cleanroom HVAC – What to Know Before You Buy
Standard HVAC systems control humidity, temperature, and air pressure. They can also provide filtration and control the speed and direction of airflow into and out of a space. Cleanroom HVAC systems, however, have higher air exchange rates and are equipped with high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) filters to maintain a sterile environment. This allows them to meet […] Read More »
ECUs For The Biotech Industry
Environmental control units (ECUs) regulate environmental conditions in closed spaces. In the biotechnology industry, ECUs are a vital component of cleanrooms to control and monitor environmental variables to ensure they meet the parameters specified for the cleanroom environment. Some of these parameters may include flow rate, pressure, humidity, contaminants, and temperature. We will explore the […] Read More »
Dew Point vs Relative Humidity
As a trusted provider of custom environmental control units, Air Innovations develops precise solutions for controlling dew point and humidity. While both of these factors relate to the amount of water in the air, they describe different weather-related phenomena and affect industrial processes in different ways. This article will discuss the differences between dew point […] Read More »
Storing Sterile Medical Supplies: It’s About Controlling the Environment
It is incumbent on hospitals and other medical facilities to maintain sterility wherever needed to keep patients and staff safe. This goes for operating and exam rooms. Healthcare institutions must also safely store surgical scrubs, head covers, sterile surgical implants, equipment, and medication. The goal is to protect these items from contaminants like dust, viruses, […] Read More »
The Impact of Humidity in Electronics Manufacturing
Electronics manufacturing involves the handling and assembly of several delicate, moisture-sensitive components. Maintaining optimal humidity levels during the manufacturing process is key for protecting these components from electrostatic discharge, de-soldering, and other occurrences that can decrease the quality of the final product. This article highlights the importance of effective humidity control for avoiding product damage […] Read More »
Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf HVAC Environmental Control Units
Standardized HVAC units are a reasonable air handling solution for facilities with typical comfort cooling needs and few special concerns. A custom HVAC system or environmental control unit (ECU) can cool specialty spaces and processes within a facility, integrating with a standard ECU. Here, we will explain why custom ECU/HVAC systems are better suited for […] Read More »
Semiconductor Clean Room Design Requirements 101
Semiconductors are in almost every electronic device, from everyday items like smartphones and coffee makers to complex automobiles, defense equipment, and spaceships. Manufacturers make semiconductors in special semiconductor cleanrooms because the wafers are extremely sensitive to environmental contaminants. Here we explore semiconductor cleanrooms in more detail, including all their design requirements. Semiconductor Cleanroom Design: Meet […] Read More »
Dispatch Desk Design Tips for Personal Comfort and Productivity
Dispatch centers are tasked with receiving communications and initiating appropriate responses. Different agencies and sectors, such as manufacturing, transportation, and law enforcement, use dispatch centers to coordinate and manage operations. Police departments, for instance, use 911 dispatch consoles to respond to calls and establish the proper response needed for each situation. Since dispatchers spend long […] Read More »
Air Innovations Custom-Engineered Environmental Control Systems
Produced by: GlobalSpec The precise control of air temperature, humidity, particulate levels, pressure and flow rate is critical for the manufacturing and operation of many applications in the semiconductor, aerospace, defense, biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. These are enabled by environmental control systems, which come in various forms and sizes, ranging from relatively small rack-mounted electronic […] Read More »
USP 797 Environmental Monitoring 101 | HVAC Requirements
USP 797 is a standard for sterility that pharmaceutical compounding and preparation facilities must demonstrate. USP 797 is set by the United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary (USP-NF) and ensures patient safety by protecting pharmaceuticals from contamination during preparation. Following USP 797 reduces infection, contamination, and improper dosage to maintain superior quality products in facilities […] Read More »
Personal Climate Control for Your Work Desk | Heating & Cooling
Indoor climate control is a wonder of modern engineering, but it can be extremely expensive and wasteful. Nearly 13% of the United State’s energy consumption comes from heating and cooling buildings. Instead of controlling the climate of entire buildings, a better solution may be to control the climate of individual spaces in buildings. Installing a […] Read More »
How To Keep Elders Healthy Under Family Care Or Aging In Place
Deciding how and where to best care for senior citizens as they get older can be an emotionally fraught experience. There are also several practical considerations that go into the decision to ensure their needs are met. Whether families decide to move their elderly parents in with them or to keep seniors in their own […] Read More »
Elevating The Standards Of Elder Care In Residential Facilities
The global pandemic exposed a need to elevate the standard of care for the elderly. In particular, senior citizens living and spending time in group settings such as nursing homes, residential care facilities, and senior centers were at exceptionally high risk for contracting and dying of COVID-19. As of April 2021, the U.S. Department of […] Read More »
Portable IsolationAir Contamination Control Units Bring Flexibility to Hospitals
COVID-19 has put healthcare facilities under extraordinary pressure to accomplish more with less. Nurses and doctors had to care for waves of sick patients with limited resources. Medical personnel simply didn’t have the equipment or facilities needed to keep up with patient demand, and they struggled to contain the virus with makeshift solutions. The most […] Read More »
Negative and Positive Pressure Room Requirements 101
Negative or positive pressure rooms are often necessary to prevent contamination and maintain a climate-controlled environment in various applications. While these rooms are somewhat similar, there are certain differences between their designs and requirements. Here we’ll give an overview of both of these types of environments, including their intended applications and design requirements. Negative Pressure […] Read More »
How to Create Negative Pressure in a Hospital Room?
Negative pressure rooms control airborne pathogens by exhausting contaminated air from the building while preventing the air from leaking into other parts of the facility. These rooms are a necessity to maintain the safety of guests, patients, and hospital staff. At Air Innovations, Inc., our expertise in negative pressure HVAC systems will ensure that your […] Read More »
A Guide to Building Hospital Isolation Rooms
At Air Innovations, we’ve designed, manufactured, and tested custom environmental control solutions for OEMs and non-OEMs for over 30 years. This extensive experience provides us with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver appropriate systems for a wide range of industries. One of the key markets we serve is the healthcare industry. Healthcare professionals know […] Read More »
ULPA vs. HEPA Filters | Air Filter Selection Guide
All heating and cooling air duct systems naturally collect dust and contaminants. Clean rooms, such as those used in the electronics, pharmaceutical, and medical industries, require a controlled environment free of dust, airborne particles, and other contaminants. Ultra low particulate air (ULPA) filters and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are used in commercial air […] Read More »
Micro Environments: Delivering Comfort And Control In Mission Critical Scenarios
There are a handful of professions serving mission-critical functions wherein personal comfort plays a vital role in productivity. From command centers to 911 call centers, having control over heating and air conditioning, as well as desk-lift functions, can make a difference when it matters most. In addition to providing control over environmental factors, Air Innovations […] Read More »
Cleanroom: A Quick Guide to Classifications, Design, and Standards
Cleanrooms are integral to countless operations around the world. Scientists, manufacturers, and a bevy of other industry professionals rely on these rooms to mitigate the risk of contamination in products or processes. It’s important to understand the different cleanroom classifications and guidelines behind how these rooms are constructed and utilized to determine which is the […] Read More »
HVAC – A Complete Guide on Specialized HVAC Systems
HVAC systems are essential components in the functionality and appeal of all modern buildings. Well-designed and efficient HVAC systems go well beyond ensuring comfortable temperatures and fresh air for facilities. They also play a key role in the production and testing processes of a broad spectrum of industries. HVAC systems play a crucial role in […] Read More »
Negative and Positive Pressure Rooms 101 | Hospital Infection Control
Effective positive and negative pressure rooms are an important part of industrial climate control systems. In medical settings, these rooms prevent the spread of infectious contaminants and maintain sterile or restricted spaces and are also referred to as Protective Environments (positive pressure rooms) and Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms (AIIR) (negative pressure rooms). Negative or positive […] Read More »
Specialized Dew Point and Humidity Control Systems: All You Need to Know
Dew point and humidity are important environmental factors in industrial settings. Although both these terms describe the amount of moisture present in an environment, some crucial differences exist between them. Understanding the differences between an environment’s dew point and humidity is essential for selecting an optimal humidification or dehumidification system for your business or facility. […] Read More »