China Manufacturer Directory >>Cleanrooms

Cleanrooms were invented for aerospace and microtechnology in the early 1960’s, as the United States and other countries geared up for the “space race”. Rapid advancements were being made in the fields of technology and biochemistry as scientists and researchers began working on smaller and smaller levels, and as a result scientists and manufacturers required more and more rigidly controlled working environments. These controlled work environments came to be known as “clean rooms”, rooms which are sealed off from any air outside. Highly filtered air falls in what is usually a laminar flow onto the working space below. All cleanroom supplies, persons, and equipment coming in and out of the room are tightly monitored and special clothing, mouth and head coverings are almost always required.

The key to “clean room” cleanliness is the number of air pollutants, or particles, in the air. Sterility is not usually a requirement, since the real concern when working on microscopic and nearly microscopic scales is the damage which can be done by particles such as dust, sand, or salt. Bacteria are also a concern for pharmacists in regards to consumers, and for microelectronics manufacturers because of the high ion content in bacteria which creates harmful static electricity.

Clean room design ranges in size, material and level of cleanliness based on their purpose of use. Some cleanrooms used by manufacturers specializing in microelectronics, pharmaceutical products, or circuitry are as large as warehouses (often called “ballrooms”) and may keep a high classification of cleanliness. Other cleanrooms used by manufacturers such as special parts machinists, who only need cleanroom facilities for an occasional specialized assembly, may have small portable clean rooms the size of a large closet. Cleanrooms can have hard, usually glass or clear plastic walls, or soft walls made of flexible acrylic or similar material.

There are two separate standards of cleanliness classification. The first is FED standard 209, which classifies cleanroom air into four different classes. The other recognized standard is the British Standard system which has four classifications based on cubic meters instead of feet, and all four levels are slightly stricter than the FED standards. Different levels are required by different industries and various products. The major industries that use cleanroom facilities at varying classifications are: chemical, printed circuit board, SMT, computer, silk screening, biomedical, electronics, disc memory, small parts machining & assembly, packaging, pharmaceutical, photographic, aerospace, nuclear, optical, hybrid, circuitry and microelectronics.