What is a Cleanroom Environment?

A CleanRoom is a special space that keeps contamination levels low. This includes airborne particles, harmful gases, and bacteria. These rooms regulate various factors such as temperature, cleanliness, pressure, airflow velocity, noise, vibration, lighting, and static electricity to meet specific requirements. A cleanroom ensures that, regardless of external air conditions, the internal environment consistently maintains predetermined cleanliness, humidity, and pressure levels.

Cleanroom Principles

Unidirectional Flow Cleanrooms

Unidirectional flow cleanrooms operate under turbulent airflow conditions, which can be assessed through Reynolds number calculations. It is important to distinguish that the term “laminar flow” in cleanrooms does not correspond directly to the fluid dynamics definition of laminar flow. Instead, it refers to a method of airflow that is designed to minimize contamination by maintaining a consistent direction of airflow. Thus, the term "laminar flow cleanroom" emphasizes the difference from earlier concepts of turbulent flow cleanrooms.

Turbulent Flow (Non-Unidirectional) Cleanrooms

Cleanrooms can also be categorized based on their airflow patterns, including turbulent (non-unidirectional flow) modular cleanrooms, unidirectional flow cleanrooms, and radial flow cleanrooms. Regardless of the classification, all these cleanrooms operate under turbulent airflow conditions. The term "turbulent cleanroom" emerged from Japanese terminology, but it is crucial to understand that it retains a broader meaning than the strict fluid dynamics definition. Internationally, these facilities are commonly referred to as non-unidirectional flow cleanrooms.

Cleanroom walls and Doors

The structure of a cleanroom typically consists of sandwich panels, often made from materials such as colored steel, aluminum profiles, and various alloys. These panels are supported by auxiliary materials, including angle iron, round steel, rubber gaskets, and other fastening components. The walls must be seamless and easy to clean to ensure that no contaminants can accumulate in joints or seams. Doors and windows are designed to minimize airflow disruption and are often equipped with airlocks to further control contamination.

Cleanroom HVAC Systems

Air Conditioning and Ventilation

The HVAC system in a cleanroom is critical for maintaining the desired environmental conditions. Key components include the main air conditioning unit, supply and return ducts, galvanized water pipes (or PVC pipes), water tanks, valves, pumps, Y-type filters, flexible rubber hoses, check valves, flow switches, thermometers, pressure gauges, water filters, and various fittings. These elements work together to deliver filtered air and manage temperature and humidity levels effectively.

Ventilation Materials

The Ventilation system includes medium-efficiency pressurization boxes, air valves, flow control valves, initial-efficiency rain protection louvered vents, return air grilles, initial and medium-efficiency filters, high-efficiency filters, and fan filter units (FFUs). Insulation materials and flexible hoses are also essential to prevent energy loss and maintain system efficiency.

Cleanroom flooring

The flooring in a cleanroom plays a vital role in maintaining cleanliness and overall functionality. Common flooring options include:

• Epoxy Resin Flooring: This type of flooring is seamless, durable, and easy to clean, making it an ideal choice for cleanroom environments.

• PVC Flooring: PVC flooring is also non-porous and can be installed in a way that minimizes seams, helping to prevent the accumulation of dust and contaminants.

• Raised Access Flooring: This design allows for easy access to utilities and supports the airflow system, ensuring that the environment remains controlled and clean.

Summarize

a cleanroom environment is a meticulously controlled space designed to reduce contamination to the lowest possible levels. By understanding the principles of airflow, the construction of walls and doors, the intricacies of HVAC systems, and the selection of appropriate flooring, industries can create effective cleanroom environments that meet stringent standards necessary for sensitive processes. These cleanrooms are essential in fields such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and Semiconductor manufacturing, where maintaining product integrity is paramount.