What is a Cleanroom?
A cleanroom is a controlled environment with a specialized design for controlling variables such as 1) the density of airborne particles per cubic meter, or 2) the temperature of the room. Cleanrooms are essential for manufacturing processes which require high degrees of cleanliness or a precise temperature, such as in the computing industry. Cleanrooms are used most often during the creation of microchips and pharmaceuticals, but are used widely in a variety of other important industries. Cleanrooms are designed by mechanical engineers. The geographic location with the highest concentration of cleanrooms is California’s Silicon Valley area. Cleanrooms first came into use in the early 60s. In 1961, Willis Whitfield from Sandia Laboratories, in cooperation with colleagues, devised a novel ventilation concept – the idea of a “unidirectional” or “laminar flow” air supply – air pouring in one way and getting sucked out through an exhaust port on the opposite side of the room. Because the f
A Cleanroom is defined by ISO14644-1 as “a room in which the concentration of airborne particles is controlled, and which is constructed and used in a manner to minimize the introduction, generation, and retention of particles inside the room and in which other relevant parameters, e.g. temperature, humidity, and pressure, are controlled as necessary.” The design of cleanroom HVAC systems is a specialty area requiring the unique understanding of cleanliness guidelines, airflow, room pressurization, code requirements, specialty equipment, precise control, and many more details.
ISO14644-1 defines a cleanroom as a room in which the concentration of airborne particles is controlled, and which is constructed and used in a manner to minimize the introduction, generation and retention of particles inside the room and in which other relevant parameters, e.g. temperature, humidity, and pressure, are controlled as necessary. Cleanrooms are commonly found in a variety of industries where contaminant restriction is critical, such as pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, electronics, medical devices, and other critical manufacturing environments. Contaminants in a cleanroom must be continually removed from the air. The standards set by Federal Standard 209E state the requirements for the frequency in which these particles must be removed. 209E establishes standard classes of air cleanliness for airborne particulate levels in cleanrooms and clean zones. Cleanroom Classifications A cleanroom class is determined by the number of particles present per unit volume. The measur
