Cleanzone 2015: Clean rooms are very demanding in view to clothing and cleaning
Clothing and equipment in clean rooms are very demanding. This is an area where only a few experts offer the necessary knowledge and they will present themselves at the technical exhibition Cleanzone on October 27 – 28, 2015 in Frankfurt, Germany at the international trade show and congress for clean room technology. Exhibitors such as Alsico High Tech, Bardusch, basan, Decontam and IAB clean room products will present – among others – the novelties in clean room clothing and equipment
Enrico Claretti, sales manager of IAB Clean Room products from Braunschweig, Germany, explains; „An in depth know is a prerequisite in the textile relevant furnishing of clean rooms. The specific textile requirements of a customer specific clean room situation are in many cases not clear to the applicator, thus a profound consultation is the foremost task of the supplier. This path will lead to an optimal result and takes care of the customers aim to find a disposable or reusable solution. Together with the downstream clean room laundry we undertake such customer visits, of course the circumspection is also valid for the laundry aspects”.
Since a human being is the main impacting source of particles, germs, etc. it is compulsory that work clothing and components fulfil the highest requirements in view to its retaining of particles. This translate into the high standards of the finished materials and laminates. For clean room purposes it is mainly the electrostatic derivation characteristic, the mechanical and chemical firmness of other values such as pore size, particle retaining characteristics, abrasion resistance, and sterilisation adaption. In the case where products are multiply used and washed the parameter of the conditioning process (temperature, pH value, disinfection means) and functionality are other parameters to be observed. In fact, there are only a few materials that correspond with these requirements: washable under garments are made of polyester knits and clean room overalls are made of polyester multifilament fabrics with carbon bars. Washable cleaning textiles are made mostly from polyester micro fibre. But that is not all: also accessories such as zippers, sewing yarn and cuffs have to fulfil clean room requirements. “All clothing destined for clean room use have to offer also wear comfort. Missing components in this respect will reduce the performance of a collaborator. This could result into an accumulation of errors that will impede or damage the production process in the clean room”, explains Natlie Schneider, Product Manager at Decontam, specialist in decontamination and sterilisation of clean room clothing in Bad Windsheim, Germany. Also a working temperature of 19°C can have an impact on the well feeling of the work force. Neck and shoulder area slightly cool out. To cover these exposed part better and to keep them warm, short jackets and scarves are recommended.
In general, reusable clothing for use in clean rooms are more or less accepted, but there are also applications that call for disposable solutions. Disposable clothing links the requirements with the clean room and the protection of the collaborators that is the prerequisite for the manufacture and processing of mutagen, repro-toxic and cancerous materials. The chemical protection clothing feature ultrasonic welded seems in order to respond to the required liquid and spray denseness. If such clothing would be reusable, seems probably would become leaky. Other disposable articles are fleece or full protection caps, beard protection, gloves and mouth protection, these are all disposed after a onetime application.
Experts feel sure that in the future also new sectors will meet the high standards of clean rooms. An exchange among experts and customers is a key factor of the growth of these sectors, including the USA and Asia, Cleanzone will offer the necessary framework where around 80 manufacturers show their newest innovations for construction and planning, operation and qualification, as well as validation of a clean room.