Cleanrooms are essential in a variety of industries and research facilities, including pharmaceuticals, food and packaging, biotechnology, microelectronics, nutraceuticals, medical cannabis, and many others.
The fundamental objectives of a cleanroom are the protection of workers’ health and safety, the integrity of research, and the quality of the final product. Businesses who deal with items that are sensitive to airborne particles know how important cleanrooms are. They are essential for preventing biological contamination of end-users like patients and healthcare providers, identifying certain risks that could affect product purity, and protecting workers from potentially dangerous substances released by certain raw materials. Maintaining a clean environment is essential for product or process certification, and cleanrooms give crucial data on HVAC system performance.
What Role Does a Clean Room Play in Limiting Pollutants?
Multiple interdependent factors regulate the amount of contamination in a cleanroom. Important in the fight against air pollution, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can trap and remove particles as tiny as 0.3 microns in size with an efficiency level of at least 99.9 percent. The air within the cleanroom continuously passes through HEPA filters, eliminating airborne contaminants and allowing the circulation of fresh air. The ventilation system, which is responsible for air exchange, ensures the maintenance of indoor air quality, building pressurization, and the replacement of process exhaust by providing fresh air.
The pressurisation of a cleanroom is also critical, since the static pressure inside the room must be higher than the ambient air pressure in order to keep outside contaminants out (a phenomenon called differential pressure). For the safe handling of some dangerous substances, negative differential pressure is often required.
Carefully Crafted Clean Rooms
Dalucon is a prominent supplier of cleanrooms and growing rooms that are carefully crafted and constructed to fulfill the precise needs of our customers. Our products are distinguished by their outstanding quality and customisable features, which guarantee optimal performance and adherence to industry requirements.
Our cleanrooms are built utilising polyurethane-injected insulated panels, which come in thickness options ranging from 40mm to 125mm. This insulation offers exceptional thermal efficiency and structural stability, which are crucial for maintaining the strict environmental controls required for cleanroom applications. The panels are connected using a tongue-and-groove mechanism, which guarantees a secure and smooth fit, reducing the risk of contamination and improving the overall strength and reliability.
Our product range includes single and double doors, specifically engineered to accommodate the access requirements of different cleanroom setups. We offer pass-through hatches with twin doors for procedures that involve transferring materials while maintaining a regulated environment. In addition, we have the capability to produce tailor-made openings for lighting and air louvers based on client requirements, guaranteeing that every element of the cleanroom fulfills the exact demands of the intended use.
Our panels can incorporate PVC conduits, allowing for the clean and efficient routing of electrical and communication systems within the walls. This integration supports a clutter-free and easily maintainable environment. To address structural elements, we provide comprehensive boxing off of columns and beams, ensuring a clean, unobstructed workspace.
Our flooring solutions incorporate aluminium coving to provide smooth transitions between the floor and walls. All corners are made from coving materials to avoid the buildup of dirt and make cleaning easier. Our company provides a diverse range of extrusions and door systems, enabling us to accommodate specific client requirements through further customisation options. For larger projects, we can partition off specific areas and create dedicated warehousing solutions, maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the cleanroom environment.
Dalucon specialises in manufacturing insulated containers specifically designed for cleanroom applications. These containers offer flexible and portable solutions while ensuring the maintenance of rigorous environmental control standards. Our dedication to excellence guarantees that each installation surpasses industry norms, with a particular emphasis on reducing the build-up of dirt and maintaining long-lasting strength and cleanliness.
We have extensive experience not only in South Africa but also in successfully completing installations both domestically and overseas. By selecting Dalucon, customers can be certain in obtaining a customised cleanroom or growing room solution that is meticulously designed to meet their specific requirements, built with utmost attention to excellence and hygiene.
Clean Room Classifications
The classification of a cleanroom is established based on several parameters, with the primary focus being the level of air purity in the controlled environment. The assessment of air quality is conducted by doing particulate tests and measuring the amount of air needed in the cleanroom, expressed as air changes per hour (ACH).
Construction, design, and operation of cleanrooms must adhere to the cleanliness classification specified in ISO 14644-1. The required level of cleanliness is determined by the product’s susceptibility to contamination. The more susceptible the product is, the higher the standard of cleanliness that is necessary.
There are a total of nine ISO cleanroom classifications, which are categorised from ISO 1 to ISO 9. ISO 1 signifies the utmost level of cleanliness, whereas ISO 9 indicates the least strict requirement. For example, an ISO 7 cleanroom is rated at 352,000 parts per cubic meter, meaning there must be no more than 352,000 particles larger than 0.5 microns within the cleanroom. To achieve this level of cleanliness, ISO 7 cleanrooms employ HEPA filter systems to ensure that air cleanliness levels do not exceed 10,000 particles (≥0.5 microns) per cubic foot.
Typically, a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) cleanroom that adheres to ISO class 7 or above requirements will have an anteroom specifically designated for gowning. The anteroom serves as a space where staff carry out processes for putting on protective clothing, practicing good hand hygiene, and engaging in activities that may produce significant amounts of particles. Its purpose is to prevent the entry of street dirt and other contaminants into the cleanroom.
ISO classifications for cleanrooms are crucial for upholding the requisite level of cleanliness needed for diverse delicate procedures. The precise categorisation of a cleanroom guarantees the protection of products from contamination, ensures the safety of staff, and ensures compliance with regulatory criteria.
