Every square meter of cleanroom causes high expenses not only during construction, but especially during operation. Specifying a larger area or a higher cleanroom class ultimately means more filter systems, more “air” and more costs.
My first questions to customers are therefore usually:
- Are you sure you need this cleanroom class?
- Are you sure you need this size of cleanroom?
- Are you sure that you need air conditioning, especially humidity control?
Quite apart from the investment, energy costs play a significant role in question 3. That’s why we focus explicitly on energy-efficient solutions … but only in passing.
Only when we understand the process can we help the customer to avoid incurring unnecessary costs for cleanroom technology and to avoid “shooting guns at sparrows”. The goal is maximum customer benefit, not maximum turnover.
Now, what does that mean in concrete terms?
It does not always have to be a permanently installed cleanroom, but an enclosure or a cleanroom tent is often completely sufficient for manual activities – for example in combination with a table-top device (laminar flow bench).
A CNC Cleanroom or a combination with laminar flow benches may even be sufficient for clean production. This can also achieve the cleanliness class of the controlled environment very well in parts without having to build an entire cleanroom.
For mechanical processes, machines can also be installed and encapsulated outside the cleanroom. This involves working with wall openings or conveyor belts into the cleanroom. There are many ways to reduce costs here without compromising on safety.
So how much cleanroom is needed? – As much as necessary and as little as possible.
