Cleanroom Design Considerations

A controlled environment is critical in specific research and production processes. Cleanroom environments are designed and engineered to reduce contamination from various sources for high-purity applications across industries. Before constructing and installing a cleanroom solution, carefully plan and consider the needs of your cleanroom design. Here is our guide to cleanroom design considerations to assist in your planning process.

Have questions about what your cleanroom system design requires? We can help you design and engineer a solution to your needs for a complete turnkey solution. Contact Cleanrooms by United to discuss your requirements or request a quote to begin.

What Are the Key Considerations of Cleanroom Design?

How your cleanroom is designed can influence the effectiveness of your cleanroom system. To achieve and maintain the appropriate contamination levels, it’s essential to consider the requirements for the cleanroom budget, ISO classification, and how a cleanroom fits into facility processes.

Cleanroom Design Budget: The cost of a modular cleanroom is more economical than traditional sheetrock construction. Knowing your budget can reduce financial stress later on in the manufacturing and construction process. The design factors influencing cleanroom costs include size, type, design complexity, and additional features.
ISO Classification: A cleanroom’s ISO classification is determined by the maximum number of particles by size in the air per cubic meter. Depending on production processes and operations, your cleanroom must meet a certain ISO level to comply with industry standards. The higher the classification, the higher the cost.
How a Cleanroom Fits Into Facility Processes: Establishing the operational protocol can help you better understand the needs of your cleanroom design. The process for how personnel and products enter, exit, and operate within the room can help determine the best placements for work surfaces, equipment, filtration units, and accessibility.

Other Design Factors Affecting Your Cleanroom Performance

Aside from budget, ISO classification, and use cases, there are a variety of factors that can affect your cleanroom’s efficiency and performance. Carefully planning each cleanroom layout design element ensures you receive the most effective controlled environment for your production or research needs. The additional design factors you should consider include the following:

Layout & Spatial Design

The cleanroom layout design should be efficient and allow for future expansion if necessary. A modular cleanroom design offers flexibility and scalability, enabling easy expansion, relocation, or modification without the downtime of traditional construction. A successful cleanroom layout should be able to adapt to changing needs and new technologies with designated cleanliness areas to prevent cross-contamination.

Material Selection

Choosing the right materials is crucial for cleanroom cleanliness. Your cleanroom should feature non-shedding materials to eliminate potential contamination and smooth, easy-to-clean surfaces that resist cleaning agents. Stainless steel and coated aluminum are excellent choices that won’t release particles or fibers.

Any windows should be installed flush with a seal to prevent leakage or contamination. Designing your cleanroom with pass-throughs, anterooms, or gowning areas, can minimize the need for entry and exit for reduced contamination risks.

Cleanroom Airflow Design

Cleanroom airflow design is critical to achieving the ISO classification your cleanroom requires. HVAC systems control the temperature and humidity levels of the cleanroom, while the airflow design determines how particles in the air are filtered out to maintain the proper cleanliness levels. The most effective choices for airflow design and HVAC are typically designated by the industry and ISO requirements.

Contamination Control

In cleanrooms, avoiding contaminants is the number one priority. Entry and exit protocols should be established and strictly adhered to reduce the risk of pollutants entering the cleanroom area. As stated before, gowning rooms and airlocks are ideal for controlling contamination and having clear operational processes to minimize contamination risks.

Safety & Compliance Features

For the safety of your personnel and compliance with local building codes, your cleanroom layout design should feature the necessary safety exits and systems. Emergency exits should be clearly marked and easily accessible in case of emergencies. Additionally, prioritize fire-resistant materials and sufficient fire suppression systems to ensure well-being.

Sustainability

Cleanrooms are an investment built to last, and there are considerations to get the most out of your cleanroom design. Incorporating energy-efficient systems and materials can lower environmental impact for more sustainable practices, some of which may include energy recovery systems that can reduce energy consumption. Sustainability can also involve integrating technology to minimize human intervention and monitor real-time cleanliness, humidity, and temperature.

Answering Your Questions About Cleanroom Layout Design

Cleanrooms by United is an expert in designing and manufacturing cleanroom systems. We can answer your questions about finding the right cleanroom design for your operations and industry needs with our extensive expertise. Some commonly asked questions about cleanrooms and their designs include:

What Are the Principles of Cleanroom Design?

The fundamental design principles of a cleanroom include air filtration, air pressure control, and humidity control. These design specifications are critical to achieving the proper ISO classification.

Regarding the particulate matter in the cleanroom, air filtration is how the particles are filtered out.
Air pressure control refers to the air pressure levels inside and outside the cleanroom, determining the effectiveness of preventing unfiltered air from entering the system.
A cleanroom's temperature and humidity affect product and process stability and can lead to condensation, corrosion, and other risks.

What Is the Primary Goal of Cleanroom Design?

Cleanrooms are designed to ensure product quality in regulated industries. They maintain a controlled environment to reduce the risk of product contamination and inadequacy, guaranteeing that these products meet the standards of their industry.

Design a Custom Cleanroom Layout to Your Specifications with Cleanrooms by United

Since 1983, Cleanrooms by United has been fabricating and installing cleanrooms for various industries. We provide prefabricated solutions using the highest-quality materials and resources. A modular cleanroom offers versatility and flexibility for controlled environments in your facility, and our cleanroom design components can be customized to match your specifications. Streamline the construction and installation of your cleanroom system with a modular solution from Cleanrooms by United.

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