We live in an era of professionalization – we are constantly looking for solutions that will allow us to achieve the goals we set even more precisely, and therefore more effectively. Our step towards further professionalization was the remodeling of the existing cleanroom – now a room of approx. 45 m², which includes ten workstations.
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The cleanroom in its modern variant was developed in the 1960s. By Willis Whitfield. In the first few years alone, more than $50 billion was earned from the invention.
Cleanroom in a Nutshell
Cleanrooms (also known as clean rooms) have strictly defined conditions – they are places where the presence of contaminants is limited in order to ensure the best (in this case: cleanest possible) production conditions. These are facilities separated by means of appropriate infrastructure from the surrounding space. They do not have a defined size – they can be small rooms, as well as huge halls. A sort of “heart” of the cleanroom is an air-conditioning unit equipped with a set of HEPA or ULPA filters and cooling, heating and humidifying devices, which mediate the proper preparation of the air injected into the room.
There are a number of treatments to keep cleanrooms clean. Among other things, it is not without significance. the equipment inside them – they should be equipment with a limited ability to generate particles. It is also important that procedures are strictly followed by those using cleanrooms, as they are the most responsible for contamination – only trained employees in the required protective clothing should have access to such rooms.
It is also necessary to constantly monitor the conditions of the facility – not only cleanliness, but also, among other things. temperature, humidity or pressure.
How clean are the cleanrooms?
The level of “cleanliness” of cleanrooms is determined by the number of particles found in one cubic meter (m3) or one cubic foot (ft3) of air.
ISO 14644-1 defines one of the most widely used classifications of cleanrooms. The following table* presents the maximum concentrations of particles of different sizes per cubic meter according to this standard:
Maximum particle concentrations per cubic meter (m3)
| class | ≥0.1µm | ≥0.2µm | ≥0.3µm | ≥0.5µm | ≥1µm | ≥5µm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 1 | 10 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| ISO 2 | 100 | 24 | 10 | 4 | – | – |
| ISO 3 | 1 000 | 237 | 102 | 35 | 8 | – |
| ISO 4 | 10 000 | 2 370 | 1 020 | 352 | 83 | – |
| ISO 5 | 100 000 | 23 700 | 10 200 | 3 520 | 832 | 29 |
| ISO 6 | 1 000 000 | 237 000 | 102 000 | 35 200 | 8 320 | 293 |
| ISO 7 | – | – | – | 352 000 | 83 200 | 2 930 |
| ISO 8 | – | – | – | 3 520 000 | 832 000 | 29 300 |
| ISO 9 | – | – | – | 35 200 000 | 8 320 000 | 293 000 |
In the rooms we use every day, the concentration of particles with a diameter of at least 0.5 µm is 35,000,000/m3. They are classified as ISO Class 9 according to ISO 14644-1.
There are also other classifications of cleannrooms like the US Federal Standard 209 system (FED STD 209/FS 209), which, although formally retired, is still used quite often. It distinguishes six classes – 1, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000, which by name determine the number of particles ≥0.5µm in size present in a cubic foot of air (in other words – in class 1 there can be at most one particle ≥0.5µm in diameter in one cubic foot of air, and so on). The different classes of Federal Standard 209 correspond to the following classes in the systematics defined by ISO 14644-1: ISO 3 (class 1), ISO 4 (class 10), ISO 5 (class 100), ISO 6 (class 1,000), ISO 7 (class 10,000) and ISO 8 (class 100,000).
It is important to remember that cleanrooms are not clean rooms, so microorganisms may be present.
Pollution-free production
Cleanrooms find applications including. in the food, pharmaceutical or biotechnology sectors, as well as in some branches of the electronics industry (e.g., semiconductors). The prevailing conditions make it possible to increase the scope, as well as the quality of production.
Our cleanroom meets ISO Class 6 standards according to ISO 14644-1 (Class 1,000 according to the Federal Standard 209 system). These are suitable conditions for carrying out work in the field, for example. connecting displays with touch sensors, which we implement using the air bonding method (optical bonding technology is also planned). These are operations that must be carried out in a suitable environment – to ensure the best possible functioning of the module it is necessary to limit the possibility of any dirt penetrating between its various “layers”. In addition, in our cleanroom, it is also possible to apply damage protection glass, decorative glass or coatings to displays, among others. antireflective (AR) or antifingerprint (AF).
Sometimes customers appreciate the possibility of fulfilling such orders in our cleanroom only when they file a complaint about equipment ordered from a foreign supplier, such as China. It’s a process that is significantly prolonged, among other things. By transporting goods. We know from experience that the shipping time from Poland to China with optimized costs can be as long as 10 days. Our advantage in such situations is the ability to react instantly.
RADOSŁAW PYTER
Key Account Manager
Unisystem
It is worth noting that all production processes are supervised by the Quality Control Department. Each device assembled at Unisystem undergoes a full optical inspection according to strict internal procedures.
Contact us to find out how much time we need to install your device.