Key Factors When Planning a Cleanroom

When planning a cleanroom it is important to consider several factors that are outside the cleanroom that can impact the quality for your cleanroom and its costs.

Understanding the purpose and function of the cleanroom- Making sure to understand the purpose of the cleanroom and how it will affect the overall processes and results for the company is important. The function of a cleanroom is going to influence the types of regulations the room will need to meet and thus impact the cost of construction and maintenance of the room. How the workflow within the room will need to flow will make a large difference in the layout and design of the room also. Is there more a linear flow thus considering a modular cleanroom or is there a need for certain “extra clean” parts of the room be accessible from the rest of the room thus more of an “onion” shape or a central room with concentric rooms around it? State of Current facilities- When designing a cleanroom you need to think about the current state of the facilities that the clean room will be within.

Cleanrooms tend to be designed as small as they can to minimize the high costs of running a cleanroom and thus they will sit within a larger facility. The cleanroom will need to connect with the larger facilities HVAC system to help manage the increased airflow requirements. What is the age of the current system and has it been maintained? Can it handle the extra workload from the cleanroom air management system? Will it need to be updated?

Another factor is to consider the foundation of the facility. Is the foundation able to handle the weight of the cleanroom and any equipment inside it? Will there need to be updates done to the foundation? Managing Employee safety- How can your employees stay safe while working within the cleanroom as well as have safe transitions in to and out of the room is a large impact to how your cleanroom will function in the long run.

Some cleanrooms will need specialized exits and entries and require a high level of Personal Protection for your employees while others may not need as much protection and can thus directly impact direct costs as well as extra costs. Maintaining the health of your employees can impact the airflow management processes, whether you need decontamination procedures, how to properly manage supplies, costs of protective equipment, and safety for the rest of the facility.

We help you work through these and other ideas to make sure your cleanroom is designed properly from the start to help you save money and have the best experience in growing your business.