What is a cleanroom?
A cleanroom is an enclosed area with a controlled environment where particles as small as a tenth of a micron are removed. In addition to contaminants, factors such as temperature, humidity and pressure are controlled to create an environment for research, manufacturing or other sensitive processes where a single particle could negatively impact production.

How do cleanrooms work?
1. Contaminated air from inside or outside the cleanroom is circulated to a filter system
2. HEPA or ULPA filters clean the air and force it back into the cleanroom
3. Registers in the walls or floor remove contaminated air and force it outside the cleanroom, or recirculate it back to the filters and the process begins again

How do cleanrooms stay clean?
There are multiple ways a cleanroom stays clean. First, cleanroom technicians wear protective clothing, masks and other gear designed not to shed or let particles escape. Before entering the cleanroom, personnel may walk through an air shower to blow off any particles with high velocity air. In the cleanroom, places where dust settles are minimized and laminar flow constantly cleans the air by circulating it through special filters.

Who needs cleanrooms?
The electronics, high-tech, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, aero space, medical, automotive, food-service and many other industries depend on cleanroom technology. As products such as cell phone circuit boards become smaller, the chance of contamination in manufacturing becomes higher. For pharmaceutical companies, clean, safe and contaminant-free products are imperative to manufacturing and distributing a functional product.

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