This article contains concise information regarding portable cleanrooms and their use.
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A portable cleanroom is a compact system that requires little space, provides mobility, is cost effective, and offers exceptional clean and filtered airflow to create an uncontaminated and sanitized environment. They are a modular designed room where airborne particles, such as dust, microbes, aerosol particles, and various forms of chemical vapors are maintained and controlled to meet required limits.
As with all clean rooms, the most important elements are the high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that trap particles that are 0.3 micron (µ), which is a micrometer that is one millionth of a meter. HEPA filters guarantee that all air is cleaned and sanitized such that the portable cleanroom does not have contaminates or microbes.
In cases where there are more demanding requirements for airflow, ultra-low particulate air (ULPA) filters are used, which remove submicron particulate matter with a diameter of 0.12 µm. Although ULPA filters perform the same function as HEPA filters, they are more efficient in removing contaminants.
The controlled environment of a cleanroom is an essential component for the development, testing, and research of various types of technical equipment, medicines, chemicals, and substances that may be sensitive to contaminants and other forms of particulate matter. Due to the critical nature of the work of a clean room, their construction requires a great deal of care down to the most minute detail.
Portable clean rooms have become very popular due to their convenience, mobility, and exceptional construction. Cleanroom manufacturers work closely with their customers regarding the maintenance and upkeep of their products. Each step of the assembly and installation of a portable cleanroom is monitored to provide for the optimization of the portable clean room’s use.
The desired rating and classification for a cleanroom is one of the factors that have to be determined prior to its assembly and construction. Cleanrooms are rated and classified according to the number and size of particulate matter that will be permitted per volume of air. Businesses and companies purchasing cleanrooms are well aware of their cleanroom performance standards and requirements.
There are two systems of ratings or classifications used to categorize cleanrooms, which are Federal Standard 209E and the International Standards Organization (ISO). Supposedly, the ISO ratings have replaced Federal Standard 209E, but many companies still use Federal Standard 209E.
The difference between the two systems is the number system, where Federal Standards 209E classifies cleanrooms from 1 to 100,000 while the ISO classifies cleanrooms from ISO1 to ISO9. In both instances, the lower number is indicative of the cleanest environment. The chart below offers a comparison of the methods used by the two classification systems.
Classifications for Federal Standard 209E are listed on the right. The classifications for the ISO are listed on the left. As can be seen by the chart, the particulate standards are the same but the numbering system is different.
Each of the varieties of portable cleanrooms have different types of panel designs, which can be soft or hard depending on the needs of the application and the materials to be tested or researched. A further variation is the materials used to construct the panels.
Softwall Panels: Softwall panels are used in a variety of ways such as internal dividers and flexible panels for exiting and entering the cleanroom. They serve as an excellent barrier against the outside environment since they provide a small opening. Softwall panels are also used to create a fully portable cleanroom with ISO classifications of 7 or 8.
Rigid Clear Panel: Rigid clear panel portable cleanrooms have the durability of hard wall cleanrooms and the affordability of soft wall cleanrooms. They have the same flexibility as soft wall cleanrooms and can be easily repositioned when needed. They have ISO classifications of ISO 5 through ISO 8 and are made of acrylic or antistatic PVC.
The clear wall design makes observing cleanroom activities easy since the clear PVC panels are similar to glass. The rigid wall panels allow the cleanroom to operate at a higher internal pressure, which is adjusted by variable wall dampers that regulate airflow out of the room.
A critical aspect of constructing a portable cleanroom is to ensure that sanitation is maintained at each step of the process. The framework is a key part since it has to be flexible enough to be moved and reassembled but sturdy enough to hold the panels and provide a tight and secure seal.
Portable cleanrooms are constructed with a rigid frame of steel or aluminum that has sufficient strength and rigidity. The framework for portable cleanrooms has knocked together corners making it possible to replace individual panels without replacing the unit.
Ceiling grids, as with the panels and framework, are designed to seal the room and keep out contaminates. Added to the requirements of the ceiling grid is its ability to support light fixtures, filters, and airflow units. Ceiling grids can be made of structural steel or aluminum and are assembled using nuts, screws, and bolts for quick and easy installation. Since every portable cleanroom must fit the user’s needs, ceiling grids are designed to fit the space and conditions.
The determination of the type of light fixtures for a portable cleanroom are dependent on the desired ISO classification, the size of the room, and the design of the ceiling. Of all of the elements of a portable cleanroom, lighting is the least expensive since it consumes less than 1% of a cleanroom’s energy cost. The lighting has to match the needs of the room’s instrumentation and function and must be designed to fit those specific needs. Illuminance can vary between 300 lux to 1200 lux depending on the room’s requirements.
Portable cleanrooms normally have white walls that reflect light, which enhances the lighting quality. Ceilings, floors, and walls are all white and reflect light. Incandescent, high density discharge, and fluorescent lamps are the most common. Fluorescent lamps have high energy efficiency, low maintenance, and an exceptionally long life, which makes them ideal.
Included in the lighting is high ultraviolet light to reduce bacteria and contaminants. A popular addition to cleanroom lighting has been light emitting diode (LED) lights due to their long life, efficacy, and environmental compliance.
High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are the norm for portable cleanrooms since they can trap extremely small particles. They capture and remove particulate matter that is smaller than 0.3 μ. Filters that are classified as HEPA quality are tested to prove that they can trap 99.97% of particulates. Though there are significant standards for HEPA filters, in many cases, they can capture particles that are smaller than 0.3 μ.
For portable cleanrooms, the filtration system is installed in the ceiling as part of the air handling system. Regardless of the efficiency and extreme standards for HEPA filters, they need to be tested regularly to assess their integrity and performance. The assessment includes an evaluation of the filter for leaks or other factors that can damage the cleanliness of a portable cleanroom.
Flooring is as essential as the walls and ceiling since it has to meet the same cleanliness standards. Floors for portable cleanrooms are raised and are made of seamless vinyl, rubber, or perforated materials. The flooring has to be easily cleaned, non-porous, and sanitized. The type and standards for the flooring are determined by the ISO classification required for a portable cleanroom.
Portable cleanrooms are fully wired in such a way that an electrician is not required during assembly. Once all the components have been assembled, the electrical system is designed in such a way that it simply needs to be plugged into the power supply of the location.
Electrical systems for portable cleanrooms are normally 600/480 3 phase higher voltage systems for the HVAC and air handling systems. As a safety measure and for backup, a generator can be added to the system to provide power in case of a disturbance of the power supply. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can also be used if the portable cleanroom needs to operate without any type of delay.
The main distinction between portable clean rooms is the types of walls they have with rigid solid walls in one category and soft plastic walls in another. A further method for categorizing cleanrooms is their function, ranging from cleanrooms for patient diagnosis to ones for testing and researching chemicals and medicine.
Additionally, portable cleanrooms can be divided by their size, portability, indoor or outdoor use, and their ISO or Federal Standard 209E classifications. As with all clean rooms, portable ones are specially designed to precisely fit the needs and requirements of an application.
Soft wall cleanrooms are a flexible, mobile, efficient, and cost effective method for creating a controlled clean air environment quickly and easily. They are designed to be able to transform any space, regardless of location, into a high performance clean room. Though they are referred to as soft wall cleanrooms, soft wall clean rooms are just as robust, durable, and resilient as traditional cleanrooms.
The varying frames of soft wall cleanrooms are available in lightweight aluminum, stainless steel, or heavier steel. The frame is treated with a powder baked on coating that prevents corrosion and contamination from the ambient environment.
As with all cleanrooms, portable soft wall clean rooms come with HEPA fan filtration units that guarantee that the portable cleanroom meets the stringent standards of ISO 4 to ISO 8 classifications. Many soft wall clean rooms come with the popular LED lighting panels that save money and provide long lasting efficient performance.
Rigid wall portable cleanrooms have the same flexibility and quality performance as soft wall cleanrooms. The main difference is the strength, durability, and texture of the wall system, which is made from various forms of sturdy materials, including clear plastics.
Less permanent rigid wall portable cleanrooms are an alternative to solid hard wall cleanrooms and a step up from soft wall cleanrooms. Though the panels of rigid portable clean rooms are non-porous, firm, strong, and resilient, they can be easily disassembled and reassembled economically and efficiently. Users can adjust the size of the cleanroom depending on their needs and changes in the demands of their business.
Since rigid wall portable cleanrooms are not permanent structures, they can be depreciated as an expense over seven years unlike permanent built in cleanrooms that depreciate over 39 years. Rigid wall portable cleanrooms have ISO classifications of ISO 4 up to ISO 8 but are a lower cost solution for meeting those classifications.
As with all cleanrooms, rigid wall portable cleanrooms come with an airflow fan filter unit equipped with a HEPA filtration system that guarantees their cleanliness for meeting ISO standards. The wall panels are finished with white baked enamel to seal them and prevent contamination.
Bio-clean cleanrooms are semi-rigid cleanrooms developed to meet the needs of the medical industry regarding microbial contaminants and the particulate requirements of the electronics, aerospace, and high-tech markets. As with all forms of modular and portable cleanrooms, bio-clean cleanrooms are easily expandable to meet the changing demands and requirements of the medical and technical industries.
The prefabricated design makes it possible for quick, efficient, and easy installation without substantial changes to the existing location. As with all forms of portable and modular cleanrooms, bio-clean cleanrooms are customizable to meet the special circumstances of a customer’s needs and business.
A unique form of portable and flexible clean room that has grown out of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the isolation medical exam pod, which allows for the testing and examination of workers and patients to prevent exposure of others to possible hazardous and unsafe conditions. They have seamless flooring for proper house cleaning and surface disinfection.
Much like larger cleanrooms, isolation medical exam pods have HVAC systems with HEPA filters and overhead lighting for sufficient elimination. The size and compactness of the pods make them easy to install. They have self-contained electrical systems and condenser units.
Isolation medical exam pods are sometimes referred to as alternative care facilities for infection control. Though their main use has been in response to the COVID pandemic, they are also being used in industrial operations for employees that get sick or injured on the job.
Gradually, over the last few years, cleanroom users have been moving away from building permanent cleanrooms and are relying more heavily on portable, adjustable, and adaptable cleanrooms that can be configured and shaped to meet the demands of business. Part of the reason for this shift in focus is due to the efficiency of portable cleanrooms as well as their much lower cost.
Additionally, with the rise of technology, more and more industrial companies are finding the need for environments that are exceptionally clean and uncontaminated for a variety of assembly and manufacturing processes. This has further expanded the market for portable clean rooms and has led to the rise of clean room rental organizations that can meet the needs for temporary installations.
One of the conveniences of portable clean rooms is their ability to quickly adjust to the demands and requirements of a process, operation, or application. Though many industries that necessitate sanitized conditions already have permanent structural facilities to meet their production needs, in certain cases, they require rapid adjustments to their infrastructure to meet the stipulations of increased demands. Those are situations where portable cleanrooms prove to be an ideal solution.
Permanent cleanrooms have always been a necessary part of producing and manufacturing medicines, ointments, and medical instruments. The hygienically uncontaminated conditions are required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as protection for customers of pharmaceutical products.
In situations where there is a need for extra room or the isolation of a research procedure, portable clean rooms are a quick, easy, and flexible solution that can be erected and put to use in a short time. They have become an essential part of the efforts to produce and distribute the COVID vaccine.
The use of ultra-clean environments has become a necessity for the high tech industries due to the delicate and sensitive nature of their products. The production needs and demands for technical products can quickly shift requiring immediate adjustments to production facilities. Portable clean rooms are an ideal solution and fit conveniently into the organization of technical processes providing the perfect ISO qualified environment.
Normal manufacturing and industrial operations, for many years, have not found it necessary to have spotless and uncontaminated environments. Their operations have depended on heavy machinery and complex assembly processes performed by innovative technical devices.
As the computer age has affected society, it has impacted industrial organizations that have found that they need to install and use clean rooms for various processes that demand uncontaminated conditions. Since those conditions are not a regular occurence, manufacturers use portable cleanrooms to fill the cap and meet the needs of a design or process.
As with any type of product that is consumed by the public, the food industry is very closely watched by the FDA to ensure food products are produced in hygienically sanitized conditions. For this reason, food producers have permanent cleanrooms to meet the needs of normal production.
When there is a spike in demand and a rise in consumption, food producers need a convenient and quick method for expanding their operations to meet radical shifts and changes. To meet the need, they rely on portable cleanrooms and their flexibility.
Cultivation requires clean rooms that can be quickly set up and adjusted but have the requirements necessary to protect products during their growth cycle. Portable cleanrooms meet all of the necessary standards and have the required flexibility and secure seal. Unlike the needs of other industries, the cultivation industry necessitates cleanrooms that are capable of load bearing to handle the weight of the racks of products. For this reason, portable clean rooms for the industry have substantial strength to handle the loads.
The rapid growth of the portable cleanroom industry has necessitated the examination of their benefits and methods for keeping them safe such that they can offer exceptional performance. Portable clean rooms have become an important tool being used by several industries to meet the needs for an uncontaminated environment using an adaptable solution.
Care and safety for the protection of workers is a necessity in work conditions. This is especially true in regard to cleanroom use. By applying simple practices, a portable clean room can be a valuable tool that will last and provide excellent performance.
Of all the various tools and equipment available to meet the needs of modern industry, portable cleanrooms are one of the most beneficial, pliable, resilient, and convenient. Their benefits include:
The safe operation and control of a portable cleanroom is essential for protecting employees, products, processes, and applications. Prior to or during the installation of a portable cleanroom, necessary safety protocols and procedures should be instituted. Staff should be thoroughly trained and informed regarding the steps necessary for their protection and that of products and processes.
Safety procedures include:
These particular safety procedures are generic and should be adjusted to fit the needs of a company's conditions and environment since each portable cleanroom installation is unique and customized.
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