As a child, you may have been told to clean your room, many times. Your parents knew about the importance of living in a clean room because it could affect your health and safety. When it comes to manufacturing, some kinds of equipment require clean room molding processes, because the environments need to be free of all kinds of contaminants. But is this really necessary? Let’s explore the issue a little deeper.
What are “Clean” Manufacturing Environments?
A clean room (also called cleanroom) is an area free of contaminants. Contamination is controlled to specific levels depending on the needs. For example, some things can be affected by dust while other things must be free of bacteria. This requires special filtration equipment and precautions.
History
Today’s cleanroom environment was created by Willis Whitfield in 1960. At the time he was working for Sandia National Laboratories. Whitfield’s cleanroom solved problems created by tiny particles as well as the unpredictability of air flow. His system was able to filter out particles and flush out the impurities at the same time.
Size
Some cleanrooms are very small but this is not always the case. For example, an entire manufacturing area for clean room molding can be quite large in size. You will see cleanrooms used for many purposes and here are some of the ways industry is using cleanroom technology today.
Nanotechnology
Semi conductors and many kinds of electronic component are highly sensitive to contaminants. In fact, innovative new solar cell technology utilizes cleanrooms and this could change the way we receive power in the future, because it can lower cost and increase output.
Research Laboratories
When studying disease it only takes a tiny particle to completely destroy months of hard work. Many biological experiments today must be carried out under the most clean and particle free conditions possible. This is helping to solve many health problems and find cures for some of today’s most serious ailments.
Modern Optic Technology
Have you noticed modern smart phone cameras take very good pictures? It takes cleanroom conditions to create some of the finest and most commonly used camera lenses. Not only do contaminants need to be removed, but humidity and temperatures must be exact. In addition, no excessive noises or vibrations can be present and this requires specialized equipment.
Lasers
Many companies today are using methods like clean room molding processes and equipment to develop laser technology for complex eye surgeries and space flight equipment. Thanks to cleanroom technology, the future is only limited to the imagination.
