How to Choose Your Cleanroom Equipment
This article forms the basis of a checklist, to help you assess the suitability of equipment for your cleanroom.
How might equipment be best designed for cleanrooms, and what should cleanroom managers be looking for?
1. Selection of Materials
The types of materials selected for equipment need to be smooth, cleanable and have low particle emissions. To avoid passive particle generation, stainless steel is recommended in place of plated or oxide-coated steel (which can shed particles).
Pharma Hygiene Products offer equipment in your choice of 304 or 316L (pharmaceutical grade) stainless steel, to suit your cleanroom’s specifications.
2. Design
The equipment design should promote cleanability and minimise occluded surfaces where possible. Occluded surfaces are a concern in higher grade cleanrooms, such as EU GMP Grade B (ISO 14644 class 7 areas). This is because there is a greater opportunity for particles to settle out.
The design should also minimise particle generation; surfaces should be smooth and without joints or cracks.
The Pharma Hygiene Products range is pit and crevice free, with exceptional average surface smoothness of 0.4 micrometers Ra that leaves nowhere for particles or bacteria to store.
3. Cleanability
This primarily refers to the ease of cleaning; equipment should be of an appropriate design to facilitate thorough cleaning and maintenance.
An additional consideration around Cleanability is ensuring that detergents and disinfectants do not react with the surface material, as some disinfectants can cause corrosion. 316L pharmaceutical grade stainless steel contains 2% molybdenum, for superior corrosion resistance – especially against chlorides.