The IPA qualification tests carried out at the Fraunhofer IPA are based on the VDI Guideline 2083 Part 8 “Cleanroom suitability of operating materials”. This describes a standardized procedure which enables all relevant contamination factors of an operating utility to be tested.
The procedure defined in this guideline can be applied to all operating utilities used in cleanrooms, e.g. linear axes, chairs, pneumatic components, wafer-coating machines, transfer systems, vacuum valves or sliding doors.
Cleanroom suitability assesses the particulate emission behavior of operating utilities. This is because all clean manufacturing facilities demand minimum particle emissions.
Cleanroom suitability also considers all additional parameters relevant to the manufacture of specific products under clean conditions. These factors include the cleanliness requirements of various branches of industry such as a resistance to chemicals or GMP/ FDA conformity for the pharmaceutical or food industry.
