Materials for cleanrooms

03.03.04: The demand for cleanroom-suitable products and materials is increasing considerably. A survey held by the Fraunhofer IPA last year concerned just with the range of products manufactured by the 300 participants involved in the survey showed a six-fold increase in the number of cleanroom-suitable products within the last twelve years.

What exactly the term “cleanroom-suitable” actually means is not always clear. This is despite the fact that the term was defined about two years ago in the VDI Guideline 2083 (Part 8): “Methods and procedures for assessing the cleanroom suitability of operating utilities”. Over 42 percent of the companies questioned stated that they did not receive clear specifications from their customers regarding the materials to be used. “Cleanroom suitability is often only a general requirement. Without more precise details, such requirements can’t be met” remarked Udo Gommel from the Fraunhofer IPA. This is due to the fact that, contrary to operating utilities, up till now the cleanroom suitability of materials has not been clearly defined nor have specific test methods been developed to determine it.

The cleanroom experts from the Fraunhofer IPA have now set out to rectify this deficit. A first step towards achieving this goal has been the foundation of the industrial alliance “Cleanroom Suitable Materials" which was set up at the beginning of this year.

Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA.

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