MIT graduate helps shape future of cleanroom industry
By Tammy Wright
Editor`s Note: This is the fourth in a series of articles celebrating the accomplishments of the distinguished members of the CleanRooms Hall of Fame.
Harry S. Truman once said, “Men make history…Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.”
One such man is Robert Peck. The MIT graduate is among a group of pioneers who first embraced cleanroom technology and helped mold it into the sophisticated, thriving industry it is today.
In 1960, when the manufacturing world was just discovering its need for controlled environments, Peck was looking for his own business opportunity. He was managing national construction projects for Johns-Manville Corp. when his brother-in-law suggested they break into a new field. That was the year they founded Controlled Environment Inc., one of the first turnkey contractors specializing in the construction of cleanrooms.
“Building cleanrooms was a natural progression from construction,” Peck says. “The technology was totally new so we learned it as we went along.”
In actuality, Peck worked tirelessly to help establish and implement cleanroom standards and practices. His peers describe him as a student, a teacher, an innovator – accomplishing much of his success through trade associations. Peck was a committed member of the American Association for Contamination Control, and when it merged into the Institute of Environmental Sciences, he continued his efforts to push the industry forward. Peck was responsible for starting the IES` Recommended Practices standards program, and he also served as chairman of the committee highly involved in updating Federal Standard 209. Not surprisingly, current efforts by Technical Committee 209 of the International Organization for Standardization to develop international conformity meet with Peck`s wholehearted approval. “Global standards are really necessary today because so many cleanrooms are used by companies working across international borders,” he says.
After more than 30 years, Peck`s influence is rooted firmly in the cleanroom industry. He is the recipient of the IES` prestigious Monroe Seligman and James R. Mildon awards, and he is an honorary member of the Swedish and Russian contamination control societies. At present, he remains active, serving as president emeritus of Controlled Environment Equipment Corp., which he started in 1964. The company manufactures cleanroom sticky mats. His son, Matthew, now supervises the day-to-day operations, while Peck consults on special projects.
In honor of his many achievements, Peck was inducted into the CleanRooms Hall of Fame in 1991.