Selection of cleanroom doors not open and shut
by Laureen Belleville
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Don't take it for granted. The appropriate door can make a cleanroom or clean production area more efficient and, thus, more profitable. The main goal is to provide quick, easy access to work areas while maintaining controlled conditions.
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The location of the cleanroom and the activities involved in and around it help determine the appropriate door features for which to look. For example, you might want to choose a swinging door for areas with limited doorway side clearance. Fabric panel rollup doors provide access to clean environments that require frequent wash-down, wipe-down and inspection. Sliding doors offer closed-seal gasketing, a powder-coated frame and non-outgassing panel materials.
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For contamination control, one manufacturer uses a reinforced plastic laminate that forms a completely seamless cover, even at the edges. The non-porous door leaf is waterproof, moisture-resistant and does not peel. Because of its rigid sandwich construction, the door is light, durable, impact resistant and does not warp. An optional float glass vision panel is continuously sealed at the edges. An antimicrobial additive is also available for many doors.
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Consider also a door's fire safety features. For some, no fire rating is available. Others offer fire ratings from 90 minutes to 3 hours. Some automatic doors, for example, also have a manual release system or other emergency exit on the sides of the cleanroom door.
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Servicor's swing doors with anti-static acrylic inset panels (top left, bottom left). MSS Clean Technology’s glass (top right), PVC (middle left) and Micro (bottom right) doors.
Distributors
The following companies distribute cleanroom doors:
•Liberty Industries (East Berlin, CT)
•Ultrapure Technology (Suwanee, GA).
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This article was prepared with assistance from Jeff Rhoades, marketing manager, and Eliena Tipler, marketing manager, at VWR Scientific Products in West Chester, PA.