Chris Anderson
MELBOURNE, UK—Clean modules Ltd., a five-year-old manufacturer of modular cleanrooms, recently brought its first mobile cleanroom online for the Pharmacy Department of Queen Elisabeth Hospital NHS at Kings Lynn, UK—a concept company officials hope to promote worldwide.
“We have considered this as a possibility for some time, but we were never able to find that first customer,” says John Robinson, managing director of Clean Modules. “Already we have received multiple inquiries for the units from other companies.”
The unit delivered to Queen Elisabeth Hospital was constructed within the confines of a 40-foot cargo container and includes two ISO Class 5 (Class 100) cleanrooms with a preparation room, autowash unit and two change rooms. The hospital intends to use the portable cleanrooms for the duration of a complete remodel and upgrade of its unit that produces nutritional and chemotherapy products.
“Our facility is about 20 years old and needed an upgrade to meet today's required standards,” says Mike Jillings, director of pharmacy for Queen Elisabeth Hospital. “The mobile unit allows us to continue making our therapies on site at a minimal cost.”
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This is exactly the need Clean Modules hopes to fill with its portable units. While much of the early interest for the units comes from pharmaceutical uses, Robinson says the company is not restricting itself to that market alone. “We believe these can also be used for microelectronic and semiconductor applications if needed,” he says.
Thomas Hansz, president of Pittsburgh-based consulting firm Facility Planning and Resources Inc., says the concept could carve a profitable niche in the industry especially with smaller manufacturers.
“I don't see these units as particularly well suited for larger companies especially in the semiconductor industry, because product cycles are so short,” says Hansz. “But for smaller manufacturers who are tight on space and need extra production for only a short time, leasing a unit or two can make a lot of sense.”
Monthly lease rates for the mobile units vary from project to project, though the units are also available for sale. Because the upgrade project at Queen Elisabeth Hospital could take up to a year a more, the hospital purchased its unit. “We felt the price to purchase was reasonable and within our budget,” says Jillings. “Plus we have strong indications that when our project is done we can sell it to another hospital that needs a similar upgrade and they can come put it on a truck and take it to their hospital.”
Much of Clean Modules' attention for the mobile units is currently focused on the British and European market. But the company is ready to ship its mobile units worldwide. “Because these are constructed within a cargo container, the units are very strong and can be placed on a ship, a lorry or anything else used to ship cargo and it will arrive ready to go,” says Robinson.