Compiled by Angela Godwin
Building or renovating cleanroom space requires careful consideration of many factors and requirements, including airflow, temperature, humidity, and personnel interaction to name a few. Preplanning is crucial to a successful cleanroom project, which is why consulting with experienced design experts may be a wise idea. To help get you started, this month we’ve compiled a selection of highly qualified architecture firms specializing in the design and construction of cleanroom space.
Cleanroom design specialists
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SMRT Architecture Engineering Planning is a 60-person firm specializing in the design of cleanroom spaces for clients throughout the northeast U.S. The professional staff includes mechanical, electrical, structural, fire protection and plumbing engineers as well as architects, landscape architects and interior designers, with offices in Maine, New York, and New Jersey. SMRT’s design work has ranged from Class 100,000 to Class 1 cleanrooms (ISO Class 3 to 8) for semiconductor, bioscience, pharmaceutical, higher education and healthcare facilities, among others. Some recent projects include: SIRTeX Medical, where SMRT designed renovations for the relocation of a manufacturing/office facility, designed to support manufacturing, shipping, receiving, quarantine, production, testing, quality control and distribution, for this medical device manufacturing company; UMASS Lowell Olney Hall Nanotechnology Cleanroom, where SMRT designed renovations to Olney hall that include a common gowning area servicing a VLSI lab, nanomanufacturing lab, and a bioprocessing lab; Eastern Maine Medical Center Pharmacy Renovations/Additions, where SMRT is assisting EMMC to renovate their pharmacy to meet cleanroom requirements. This space will include temperature and humidity controls and positive pressure. Other recent lab clients include: SUNY Albany, Bennington Microtechnology Center, New Chapter, IDEXX Laboratories, Jackson Lab, Taconic Lab, Binax, Maine Molecular, Tiffany, and others.
SMRT Architecture Engineering Planning
Portland, Maine
www.smrtinc.com
Modular cleanroom design-build
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Clean Rooms West is a full-service cleanroom company with the ability to successfully move your next project from concept to completion on-time and on-budget. In-house staff includes experts in design, consulting, manufacturing and installation for the controlled environment industry. As an architectural feature in a new medical device production facility, Clean Rooms West recently completed a modular cleanroom as a design-build project. The owner’s architect designated 18,000 square feet for production and identified the area as a separate project to the remaining building modifications. The cleanroom was designed using a customer-supplied matrix that located process equipment and utility connections. A dividing wall for area separation was installed to enclose the perimeter of the cleanroom. Modular walls were installed to divide the interior spaces. The surfaces of each modular wall panel and the interior of the perimeter-dividing gypsum wall were sheets of 1/8-inch thick, flame-retardant polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The surface was tested and rated excellent for holding up to the rigorous cleaning procedures of a medical device facility. Other features included: breakaway automatic sliding doors with large tempered-glass windows to give working personnel an open view into adjacent areas; a heavy-duty cleanroom ceiling grid suspended from an overhead steel support system; cleanroom light fixtures and vinyl-face cleanroom ceiling tiles sealed to the grid with an approved sealant; and a railed deck installed along the backside of the cleanroom and down the center for access to high-performance, smart motor-booster blowers, which provide distribution of conditioned air to the HEPA filters. Many of the architectural features were chosen for compatibility to medical device manufacturing and compliance to validation requirements. These features also allowed cleanroom construction to move forward without relying on the modification timetable of the existing building. The result was a validated facility ready for production prior to decommissioning a previously occupied cleanroom.
Clean Rooms West, Inc.
Tustin, Calif.
www.cleanroomswest.com
High-performance HVAC design
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Rumsey Engineers is a group of highly qualified and dedicated professionals with a passion for high-performance, environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system designs. The company specializes in the design of simple, elegant, cost-effective HVAC systems for critical and green building environments. Rumsey Engineers also provides businesses and utilities with comprehensive analyses of installations that help prioritize their energy-saving potential. The company actively promotes sustainable design practices throughout the building industries. Rumsey’s design team developed an innovative, cost-effective strategy in the design of this challenging Class 10 cleanroom, which included a low ceiling deck height of 14 feet and a requirement that sound levels be lower than adjacent fan filter unit cleanrooms. The team used low-cost tube axial fans with specially designed low-pressure drop silencers, designed into a system with low external pressure drop, allowing for smaller motor and VFD (variable frequency drive) size. To further save cost, six of the fans were controlled by a single VFD.
Rumsey Engineers
Oakland, Calif.
www.rumseyengineers.com
Critical application solutions
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Superior architecture and design is critical to achieving the desired classification level, timeline and budget of any cleanroom project. CleanAir Solutions, Inc. understands the importance of ROI (return on investment) and offers solutions that deliver significant benefits beyond the initial area in which your product or service operates. One such example would be CleanAir’s new Dual-Filtration system, which the company has incorporated to meet its clients’ most critical application needs. Standard HEPA filtration does not take into account the build up of mold, spores and fungus in the air stream, which acts as a catalyst for contamination in critical environments. The Dual-Filtration system adds a bactericidal filter to the supply air and therefore lowers the bioburden inside the cleanroom. Because this system requires less airflow, it also reduces the cost of ownership. This is just one of many innovative design solutions CleanAir has to offer. As specialists in cleanroom technology, CleanAir Solutions will carefully analyze your process to ensure your program has been properly evaluated and will take into consideration the various factors affecting your overall cleanroom performance. CleanAir’s design experts specialize in integrating your existing site conditions into construction plans. CleanAir Solutions understands the importance of appreciating your assets through innovative designs and quality service.
CleanAir Solutions, Inc.
Fairfield, Calif.
www.CleanroomSpecialists.com
Modular cleanroom system
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PharmaSystems, serving the U.S. life sciences parenteral market with innovative, high-quality equipment for over twenty-two years, would like to introduce Padana Cleanroom’s new monolithic PVC system. This is Padana’s latest addition to their modular cleanroom product line, and has been developed specially for life-science facilities. Padana’s new monolithic PVC system is very well suited for Class A and B rooms, where customers may require a monolithic finish. The system is comprised of PVC-coated steel partitions, with honeycomb aluminum or rockwool for insulation. Modular false and walk-on ceilings are available. All materials are durable against minor impacts, do not support flame spread, and are resistant against a wide array of aggressive cleansers. Panels typically measure 2 inches thick, and are 4 feet wide, with heights ranging up to 13 feet. Joints between panels are liquid-welded, for long-lasting, tight finishes that withstand various cleansers and humidity fluctuations. Radiused aluminum profiles and coving are utilized to maintain the best rigidity and curvature for easy cleaning, but PVC and stainless steel are also available. A strong, chemical-resistant enamel is added to all exposed metal in the system. All surfaces are smooth and flush. Padana Cleanroom has been manufacturing in Cremona, Italy, since 1978. They have approximately thirty-five full time employees, and over 150 references worldwide. Padana’s manufacturing site is approximately 32,000 square feet and is ISO 9001 certified. Cleanrooms are their only business, 80 percent of which is focused on the life-science industry. Padana supplies walls, windows, doors, ceilings, various accessories, as well as the installation of their products. Each component is designed and assembled in Padana’s factory, so they can demonstrate the highest control over their products and be competitive with pricing. Padana prides itself on continuous innovation and improvements, and remains flexible to new customer requests.
PharmaSystems, LLC
U.S. Sales Rep for Padana Cleanroom
Hawthorne, N.J.
www.PharmaSystemsUSA.com