Airborne-particle monitoring
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Technology Care LLC has developed a new cost-effective method for monitoring airborne particles in indoor environments. The DustCheck system employs a passive sampler to collect airborne particulate using electrostatic attraction. After the collection period, which can range from one week to a month, the sampler is sealed and sent in for analysis. Using propriety analytic techniques and algorithms, average airborne particle levels are estimated with a high degree of accuracy. Test results can be viewed on the company’s Web site, using the ID and password supplied with each sampler. Reports include particle size as well as particle properties, such as whether particles are inert, biological, or fiber-shaped. DustCheck samplers can be used either stand-alone or in a monitoring station. If used in a monitoring station, test results are added to a station log that can be viewed online. The station log gives early warning of rising airborne particle levels so that contamination issues can be addressed before they impact operations or health. DustCheck sampler kits are available for monitoring virtually any indoor environment including data centers, cleanrooms, offices, factories, hotels, hospitals and homes.
Technology Care LLC
Zurich, Switzerland
www.technologycare.com
Airless cleaning technology
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AirlessTM Cleaners from Tiyoda Serec Corporation provide high-precision cleaning deep within part surfaces. Because air is a barrier to a solvent contacting part surfaces, preventing total surface cleaning, the company’s patented process uses vacuum technology to remove, prior to cleaning, all air from parts being cleaned. Under vacuum, the solvent vapor is adsorbed on part surfaces and condenses into liquid, effectively dissolving soils. Dissolved soils are rinsed away with fresh distilled solvent to ensure a clean surface. A vacuum drying cycle recovers solvent and dries parts completely. The fully programmable cleaning process can include vapor degreasing, soaking, spray in vapor or under immersion, ultrasonic cavitation and rotation. TSC’s Airless Cleaners offer space-saving technology ideal for cleanroom environments. The door to the cleaning chamber can be mounted on the wall of the cleanroom with the entire mechanical module located outside, saving space, minimizing sources of contamination, reducing HVAC load, and facilitating maintenance without “suiting up.” The cleaners feature a batch-type cleaning process, with typical cleaning cycles of 10 to 20 minutes depending on chamber volume and process requirements.
Tiyoda Serec Corporation
North Kingstown R.I.
www.tiyoda-serec.com
Single-gas monitor with HCN sensor option
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Industrial Scientific Corporation has enhanced its full-featured, “dockable” GasBadge® Pro single-gas monitor with a hydrogen cyanide (HCN) sensor option, making the monitor ideal for use by safety professionals, plant managers and first responders in precious mining and recovery, gold plating, food and beverage and hazardous materials (HazMat) industries. The monitor can be quickly adapted with interchangeable “smart” sensors to monitor unsafe levels of oxygen or any one of the following toxic gases: ammonia, carbon monoxide, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, phosphine or sulfur dioxide. The monitor carries a lifetime warranty and comes standard with STEL and TWA readings, datalogging of up to one year of survey data, and an event-logger that records the past 15 alarm events. Housed in a rugged enclosure, the monitor is immune to RF, water resistant and extremely durable. A protective concussion-proof overmold protects the unit from extreme abuse in a variety of harsh industrial environments. The large LCD display includes a backlight for clear visibility in low-light conditions, and international graphic symbols for easy operation. The GasBadge Pro can be configured to display gas readings in percent by volume or in parts per million, and is capable of showing gas type and/or direct gas readings.
Industrial Scientific Corporation
Oakdale, Pa.
www.gasbadge.com
Disposable TFF assemblies
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New MobiusTM disposable TFF assemblies, offering flexible, self-contained solutions that reduce validation efforts, increase process speed and mitigate risks are now available from Millipore Corp. The company’s Pellicon® cassettes are used with the disposable TFF assemblies, which are a complete, self-contained TFF flow path consisting of process container, tubing, connectors, and disposable cassette manifolds that eliminate fluid contact from any reusable components. The disposable assembly can be integrated into a complete TFF system that includes in-line monitors, process pump, filter cassettes and holder, and optional controls and instrumentation. These assemblies are manufactured, assembled and validated prior to shipment, eliminating the need for customers to validate multiple products from multiple suppliers. The disposable TFF system eliminates system and cassette cleaning, reduces downtime between production runs, minimizes validation efforts, costs and paperwork, and reduces development time, thus improving speed to market. From preclinical to clinical to full-scale production, Mobius TFF assemblies are optimized for concentration and diafiltration applications in processes such as gene medicines, monoclonal antibodies, therapeutic proteins, and vaccines.
Millipore Corporation
Billerica, Mass.
www.millipore.com/bioprocess
Medical blister and device cleaning station
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The new Medical Blister & Device Cleaning Station (MB&DCS) from Static Clean International is now available for the medical device and manufacturing industry. MB&DCS eliminates contamination by neutralizing charged materials traveling through the operation field. The system is available in multiple configurations that increase the system’s capability for contamination control. The standard system includes single or dual stainless-steel vacuum hoods with two air tubes and two static bars each, mounted on and under a workbench. Other features include: hand-crank or linear actuated height adjustment; white plastic, cleanroom-compatible work surface; collector with HEPA filtration that prevents recontamination; optional overhead fan-filter module with HEPA filter to create a Class 100 environment.
Static Clean International
Burlington, Mass.
www.staticclean.com
Configurable production system
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Bosch Rexroth has introduced its new Manual Production Systems (MPS) product offering, which delivers an array of configurable products to create production systems anywhere in the value chain. MPS is based on the company’s extensive line of modular aluminum framing, combined with its proven, ergonomics-tested manual workplace components, to create a system perfectly suited for critical environments such as cleanrooms. With the addition of flow racks and ESD-safe accessories, the product offering extends its reach into semiconductor applications, making it easy to follow lean production principles such as one-piece flow, line-side parts stores, and water-spider inventory replenishment. All systems are easily configurable and can be adjusted to any workplace requirements. The flexibility and wide range of the structural framing components and workplace accessories allow users to configure ergonomic workstations to fit dimensional and functional needs. To speed design and implementation, users can specify workstations and material flow racks using MPScalc design software, which captures all critical parameters such as dimensions, material type and quantity, so that users can configure a custom workstation, flow rack, or material shuttle, calculate the price, and produce accurate 3D drawings. The system ensures that no space is wasted and that ergonomic principles are built-in for optimal working conditions.
Bosch Rexroth
Buchanan, Mich.
www.boschrexroth-us.com
Edge inspection system
Rudolph Technologies, Inc. has introduced the E25TM Wafer Edge Inspection System, the latest addition to its suite of “all-surface” inspection tools. The detection and control of edge defects is critical to improving and maintaining process yields. The new E25 System provides edge inspection for CMP, etch, clean, deposition, pre-RTP and final QA processes, and is designed to cope with the unique challenges of edge inspection, including curved surfaces, ever-changing bevel profiles, process variations and nuisance defects. The system incorporates numerous software and optical enhancements including brighter illumination, greater defect capture rate and simplified recipe creation. It features an improved algorithm to create a defect-free surface model of the edge and uses this model to detect and classify defects. In its current configuration, the system integrates with the company’s AXiTM or NSX® Inspection Systems to provide edge and front-side inspection throughout the entire manufacturing process. The E25 image-based inspection uses multiple color cameras, concurrent color image capture and intrinsic ADC (automatic defect classification) to quickly detect and classify a wide range of defects based on size, morphology, color, location and other unique characteristics. In most cases the E25TM data alone are sufficient for rapid root cause identification, eliminating the need for additional optical review.
Rudolph Technologies
Flanders, N.J.
www.rudolphtech.com
Data validation and reporting
DeltaTRAK, Inc. has announced the availability of IQ/OQ (Installation Qualification/Operational Qualification) Protocol for its In-Transit FlashLink Data Manager Software, a tool for in-transit environmental data validation and reporting. The software, with the IQ/OQ protocol, enhances the overall manageability and reporting capability of data gathered by the company’s In-Transit FlashLink Data Loggers. This enables users to better meet data integrity and security requirements defined by FDA 21CFR Part 11 and in support of cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice). Trip data and reports can now be compiled, analyzed, validated and presented in much more simplified and guided ways not previously possible. The IQ/OQ Protocol comes with software setup instructions, data validation verifications and references. The IQ/OQ Protocol, which comes in hard-copy form and on a CD-ROM, is packaged in a dark blue business 3-ring binder cased in a durable presentation box.
DeltaTRAK, Inc.
Pleasanton, Calif.
www.deltatrak.com
Portable air purifier
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Zentox now offers the Photox 100, a portable air purifier for control of point-source odors and removal of volatile organic compound (VOC) contaminants. The Photox 100 is a smaller, portable version of the company’s Photox 500 advanced air purification system. Based on photocatalytic oxidation technology (PCO), Photox is designed to remove noxious odors, toxic vapors and infectious organisms from the indoor environment. It effectively removes a variety of hazardous and objectionable airborne contaminants including bacteria, viruses, mold, ammonia, cleaning solvent vapors, paint odor, ozone, hydrogen sulfide, urine/fecal odors, cooking odors, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. It is ideally suited for use in problem areas in many environments, including hospitals, medical offices, laboratories, and more. Photox does not emit any harmful products or ozone, and destruction of contaminants occurs completely inside the unit. The system is easy to operate and maintain and simply requires annual replacement of lamps and catalytic reaction modules.
Zentox
Newport News, Va.
www.zentox.com
Insect-repellant coating
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Michelman has announced the availability of BugBanTM 9000, a cost-effective water-based repulpable coating for paper and paperboard substrates that reduces the liability associated with insects found in packaging. The coating is specifically designed to not just repel insects, but to effectively eliminate the insects before they can penetrate the package-for the entire life of the package. It can save retailers, distributors, food processors, and customers money by reducing damage to food packaging caused by insects, and eliminating insects from potentially ending up in customers’ grocery carts or on retailers’ floors. The EPA has approved the use of BugBan 9000 for the outside of corrugated surfaces, folding cartons, wood and corrugated pallets used in the transporting of food, and controlled studies have shown that material handlers of packaging coated with BugBan 9000 do not experience any significant transference of the product to their hands, even under wet conditions. Other studies have confirmed that the active ingredient does not migrate through the treated paper to the food contact side. Testing was done at four different Universities on a wide variety of insects, including yellow jacket wasps, fire ants, German cockroaches, and Indian meal moths. All reports demonstrated 100 percent effectiveness in eliminating the insect pests within 24 hours, eradicating 70 percent in the first five hours.
Michelman
Cincinnati, Ohio
www.michem.com
Ductless fume hood
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Air Science USA, Inc. offers the new Purair 10 Ductless Fume Hood, which features high operator protection against fume and particle hazards, easy-to-change filters, and low airflow alarm. Other highlights include improved clamping, which eliminates by-pass leakage, and an optional back-up safety filter. Also, because clean air is recirculated into the laboratory, the fume hoods not exhaust expensive conditioned and/or heated air into the atmosphere. Typical applications include weighing, chemical sampling, histology, forensics and pharmaceutical processes.
Air Science USA, Inc.
Fort Myers, Fla.
www.air-science.com
Third-party-validated equipment ID system
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The AdvantaPure division of NewAge Industries, Inc., is pleased to announce that its Hose TrackTM Process Equipment Identification and Lifecycle Analysis System has been validated for 21CFR Part 11 compliance, which relates to electronic records and signatures. The third-party validation was conducted by VALSPEC (Royersford, Pa.). Hose Track, developed for hose assemblies used in pharmaceutical, food and beverage, biomedical, cosmetic, and other high-purity applications, also works with other process equipment, such as pumps, bio-bags, filters, diaphragm valves, UV lamps, and tanks and vessels. Hose Track uses RFID technology and software to identify parts and monitor ongoing, wear-related events, including cleaning cycles, the number of batches processed, and other user-defined occurrences. Hose Track provides a solution for the critical job of part maintenance and replacement. It increases safety and reduces risk by monitoring equipment and is a key tool used in projecting service dates before parts can fail, compromise product integrity, and waste time and labor. It replaces old-style logbooks, which can be prone to transposed numbers, incorrect dates, illegible handwriting, misread data, and misfiled documents. Logbooks also limit the availability of data, as they are kept in one place and generally do not follow the equipment. With Hose Track, information can be viewed on any networked computer.
AdvantaPure, a division of NewAge Industries, Inc.
Southampton, Pa.
www.advantapure.com
Defect classification system
Rudolph Technologies, Inc. announced the availability of its new TrueADCTM Automatic Defect Classification (ADC) system. The system offers a unique Dynamic Defect Library function that facilitates expansion of the library to easily adjust for new defects or for process variation common to most production lines without specific engineering involvement. It lets users add new defect classifications quickly and easily so that system performance continually improves. Rudolph will provide a custom preshipment library development based on customer-provided defect images, allowing the system to be put into production very quickly. New defect data from unclassified defects can be transferred seamlessly to TrueADC from Rudolph’s Harmony ASRTM defect review software. The robust design of the database and search functions allows virtually unlimited expansion without impact on speed and accuracy, enabling a single installation to support a large number of tools and processes throughout the fab.
Rudolph Technologies, Inc.
Flanders, N.J.
www.rudolphtech.com
ESD-rated footwear
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To help deal with electrical overstress (EOS) and electrostatic discharge (ESD), Kodiak-Terra USA, Inc. has designed a line of footwear that fully complies with ASTM criteria for ESD-rated shoes. Static shock can prove disastrous in cleanrooms, server farms, and other ESD-sensitive workplace areas, damaging electronic machinery and even igniting flammable mixtures if not addressed properly. Static electricity can also cause products to stick together or attract dirt and dust in work environments that need to be completely clean. Kodiak-Terra’s ESD-rated footwear is specifically designed to meet this challenge.
Kodiak-Terra USA, Inc.
Portland, Tenn.
www.kodiakusa.com
Ultrapure steam generator
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RASIRCTM has introduced its first product, the Intaeger® UHP (Ultra High Purity) fully automated steam generator. The Intaeger UHP provides ultrahigh-purity steam and process control, yet is a safe, non-combustible system because it does not require hydrogen and oxygen to generate water vapor. Water contaminants, including dissolved gases, are removed, metallic impurity sources are eliminated, and particle sources are greatly reduced, resulting in purity equal to or better than that created by burning oxygen and hydrogen. The flexible system uses deionized water and automatically controls delivery pressure, temperature, and the directly related mass flow rate so it can be adapted for many applications. Liquid level is monitored and filled either automatically or manually. An additional temperature control loop minimizes condensation of UHP steam. The system has purge and drain capabilities, and its design enables the purifier to be located remotely from the steam generator, conserving critical space around the process tool. It can be operated locally or remotely. The Intaeger UHP system has applications in the medical and pharmaceutical, semiconductor, power, and fuel cell industries.
RASIRC
San Diego, Calif.
www.rasirc.com
New Literature
Vibration isolation systems catalog
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Technical Manufacturing Corporation (TMC) has published the 2006 edition of its comprehensive general catalog featuring its versatile line of precision vibration isolation systems. The catalog is devoted to TMC’s many standard products and their recommended applications. Featured is the STACIS® 2100 active piezoelectric vibration control system, the industry standard for the most sensitive instruments in noisy environments. The 124-page guide also includes CleanTop® II optical tops, breadboards, and supports; laboratory tables and tabletop platforms; floor and subfloor platforms and stands; state-of-the-art isolators; the new Mag-NetXTM magnetic field cancellation systems; acoustic enclosures; OEM components and accessories; and custom configurations. Also included is a technical background section that serves as a primer on vibration control.
Technical Manufacturing Corporation
Peabody, Mass.
www.techmfg.com