Wipers are a cost-effective solution for helping maintain equipment and facility cleanliness. Here are some of the offerings appropriate for use in a critical environment.
Compiled by Jason Andrukaitis
Non-woven wipers
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Connecticut Clean Room Corp. offers non-woven wipers for applications where high sorbency and low extractables are important. The wipers work well for picking up aqueous spills and cleaning precision components and apparatuses. Fabricated from 45 percent polyester and 55 percent woodpulp blend, the wipers combine the high sorbency of natural fibers with the cleanliness of synthetic fibers. The wipers are suitable for general wiping and spill control in controlled environments with low particle counts, low extractable levels, and solvent compatibility. The product is suitable for ISO 7 (Class 10,000) use and, in some cases, may be used in an ISO 5 (Class 100) environment. The product is double bagged for cleanroom use and available in custom sizes.
Connecticut Clean Room Corp.
Bristol, CT
www.ctcleanroom.com
Knitted polyester wipes
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Contec introduces its pre-saturated polyester wipes for wiping and cleaning surfaces and equipment in highly critical sterile environments. The wipes are ISO 4 (Class 10) cleanroom laundered and packaged and are validated sterile to 10-6 SAL per AAMI/ISO 11137:2006 guidelines. The wipes are available in Polynit Heatseal and Quiltec fabrics, are extremely low in particle and fiber generation, and are presatured with 70 percent IPA/30 percent DI water. Small put-ups in easy-to-use peel and reseal pouches make the wipes well-suited for sterile use and help keep wipe waste to a minimum. The wipes also come available in QuickPick packaging.
Contec, Inc.
Spartanburg, SC
www.contecinc.com
Environmentally friendly wipes
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High-Tech Conversions Inc. introduces its new friendly green™ pre-saturated wipes, which are low linting and specifically designed to remove all water-soluble, no-clean, leaded, and lead-free solder pastes and resins from stencils, screens, misprints, and other surfaces. The wipes are effective in cutting through tough, dried on solder paste and flux residues, but they cause no harm to any of the stencil’s construction materials such as the aluminum frame, stainless steel, or polyester screen and stainless steel, brass, or nickel metal-etched foil. The wipes are saturated with low-toxicity compounds; contain no solvents; are non-flammable, non-corrosive, CFC-free, and biodegradable; and feature a pleasant scent. The wipes meet or exceed current and reasonably anticipated VOC requirements (EPA, AQMD, SCAQMD). They also contain no Clean Air Act Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), nor are they an RCRA hazardous waste when disposed. Friendly green solution is also available in one-gallon (3.8-L), five-gallon (18.9-L) and 55- gallon (208-L) containers for immersion cleaning applications, such as ultrasonic, and also in a 32-oz (0.95-L) trigger spray for manual stencil cleaning applications.
High-Tech Conversions Inc.
East Windsor, CT
www.high-techconversions.com
Polyester wipers
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ITW Texwipe introduces TexTra™ wipers, a new family of economical, thick, polyester-knit cleanroom wipers. The high-purity, single-ply wipers have the liquid-holding capacity of two-ply wipers at the cost of single-ply wipers. The wipers are available in 9×9-in. and 12×12-in. sizes with sealed borders or standard edges. They are also available sterile and pre-wetted for use in CMP oxide slurry cleaning. The wipers are well-suited for applying and removing cleaning or disinfecting solutions, rigorous wiping, or general purpose wiping and spill control. ITW Texwipe has a broad product line of wipers, swabs, mops, cleaning solutions, and stationery for use in ISO 5 (Class 100) or cleaner environments. All products are supported by advanced testing and quality control standards.
ITW Texwipe
Mahwah, NJ
www.texwipe.com
Polyester wipes
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JNJ Industries, Inc. presents the UltraClean 810B bulk packed wipes. The wipes are lint-free, made from 100 percent continuous filament polyester material, and laundered in the same cleanroom process as the standard UltraClean 810. The 810B is machine stacked and packaged, yet still offers ISO 5 (Class 100) performance and compatibility. The wipes deliver cleaning performance across a wide range of industrial cleaning applications with extremely low particle generation and soluble extractables. Manufactured with a knit construction and pattern, the wipes become softer when wet, while maintaining high tensile strength. They are unaffected by solvents and generate very low electrostatic discharge. The wipes can clean a variety of products including glass and ceramic substrates, CDs, instrumentation, tools, and the bottom of screens used for printing electronic materials. They are offered in a 9×9-in. size, meet Federal Standard 209D, and are laundered and dried in a cleanroom environment.
JNJ Industries, Inc.
Franklin, MA
www.jnj-industries.com
Pre-saturated wipers
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Kimtech Pure W3 pre-saturated wipers from Kimberly-Clark Professional feature laser-sealed edges and are available in three formulations, including 70 percent isopropyl alcohol/30 percent deionized water. The wipers are 100 percent continuous filament double-knit polyester, cleanroom laundered, and solvent- and abrasion-resistant. All are compatible for ISO 3 (Class 1) cleanrooms or higher.
Kimberly-Clark Professional
Roswell, GA
www.kimtech.com
Fabric for roughsurface cleaning
Micronova Manufacturing Inc. introduces MegaTex, a nonwoven polyamide fabric with a textured thermo-bonded surface. The fabric is well-suited for cleaning heavy soils, structured floors, and other rough surfaces in a cleanroom or controlled environment. Sealed bonding points give the non-woven structure increased stability against fibers lifting when mopping or wiping rough or textured surfaces. The polyester/polyamide fabric has filaments 30 times smaller than cotton fibers and is more efficient in drawing up and removing micro-particles, rather than simply passing over the dirt. The fabric offers greater absorbency, better friction resistance, and cleans more efficiently than traditional cleanroom mop fabrics. MegaTex material is available in various sizes as a wipe or sponge and as an optional cover for Micronova’s curtain cleaner; isolator tool; and PadMop, SlimLine, and T-Mop mopping systems. The MegaTex material holds up well to strong disinfectants and steam sterilization and can be considered for single or multi-use applications in biotechnology, hospital, and LAR facilities.
Micronova Manufacturing Inc.
Torrance, CA
www.micronova-mfg.com
Reinforced wipers
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Milliken’s Guardrail™ Wiper has unique, patent-pending reinforced edges for use in critical processes and environments. Guardrail reduces stress induced particulation by 75 percent compared to other wipers and has the ability to withstand robust usage while not scratching surfaces. Guardrail is laundered in the only ISO Class 1 @ 0.1 µm cleanroom for wipers and mops. Guardrail is also offered with Milliken’s patented particle attraction technology, which the company says attracts 35 times more particles than other wipers and retains more than 95 percent of the captured particles.
Milliken & Company
Spartanburg, SC
www.anticonwipers.com
Border-sealed wipes
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Valutek has developed a proprietary process that provides for a border seal on its critical- use polyester wipes. The border is achieved by using pressure and heat to create a soft pressed edge that virtually eliminates the chance of fibers being released while in use. In addition, the wipes have improved absorptive capacity, providing more efficient use. These products have been processed to provide the lowest levels of particulate and extractable contamination available today. The border-sealed wipes are available in two types: a double-knit single-ply wipe (VTPNWPHS) meeting most applications (140g/m2), and a double-knit two-ply wipe (VT2PNWPHS). The double-knit two-ply wipe is the heaviest weight polyester wipe available on the market (260g/m2) for applications requiring more absorptive capacity. These wipes are available in both 9×9-in. and 12×12-in. sizes. Valutek products offer lot number traceability.
Valutek
Phoenix, AZ
www.valutek.com