SEPT. 18–SYRACUSE, NY–Production was down for only 24 hours at Cold Springs, an international quartz crystal sensor and thin film-coating manufacturer, while a modular cleanroom manufactured by SBB Inc. was relocated to a new, larger facility.

The 400-square-foot ISO Class 7 modular cleanroom from SBB, which also manufactures minienvironments, ceiling systems, air handlers, HVAC units and control systems, proved to be an affordable way for Scott Grimshaw, chief executive officer of Cold Springs, to provide a controlled environment for the manufacturing of thin film elements.

This plan of action was not only inexpensive, costing less than $20,000, but it was also a strong tax advantage for a technical company in New York State.

“In seven years, a modular cleanroom can be written off as a piece of equipment unlike a constructed cleanroom,” Grimshaw says.

Another advantage, he says, is the cleanroom’s softwall design, which allows technicians easy entry opposed to being in an enclosed room that would be difficult to enter or exit.

In fact, SBB’s cleanroom has worked out so well that Grimshaw is expanding it this year. While it is rated at Class 7, the cleanroom operates in the ISO Class 6 range. And in the event of a move, the cleanroom can be can easily disassembled and loaded onto a truck.