By Mark A. DeSorbo
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.
According to Scott Grimshaw, chief executive officer of Cold Springs, the 400-square-foot ISO Class 7 modular cleanroom proved to be an affordable way for the company to provide a controlled environment for the manufacturing of thin film elements.
This plan of action, says Grimshaw, was not only inexpensive—costing less than $20,000—but offered a strong tax advantage.
“In seven years, a modular cleanroom can be written off as a piece of equipment, unlike a constructed cleanroom,” Grimshaw says. The modular room has worked out so well that Grimshaw plans on expanding it this year.
Another advantage, he says, is the cleanroom's softwall design, which allows technicians easy entry as opposed to being in an enclosed room that would be difficult to enter or exit.
 While it is rated at Class 7, the modular cleanroom operates in the ISO Class 6 range. And in the event of a move, it can be easily disassembled and loaded onto a truck. |
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