cleanroom doors & pass-throughs
08/01/2008
Compiled by Carrie Meadows
The transfer of product or equipment from one area to another presents a prime opportunity for a contamination event to occur. Doors and pass-throughs specifically designed for clean processing environments can help maintain necessary cleanliness levels.
Standard and custom pass-through configurations
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AES pass-throughs help maintain a high-level of cleanliness for critical manufacturing processes. AES Clean Technology offers wall- or floor-mounted pass-throughs in standard or custom sizes and configurations built to fit the needs of each project. Featuring double-wall construction, gasketed doors, and a vision panel, the pass-throughs can be constructed of laminate, epoxy-painted steel, or stainless steel. Sales coordinator Mary Waters is available to speak with customers about the materials of construction, features, and options needed to create an innovative, efficient pass-through that will minimize contamination and protect operations. For more information, call (888) 237-2532, ext. 103.
AES Clean Technology, Inc.
Philadelphia, PA
www.aesclean.com
Pass-through airlocks
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Clean Air Products introduces Series 18 pass-through airlocks. Designed to transfer parts and equipment into and out of cleanrooms, they significantly reduce potential contamination by decreasing the number of people entering and exiting the cleanroom. The new units are available in white polypropylene or optional stainless steel. Standard models are constructed of half-inch sheets of solid polypropylene welded together, providing a solid plastic airlock entry system that prevents deterioration common to other airlocks made of laminated Formica over particle board. The airlock doors are made with a heavy-duty stainless-steel frame, stainless-steel continuous hinges, a Plexiglas viewing window, closed-cell PVC door gasket, and a 90?? turn-knob latch or cam action chrome-plated latch on larger units. Mechanical door interlocks are available to prevent both doors from being opened at the same time, thus avoiding depressurization and contamination infiltration. Additional options are available.
Clean Air Products
Minneapolis, MN
www.cleanairproducts.com
ESD control options available for pass-throughs
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Cleanroom Supply Warehouse designs and manufactures pass-through chambers to meet the demands of today’s high-tech industries. Materials include clear acrylic, chemical-resistant polypropylene, high-pressure laminate, standard and static-dissipative PVC, polycarbonate, and 304 and 316 stainless steel, each of which can be provided with an electropolished finish for optimal cleanliness. Sizes accommodate everything from small parts to large equipment/material transfer carts. All pass-through chambers come standard with a mechanical interlocking mechanism that allows only one door at a time to be opened. Some optional features include fixed and removable shelves, ionization systems for ESD control, and sensor-activated HEPA-filtered air “purging” for contamination control.
Cleanroom Supply Warehouse
Chino, CA
www.cleanroomsupplywarehouse.com
Mechanical or electrical interlocking systems
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Connecticut Clean Room Corp.’s through-wall pass-through is a critical part of the product transfers that occur in cleanrooms. Although simple in design, a pass-through is essential to the maintenance of the high cleanliness level within the cleanroom. The pass-through significantly limits the amount of outside air exposed to the clean zone. Using either a mechanical or electrical interlock system, the cleanroom is protected from the cross-contamination that would occur if both doors were to open simultaneously. Some additional features include mechanical door interlocks, vertical sliding doors, HEPA filtration, and special door materials. Units are manufactured of stainless steel, plastic laminate, and acrylic. Each pass-through is built to specification. To receive a catalog or for information, call (860) 589-0049 and ask the Customer Care Team for more details.
Connecticut Clean Room Corp.
Bristol, CT
www.ctcleanroom.com
Enhanced safety with infrared sensors
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The Streamline cleanroom door is designed for applications where cleanliness and/or aesthetics are critical. It incorporates smooth composite materials virtually free of exposed fasteners. The door has been rated for inside environments at Class 10,000 to Class 100,000 per Federal Standard 209E. Streamline doors can be built to dimensions of up to 12x12 ft and provide variable speed control, allowing open speeds up to 120 in./sec open and up to 40 in./sec to close. The door itself is made of upgraded, reinforced PVC and comes in various colors, with or without windows. It is also available with an optional FDA-approved curtain material. The cleanroom door also features a safety system with infrared sensors in the side guides that stop the door instantly and a soft-bottom edge sensor that instantly reverses the door should it come in contact with any object. It automatically reinserts itself in case of accidental dislodging from its side guides.
DYNACO USA Inc.
Northbrook, IL
www.dynacodoor.com
Touchless motion detection in sliding door system
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Horton Automatics’ UltraClean™ sliding door system is designed for atmospheric and sterile cleanrooms that require contamination control. The atmospheric system, designed for cleanrooms that are sensitive to particles (such as electronics manufacturing facilities), uses an aluminum door with a linear drive operator that is certified for Class 1 and Class 10 cleanroom installations. A touchless wall-mounted scanner switch with optional motion detectors is available. The sterile system, suitable for laboratories or hospital cleanrooms that need washdown capabilities, is available in stainless steel or fiberglass. The system includes a linear or belt drive operator (pneumatic available) with microprocessor control. Both systems feature a positive seal and vinyl weather strip and are available in single (up to 9 ft wide) and bi-parting slides (up to 14 ft wide). Options include electrical interlocks for sequential opening of up to 10 doors and pneumatic explosion-proof operator packages.
Horton Automatics
Corpus Christi, Texas
www.hortondoors.com
Swing doors with lock seal
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Single- or double-leaf ILKAZELL cleanroom swing doors consist of a tubular frame construction of powder-coated aluminum system profiles. The frame construction is absolutely smooth without any undercuts and can be easily cleaned. Customers may choose from any color of the RAL color scheme. High-quality cleanroom doors are installed to fit flush with both sides of the partition wall. Double-sided lip gaskets made of EPDM rubber and retractable floor gaskets provide for tight-fitting doors. Alternatively, three-dimensionally adjustable and completely maintenance-free aluminum hinges are available in a stainless-steel design as well. Door openers are available in stainless steel. Spandrel double glazing that fits flush on both sides, overhead door closers with slide channels, and retractable floor gaskets are also available.
ILKAZELL Isoliertechnik GmbH Zwickau
Zwickau, Germany
www.ilkazell.de
Pass-boxes with various door mechanism options
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Kambič ’s pass-boxes are the result of many years’ experience in construction and manufacture of laboratory equipment. The pass-boxes are being used successfully by medical and pharmaceutical institutions, development laboratories, and production operations. They are made of stainless-steel AISI 304, with round corners and mirror-polished surfaces. Doors are made of hardened glass and sealed with high-quality silicon seals. For safety and containment, both doors are not able to be opened at the same time. The system is totally mechanical and power supply free. The mechanism is operated with one handle, allowing the doors to be opened in a single-handed movement. Booth handles can be equipped with a key for exterior locking when the unit is not in use. Pass-boxes with double closing mechanism are also available: first as a standard mechanical and second with electrical interlocks. Pass-boxes with this system also have green and red indication lamps on each side as well as an operator key.
Kambič Laboratorijska oprema
Semič, Slovenia
www.kambic.com
Fire-rated and floor-mounted pass-throughs
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Lasco Services’ pass-throughs are meticulously crafted for exacting performance. Standard exterior construction is a strong dent-resistant aluminum composite panel that attractively integrates the pass-through into cleanroom wall systems. Exterior stainless-steel cladding is also an option. The interior construction may be polypropylene or stainless steel. Standard doors are heavy-duty clear acrylic with a continuous hinge; the door latch has a three-point connection for a tight seal on all sides. Pass-throughs can be made in various sizes and fit in modular walls, drywall, and block or other partitions. Options include shelves, mechanical or electrical interlocks, full vision doors, or solid doors with windows. Lasco offers fire-rated pass-throughs and floor-mounted cart pass-throughs. They can be customized to include gas purge systems, water tanks, and other special requirements.
Lasco Services
Irving, TX
www.lascoservices.com
Electrically operated entrance matting system
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Until now residual dust was removed from the soles of shoes by people walking across a strip of adhesive foil attached to the floor. This only works effectively as long as the foil is “fresh”–i.e., checked frequently and changed regularly after having been walked over several times by staff. Maschinen Service Drechsler has developed the electrically operated Ratio-Clean entrance matting system with V-belt brushes (6.6 nylon bristles) that rotate slowly at right angles to the direction of walking, effectively cleaning the soles of shoes. Dirt usually carried into rooms or buildings from entrance areas is automatically removed. Entrance areas always look clean and well maintained. A wheel cleaning unit is also available for carts/trolleys.
Maschinen Service Drechsler
Neumuenster, Germany
www.ratio-clean.de
Pass-through chambers available in a variety of materials
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Pacific Environmental Technologies, Inc. manufactures a full line of pass-through chambers ranging in materials from 316 stainless steel to clear acrylic. A polypropylene or a PVC pass-through chamber can be chosen to meet most chemical resistance requirements; for optimal cleanliness and sterilization purposes, choose an electropolished 316 stainless-steel model. Other materials include high-pressure laminate, standard PVC, static-dissipative PVC, polycarbonate, and 304 stainless steel. Pass-through chambers come in a variety of sizes and configurations, from wall-mounted types for small parts to floor-mounted types with built-in ramps for transferring material via cart. A mechanical interlocking mechanism comes standard on all Pacific Environmental Technologies pass-throughs to control cross-contamination. Standard optional features and custom sizes are also available.
Pacific Environmental Technologies, Inc.
Corona, CA
www.peticleanair.com
Distributor of pass-throughs
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RPA, a professional source for turnkey and modular cleanrooms, furnishings, and instrumentation, offers pass-throughs from ASPT (Air Showers & Pass-Thrus) including all stainless-steel framed pass-throughs and cart pass-throughs. ASPT offers a range of standard and custom designs and construction materials including plastic, aluminum, or stainless steel; manual or automatic doors with manual or electric interlocks; sprinkler penetrations; and even HEPA filtration. For more information on pass-throughs and other cleanroom furnishings, please visit www.rpaproducts.com and follow the “Links” to all of the distributor’s cleanroom product manufacturers.
RPA, a distributor for ASPT
Corona, CA
www.rpaproducts.com
Wall pass-throughs with humidity control sensor
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TDI International, Inc. offers a variety of stainless-steel wall pass-throughs to provide clean, durable storage and easy access into cleanrooms from adjacent outside areas. Pass-through cabinets are available with removable stainless-steel shelves or trays with multiple compartments as required. Options also include dual doors on each compartment; ¼-in. acrylic, static-dissipative acrylic, or tempered glass doors; plenum chamber; flowmeter; automatic bleeder valve; and the new Nitro-Save® humidity control monitor. The Nitro-Save® humidity control monitor is an economical, reliable sensor instrument designed to preset/control RH% while significantly reducing nitrogen consumption in desiccator cabinets. The company also offers a selection of acrylic, static-dissipative acrylic, and stainless-steel desiccators and pass-throughs in both standard and custom designs to meet critical cleanroom applications. TDI specializes in providing these desiccators and pass-throughs with technical support and information to the electronics, biotechnology, life sciences, and pharmaceutical industries.
TDI International, Inc.
Tucson, AZ
www.tdiinternational.com