A cleanroom does just that: it keeps things clean. Yes, the existence of cleanrooms has become a mandatory requirement in the manufacturing industry, as well as cleanliness and contamination have gained a completely new perspective when it is referred to the Medical, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Life sciences, and Food manufacturing sectors. In the manufacturing realm, a germ-free environment is what is expected to eliminate contamination and protect the product.

An electronics manufacturing set-up is no exception to this requirement, indeed it demands more cleanliness to be maintained to reduce the risks of airborne contaminants on the quality of the product manufactured. In this regard, a cleanroom comes as a solution to ensure product sterility and stability, and to maintain strict electrostatic and micro-pollutant requirements during the manufacturing and assembly process.

A cleanroom can be referred to as a sterile environment, which is typically used as part of advanced manufacturing or scientific research and is devoid of contamination from hazardous chemicals, biological waste, and hazardous equipment. Precisely, a cleanroom is a dedicated space where elements are controlled to prevent surface contamination – either from the environment or the workers entering the room. To remove and limit potentially hazardous airborne particles including dust, microbes, aerosols and chemical vapors, a cleanroom typically uses a ventilation system featuring High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) or Ultra Low Particulate Air (ULPA) filters as well as a pressurized air environment. Besides, workers in a cleanroom follow specific protocols of wearing gowns, gloves, booties, hairnets, and other protective attire. Usually, a cleanroom not only tends to have no windows and other entryways, aside from doors, to allow air in or out of the premises but also tends to be in an isolated facility to reduce potential risks of contaminants from entering inside.

Cleanrooms are certified by standards such as ISO 14644-1:2015, which includes nine classes based on the maximum concentration and size of particles in the air. In an electronics manufacturing floor, a cleanroom can ensure that small particles do not contaminate the surface of sensitive components, which could impact defect rates. Regardless of regulatory requirements, cleaner products result in higher quality, zero rework and less scrap and on the other hand, contaminated products lead to higher expenses and even loss of ISO certifications. An EMS provider can be assured that their cleanroom investment will protect their process, quality and credibility.

Importance of a cleanroom in the Electronics Manufacturing industry

A high risk of potential contamination exists due to the lack of a strict and controlled environment for the manufacturing process. Failure to address this issue may result in delivering contaminated products, failures and losses. Understanding the importance of a cleanroom becomes very important for an electronics manufacturing service provider to attain the below benefits:

• Reliable Control

Cleanrooms are designed to establish strict control over the environment with powerful filtration and HVAC systems. Technical parameters such as cleanliness, differential pressure, temperature, and humidity are kept as constant as possible to provide clean, and particle-free air.

• Consistent Product Quality

All essential parameters are measured and controlled inside a cleanroom. Steady temperature, relative humidity, and air quality levels in the cleanroom will ensure consistent product quality.

• Safer Working Environment

A cleanroom creates a safer environment for workers to perform tasks and protects them while handling subtle materials and highly sensitive processes.

• Reduces rework and failures

Ultimately, consistent quality, fewer product failures and reduced losses and injuries will pay off through significant cost and time savings. Even though setting up, implementing and operating a cleanroom involves huge cost, but it is surely profitable in ways the other quality control systems can’t achieve.

Conclusion

The application of cleanrooms has become a common method of controlling contamination and improving the environment for people, equipment and materials. Electronics manufacturing performed in a cleanroom not only identifies specific threats to product purity but also ensures that quality standards are met. Therefore, sterile spaces coupled with strict protocols, regulated ISO standards, latest technologies and trained staff can enable an electronics manufacturing provider to produce products that are accurate, reliable, and life-saving.