What Is the Difference Between a Class 1,000 & Class 10,000 Clean Room?

Definition

• A class 1,000 clean room is allowed up to 1,000 of these particles per cubic foot, and a class 10,000 clean room has less stringent requirements, allowing up to 10,000 particles in the same amount of space.

Function

• A clean room is a facility with tightly controlled air quality standards, preventing contaminants from damaging products manufactured in the facility. Products requiring a clean room in the manufacturing process include pharmaceuticals, medical devices and electronics.

Significance

• Even microscopic contaminants can damage a delicate piece of equipment. The Hubble Space Telescope was damaged by a particle smaller than 0.5 micron, which is 200 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

Types

• Typical sources of contaminants include wall coatings, ventilation debris, lint, skin flakes, hair, bacteria, airborne particulates and, ironically, cleaning products. Contact with electronic equipment can destroy circuits and disrupt processes.

Prevention

• Workers wear special garments to avoid bringing contaminants into a clean room. These include face masks, gloves, smocks, head coverings and jumpsuits. Ventilation systems include high-quality filters, and air flow is carefully controlled. Clean rooms receive regular cleanings, often multiple times a day to maintain the required standards.