What Is a Class 10,000 Cleanroom?
Cleanrooms are classified according to the number and size of particles permitted per volume of air. Large numbers like “class 100” or “class 1000” refer to FED-STD-209E, and denote the number of particles of size 0.5 µm or larger permitted per cubic foot of air. Class 10,000 would have <10,000 particles/cubic foot. Minimum of 45 to 60 air changes per hour.
Various Class 10,000 Applications:
- Pharmacy compounding rooms
- Semiconductor non photolithography (bonding, metal deposition, testing)
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing
- Aerospace manufacturing
Typical Class 10,000 Cleanrooms Utilize:
- Gowning room /air locks
- Product pass thru’s
- Heat welded vinyl or epoxy floors
- Air conditioning for temperature control
- HEPA fan filter units
- Sealed cleanroom lighting
- Magnahelic gauge for room air pressure monitoring
- Workers typically garb up in non particulating cleanroom bunny suits, booties and hoods.
- Some applications use air showers to enter.
- Sticky mats at entrance and exit
- Stainless steel bench
- Gown racks
- Stainless steel – hand free sinks
Design:
- Negative pressure plenum
- Ceiling mounted HEPA fan filter units and low wall air returns for laminar air flow
- Cleanable hard walls
Softwall Class 10,000 option:
- Clear vinyl walls
- Strip curtain for entrance
- Steel frame
- Ceiling mounted HEPA FFU’s
- Ceiling mounted lighting
- Sometimes mounted on casters
Softwall Class 10,000 Limitations:
- No temperature control
- No measurable positive pressure
- Cannot clean walls
Class 10,000 Softwall Typical Applications:
- Inside Class 100k room
- Inside warehouse
- Weighing product during packaging
- Inspection stations
- Temporary cleanroom
