Cleanroom tent expert Reinraum-Mieten rebrands as Reinraumzelt

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Reinraum-Mieten (Cleanroom Rental) has rebranded as Reinraumzelt, which in English translates to “Cleanroom Tent”.

The rebrand will be in effect from the 1st August 2024.

The Germany-based company focuses on cleanrooms made of fabric, otherwise known as cleanroom tents. The structure held in place due to overpressure, the company sells and rents the tents out as a cheaper cleanroom option that avoids steel and concrete.

“For many, the standard buildings are simply far too expensive,” founder Wolfgang Hassa stated in a LinkedIn post in July. “The tent can also score points there. Our production and assembly time is simply shorter. This saves money.”

The company features two sales models, rent and buy. The website is separated into these two categories; Rent a cleanroom (Reinraum mieten) and Buy a cleanroom (Reinraum kaufen).

The company says that its rapid growth made the rebrand unavoidable. The rebranding does not affect the portfolio itself, however, in the future, the cleanroom will also be available to purchase through a lease purchase agreement.

These agreements will be either for a standard solution or for a customised construction.

Case Study: Building a cleanroom for fluid system component production

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Swagelok Cleveland turned to AVM Group, to create a cleanroom for its fluid system component production.

US-based Swagelok Cleveland is a developer of fluid system products, assemblies, and services for the oil and gas, chemical and petrochemical, semiconductor, and transportation industries.

AVM Group is a US-based commercial construction solutions company for controlled environments, radiation shielding, interior systems, and mechanical systems.

Swagelok Cleveland’s specifications for the cleanroom

Specifically, AVM Group created a cleanroom for Swagelok Sales and Service Center, Swagelok Cleveland, a key spoke in the manufacturing, logistic, and sales functions of Swagelok.

AVM Group started the project in 2022 and completed the cleanroom in early 2023 and Swagelok Cleveland is currently producing “Fluid System Components” inside of this cleanroom.

Swagelok Cleveland wanted AVM Group to create an ISO Class 5 cleanroom with the ability to operate at ISO Class 4 with temperature and humidity control.

The fluid system products developer provided AVM Group with the design of the cleanroom and the 600 sq ft dimensions

A large portion of this project was also the construction of a mezzanine located on the top of the cleanroom, which allows Swagelok Cleveland to be scalable and host customer training sessions.

Trip Textoris, CEO of AVM Group, said: “This showpiece cleanroom was for Swagelok Sales and Service Center, Swagelok Cleveland, a key spoke in the manufacturing, logistic, and sales functions of Swagelok, an industry titan.”

Update: LIFE’s cleanroom arrives in Germany following shipping delays

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Lifecare (LIFE), a clinical-stage medical sensor company, has disclosed that its purchase order for a cleanroom has arrived in Germany following a delay.

The announcement came through a stock exchange announcement that is following the creation of a site for LIFE to develop its next-generation Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)

The update follows the Norway-based company’s announcement that it placed a purchase order for this cleanroom in March.

The shipment of the cleanroom was delayed to Hamburg due to disturbances to the sea trade routes through the Middle East and Africa.

Consequently, LIFE had to reschedule the installation of the cleanroom to late July and early August.

The Norway-based company is now aiming to launch the Pilot Production Site within the new timeframe of Q3 2024.

The importance of cleanroom

Cleanrooms are always required where the airborne particles will likely contaminate the final product.

Lifecare’s cleanroom holds an ISO Class 7 standard, which will ensure that the airborne particles are maintained at a very low concentration to not interfere with crucial functions of sensor components during sensor manufacturing.

The sensor components for the CGM consist of micro and nano technologies sensitive to particles. The airborne particles could potentially impact the functionality of the sensor by blocking the nanofiltration layers and subsequent flow of the substances in and out of sensor cavities.

Otect launches N310, a first of its kind cleanroom glove system

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Otect, the cleanroom consumables manufacturer, is on a mission to redefine cleanroom safety with its latest product, the N310, a cleanroom glove system.

“Otect N310 is the first of its kind in the cleanroom industry that offers cross-contamination and bioburden reductions, logistics savings and lower transportation carbon emissions,” James Sira, Director of Otect, said.

It is widely agreed that the most significant source of contamination in cleanrooms is people’s handling of gloves in the gowning areas. So, despite the use of gloves, accidental contamination via the hands of personnel remains a risk for many industries where the highest levels of cleanliness are necessary.

Otect’s SafeDon cuff-first dispensing technology was launched in 2012. After 3 years of research and development, Otect managed to successfully apply the packing technology to cleanroom gloves, launching N310 Cleanroom Glove System this year.

Elis enters Malaysian cleanroom consumables market with acquisition

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Elis, the international multi-service provider for cleanroom, workwear, hygiene and facility services solutions, has announced the 100% acquisition of the Wonway Company in Malaysia servicing the cleanroom sector.

Founded in 1984, Wonway provides reusable garments services for cleanrooms to mainly international groups operating in semiconductors, medical devices and chemicals industries.

The group employs around 200 employees and can address the entire Malaysian territory thanks to 3 specialised laundries.

These three laundries are located in the regions of Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Malacca.

In 2023, Wonway delivered revenue close to 29 million ringgits ($6.1m).

“By adding Wonway to the Elis Cleanroom group we meet the demand of our international customer portfolio of being present in APAC and foster the Elis strategy of being a Global cleanroom service provider of reusable, launderable cleanroom products,” Elis stated. “We welcome an exchange of ideas and expertise with their addition to the Elis Cleanroom group.”

As a contamination control partner, Elis Cleanroom now has a presence in Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Elis Cleanroom solutions include the rental of reusable garments, cleaning systems, mats, goggles, footwear, autoclavable bags, and covers for equipment all to be monitored with the Elis Connect management system.

AM Technical Solutions expands in Malaysia to support semiconductor cleanroom builds

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US-based AM Technical Solutions is investing significantly in semiconductor markets throughout Asia.

The company has recently announced expansion plans in India, and is now expanding its presence in Malaysia.

The expanded presence in Malaysia will be in the form of a new office in Penang, Malaysia. “[This] will enable us to support our semiconductor customers by providing the specific resources they need to support capital projects,” the company stated.

“Additionally, we are helping the local contractors on the ground in Malaysia understand our customers’ needs to ensure project requirements are satisfied on tight timelines,” the company added.

The Malaysian market

Malaysia’s semiconductor boom is centred in the northern state of Penang.

With semiconductor projects being AM’s core business they stand to be able to help both new facilities and expansion projects. For example,

“For example, we are currently supporting a backend facility in Kulim, where semiconductor activity is bustling,” the company stated.

“We are primarily focusing on providing commissioning, construction management, and Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QAQC) to validate that projects are completed according to industry requirements through a first-time-right approach,” the statement explained.

“By establishing a new office in Malaysia, we can maintain visibility into each project and provide prompt solutions to resolve any issues.”

“When asked by our customers to support semiconductor projects in Malaysia, we gladly agreed to help,” said Sandeep Davé, Chief Business Officer. “Our proven experience will enable us to build a local pool of talent to support our customers in Malaysia and provide a cost-efficient solution for each project.”

Fraunhofer IPA chooses CAT to build two new ISO Class 1 cleanrooms

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Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA has chosen CAT Group (Clean Air Technology) for its major new cleanroom project.

The product testing institute is building two new ISO Class 1 cleanrooms for use as dry rooms.

Fraunhofer develops and tests new components and devices for manufacturing lines. As such the institute often tests cleanroom products for suitability of use.

“In the two cleanrooms of the highest purity class, the basic principles and application scenarios for processes and products that are used under both clean and very dry environmental conditions will be researched for their suitability in the future and further developed with the industry,” CAT stated in a LinkedIn post.

Germany-based CAT has been awarded the contract for the planning and implementation of the complex new project.

ISO Class 1 cleanrooms are the highest class of cleanroom, and must have less than 2 particles greater than 0.3 microns and no particles greater than 1.0 microns per cubic meter.

These dry rooms are expected to be built in the middle of 2024, according to the LinkedIn post from CAT.

Among other things, the pressure dew point in these two new rooms must be able to individually and continuously be lowered to as low as -40 degrees.

TRU Cleanroom Cleaning changes name to venture into the US

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TRU Global Solutions, a Belgium-based cleanroom and equipment cleaning company previously named TRU Cleanroom Cleaning, has entered the US market.

TRU is the only company in the Benelux dedicated entirely to cleanroom and equipment cleaning.

The company launched in 2019, and soon after, in 2023, expanded into the Netherlands.

TRU has seen a quick rise in business in its five years of business. This strategic focus on a niche market was an instant hit and paved the way for TRU’s entry into the US market.

“Our expertise is opening a lot of doors in the United States, where more companies are engaged in cell, gene and tissue engineering than anywhere else in the world,” explained Vanessa Morini, co-founder and CEO of TRU.

“Cleanroom and equipment cleaning are not standardised tasks. They call for a specialised approach,” Morning added. “In addition to cleaning, we also offer consultancy and training services. Based on comprehensive audits, we can identify procedural issues and provide tailored solutions.”

A new collab

TRU is also making its mark in the US by entering into a joint venture with US-based Pharma Resource Group (PRG), a product development and complex technical consulting for the pharmaceutical sector.

Morini said: “They focus on the inside of pharmaceutical production equipment and we focus on the outside.”

“It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. After several meetings and studies, our shared commitment to innovation was what really solidified our decision to join forces,”  Morini continued.

“For the first phase, we’re focusing on just three states: Delaware, New Jersey and PRG’s home state of Pennsylvania. These states are among the top five hubs of the life science industry,” Morini said.

“We’re even developing our own online platform to accurately track all cleaning activities, thereby saving time, money, and frustration,” Morini added.

Different geographies

Morini is aware of the challenges of entering a new market.

“Standards are much lower in the US compared to Europe and most companies have their own cleaning crew,” she explained. “On the other hand, there are plenty of gaps in the market for us to fill.”

Morini said that in Belgium and the Netherlands, the cleanroom cleaning business is dominated by large cleaning companies, but TRU managed to carve out a spot at the top.

Cleanroom supplies manufacturer PBSC partners with WINKGEN Medical Systems

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PBSC, a manufacturer of cleanroom, high containment, and material decontamination products globally, has appointed WINKGEN Medical Systems as the distributor of its products in Germany.

WINKGEN Medical Systems will also provide PBSC with local support and logistical services within Germany.

The UK-based company has over 36 years of trading success, growing over the years to develop an extensive product range, bespoke designs, and assembly capabilities.

PBSC caters to the pharmaceutical, medical research, high containment, and hospital sectors worldwide.

WINKGEN is a German-based company with extensive experience in pharmaceutical process technology, specialising in:

  • Radiopharmacy technology
  • ATMP technology
  • Cleanroom technology
  • General planning and construction

CleanSpace Cleanrooms fixes air quality issue for Single Quantum

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CleanSpace Cleanrooms has helped Single Quantum fix an air quality issue in its hi-tech cleanroom.

Single Quantum is a provider of “single photon detection technology”.

The Netherlands-based company’s light-sensitive productions have now been used by more than 200 academic and industrial laboratories worldwide to perform complex optical measurements.

Netherlands-based CleanSpace (not to be confused with the US-based company), was brought on board after a single large lab space was divided into several smaller spaces at Single Quantum.

Following this change, there started to be complaints about the air quality in these new spaces in Delft.

“There appeared to be increased production rejection due to regular contamination of the measuring equipment,” CleanSpace explained. “Single Quantum then asked CleanSpace Cleanrooms to what extent this could be prevented in a cost-effective manner.”

CleanSpace’s work included improving the air quality in the lab areas and protecting the process.

CleanSpace explained that it distributed the available air over the different rooms, so that each room had its own cooled and filtered air intake.

“In order to properly remove the heavier particles in particular, a low extraction of air from the rooms was desirable,” the company explained. “For the extra clean, particle-free production area, we recommended a wall-to-wall downflow unit, which allowed the various process steps to be protected against particle contamination under an extremely clean laminar air flow.

CleanSpace also advised that users in critical areas wear adequate, non-marking cleanroom clothing.

At the end of January 2024, the project was delivered and Single Quantum was satisfied.