Modern industries like pharmaceuticals, electronics, and food processing cannot do without clean rooms. The facility must also comply with strict sanitation requirements to prevent contamination. Clean room sandwich panels are one of the essential elements to ensure these standards. The latter is shaped into walls, ceilings weather, and floors of clean rooms. It is crucial to choose the appropriate clean room sandwich panel that will assist in creating a clean room according to well-accepted standards.
This guide will help you determine the essential items when choosing these panels.
Understanding Clean Room Standards:
Clean rooms must conform to strict standards defining their air cleanliness levels. Different companies establish these clean room standards. The International Organization for Standardization (OSI) releases the most popular standard. This guide classifies clean rooms according to the amount of particles in the air. That means, for instance, an ISO Class 1 clean room has lower particle limits than those of a Class 8. So, knowing all the standards is the number one thing when picking up clean room sandwich panels.
Why Clean Room Sandwich Panels Matter?
This helps prevent the air in a clean room from becoming dirty. These panels usually comprise an inner core insulating material wrapped by two durable metal shells. The central material used can be derived depending on the requirement of the clean room. These panels are important because they make the framework of the clean room. However, should the panels fail to measure up in terms of cleanroom standards, so will the entire cleanroom.
Key Factors to Consider:
1. Panel Material:
The material of the clean room sandwich panel is very important. Typically, the outer layers are made of steel or aluminium. These materials have a very smooth surface that is simple to clean. Furthermore, they do not react with chemicals, which is crucial in multiple industries. Core materials are polystyrene, polyurethane, or mineral wool. Each material has its own set of properties. For instance, insulation is best achieved using polystyrene, but for fire resistance, choose mineral wool. As such, your material must be chosen to meet best the needs of whatever clean room you are designing.
2. Panel Thickness:
The performance of the clean room sandwich panel is affected by its thickness. Thicker panels offer more insulation. They also offer extra soundproofing, which can be a nice touch, depending on your industry. The drawback, however, is that the thicker roofing panels are also heavier and harder to install. The choice will be made according to the requirements suggested by your clean room. For instance, a pharmaceutical clean room might require thicker panels to maximize insulation.
3. Fire Resistance:
Resistance to fire is one of the most important criteria when choosing sandwich panels for clean rooms. Industries such as electronics manufacturing have very strict fire safety as well as clean room standards. In such applications, panels with a mineral wool core are frequently chosen. This material is also highly fire resistant, allowing it to help combat wildfires. One of the critical considerations is the fire-resistance rating for panels.
4. Thermal Insulation:
Thermal insulation is another very important element to take into account. The temperature of a clean room can vary rapidly. This is particularly crucial for industries such as pharmaceuticals. Clean room sandwich panels have excellent insulation properties, so the temperature can be maintained constantly. This infinitely reduces the requirement for more heating or cooling systems. This leads to a saving in energy, meaning that the clean room runs more effectively.
5. Ease of Installation:
Installation should also be easy. Installing clean room sandwich panels should go quickly to reduce construction time. Usually manufactured in modular panels, these bring down the complexity of installation. It can be easily erected or dismantled whenever required. It is especially helpful to extend or reconfigure a clean room. Moreover, pre-painted panels allow for minimal painting or finishing.
6. Hygiene and Cleanability:
Having a clean space is essential for the applicants’ hygiene. A format that is easy to keep clean on the surface of the sandwich panel for a clean room. Solid surfaces are always a better alternative as they do not house dirt or bacteria. Moreover, the panels must be chemically resistant to cleaning agents. This is the way to keep them good forever! In an industry like food processing, easy hygiene is essential.
7. Air Tightness:
Air tightness is an important factor in a clean room to meet all those proper cleanliness standards. The sandwich panels of the clean room must achieve sealing. This stops the clean air inside from being contaminated by outside air. Panels should fit together so tightly that there are no gaps. Design seals and joints to avoid leakage dormant. It helps maintain the crucial air cleanliness required in a clean room.
8. Durability:
Another crucial factor to look out for is durability. Whether it’s strength or durability that you’re after, clean room sandwich panels are designed to provide the desired benefits. They must be able to tolerate routine cleaning and chemical exposure. Strong panels mean less replacement and, thus, fewer replacements, saving time and costs. Impact-resistant panels are great for applications where equipment may be moved around and knocked into.
9. Compliance with Standards:
Last, it is necessary to ensure that clean room sandwich panels align with relevant cleanliness standards. Criteria such as air quality standards, fire safety, and building requirements. These standards are usually backed by manufacturers who provide certification that their panels comply with these. You should check for these certifications when you decide to buy them.
