Air showers are designed to quickly and effectively remove particulates before entering a cleanroom. High air flow is allowed in the selection of air shower with high nozzle velocity, providing optimal operational power and force.
How an Air Shower Works
Air showers work in similar ways to the automated car wash pressure washer systems, harnessing more steps and opportunities to conduct decontamination. The following Rainbow Scientific air shower specifications process details the operational aspects of an air shower:
- When a worker/person enters through the entrance door – a sensor gets activated using interlock magnets, which locks the air shower and clean room doors.
- N number of Adjustable class 100 nozzles blows high velocity air streams onto the worker.
- Due to this action a scrubbing action is being created due to the high velocity air streaming on cloth makes it flapping.
- Workers ensures their safety by raising their arms and rotate in place to remove particles
- When the indicator lights signal goes off the cleaning process ends and opens the cleanroom doors.
- Furthermore there is a 4 – 8 seconds of cleaning time required and 2- 4 seconds of air shower to purge on the worker to avoid contamination and proceed to exit. There is a dedicated computerized microprocessor which controls the entire time required and the decontamination process.
Air Shower Design Preparation Procedures
In the entire preparation procedure Air showers are the final cleaning step before entering a cleanroom. Before entering the air shower, workers wear appropriate cleanroom clothing in a gowning room, such as a suit that covers almost the entire body or a gown and cap or hood. Because people are the primary source of cleanroom contamination, they must follow a set of procedures before entering. This “gowning” process disturbs and releases contaminants from street clothes that may settle on the cleanroom garments. Air showers remove the contaminants, maintaining cleanroom standards and lowering operating costs. Ensuring a clean air that enters the cleanroom is the entire purpose of the decontamination procedure – makes sure to reduce the product defects and increases production yield.
Air Shower Design & Functionality Qualities
Air showers are self-contained air recirculation systems placed at the entrances of cleanrooms and other controlled environments. Because people and products are the main sources of cleanroom contamination, these entry systems efficiently and swiftly remove particulate contaminants from workers or products before they enter a clean space.
High-Efficiency Cleanroom Air Shower Specifications Increase Productivity While Reducing Operating Costs
Air showers use high-velocity jets of HEPA-filtered air to remove loose particles from people and products before they enter a cleanroom. This decontamination process results in cleaner air entering the cleanroom, which reduces product defects and increases production yields. Additional benefits include longer-lasting cleanroom HEPA filters due to lower contaminant loads. The pre-cleaning air shower process also reduces the contamination load on the main cleanroom filtration system, leading to lower energy consumption and maintenance costs.
Air Shower Selection Criteria Application Guide
Whether the objective is high semiconductor yields or a perfect paint finish, controlled environments are essential to manufacturing processes. Air showers play a crucial role in maintaining a clean environment, safeguarding operations from the ongoing risk of air particulate contamination. Industries that gain from proactive air shower design concepts include:
- Life sciences
- Electronics
- Manufacturing & processing
- Laboratory & Research
- Medical device
- Optics
- Pharmaceutical
- Aerospace
- Automotive
- Nanotechnology
How to Select an Air Shower for Decontamination Purposes
Decontamination air showers are typically used for cleaning gowned personnel before they enter a clean environment. However, they are also employed to remove particulates from workers as they exit hazardous work areas and interact with the general public. Additionally, an exit decontamination air shower can help prevent cross-contamination when transitioning from one workspace to another.
Cleanroom Air Shower Specification Standards
Key factors to consider when specifying an air shower include its effectiveness (in terms of power and capacity) and air filtration.
Effectiveness — Power and Capacity
Power and capacity are the primary factors influencing the effectiveness of an air shower. High-velocity air is necessary to dislodge contaminants; the higher the velocity or cleaning force, the more contaminants are removed. On the other hand, capacity refers to the volume of air circulated within the system. A higher air volume results in faster cleaning and more efficient removal of contaminants through the filtration and recirculation system.
To specify the most effective air shower, choose one that delivers nozzle velocities of 7,800 feet per minute (fpm) and circulates 1,900 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air. Velocity is measured at the nozzle, and cleaning effectiveness decreases as the distance from the nozzle increases. Therefore, air showers should feature a high number of air nozzles positioned as close to the worker or product as possible. Ideally, these nozzles should be adjustable and removable to facilitate easy inspection of the high-pressure supply ducts.
Air Filtration
An air shower’s recirculating air filtration system usually consists of two types of filters. The initial filter is a pre-filter that captures most of the contaminants, while the second is a high-capacity HEPA filter with 99% efficiency. Typically, the system blower units are installed in the ceiling. If your facility has height constraints, make sure the blowers can be mounted on an external wall. For easy routine maintenance, pre-filters should be replaced on a regular basis.
Air Shower Design Considerations
Modular air shower designs and configurations cater to specific industry requirements and the number of personnel using the cleanroom. They also make shipping and assembly simpler. Using a 90-degree design, users enter from one side and exit to the right or left at a 90-degree angle. To clean workers efficiently and effectively this module allows the air shower with nozzles on both opposing walls. This design has fewer air nozzles compared to the straight-through design and requires the worker to turn 360 degrees for thorough cleansing. Other designs may feature double doors or even three doors for entry and exit. Configurations also include cart/parts-cleaning air showers for carts, conveyors, pallets, and continuous parts operations. These low profile air showers are designed for facilities with ceilings with ceilings height lesser than 96 inches.
The number of people needing to enter your cleanroom within a given time will significantly affect the size of the air shower and filtration system required. Designs range from single-batch systems, where only one person uses the shower at a time, to tunnel systems that accommodate larger groups passing through quickly. Tunnel systems are increasingly popular due to the cycle time required for shift changes.
Doors
Same as the airlocks, and air shower this doesn’t allow you to enter and exit doors that cannot be opened at the same moment. Similar to airlocks, air showers feature entrance and exit doors that cannot be opened at the same time. Workers enter through one side and exit through the opposite side. When one door opens, the magnet on the other door is energised, preventing it from opening. During the cleaning cycle, both doors are energised (locked) to ensure that no one can enter or exit until the cycle is completed.
Materials
High-quality air shower shells are made of steel and coated with a robust, durable finish compatible with cleanroom standards. For medical, pharmaceutical, or very wet environments, stainless steel construction is preferred.
Some manufacturers provide economy units made of laminated particleboard. However, this option has significant drawbacks, such as susceptibility to temperature and humidity fluctuations that can lead to delamination. The materials are also prone to damage and joint loosening, which may result in particulate or biological contamination.
Air Showers & Cleanroom Options
Rainbow Scientific offers a full range of air showers, including straight-through, 90-degree, low profile (blower on the side), 3-door, part/cart, tunnel, and ADA-compliant configurations. Some of the other types of cleanrooms that Rainbow Scientific offers include:
- Pass-thru
- Softwall cleanrooms
- Hardwall cleanrooms
- Fan filter units
- Clean benches
- Desiccators
- Furniture & Accessories
Contact Rainbow Scientific for Air Shower Selection Criteria Today
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