Industry Terms

Cleanroom:

A controlled environment, room or enclosure made of non-particle generating materials, pressurized with HEPA filtered air used to control air borne particles.  The most common method of quantifying the cleanliness of a cleanroom is counting the number of airborne particles by size in a specified volume of air.  The most current standard used for cleanroom classification is ISO 14644 replacing Federal Standard 209E.

HEPA Air Filtration:

Removal of air borne particles by forcing air through a glass fiber spun-woven filter fabric, capturing 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, lint, bacteria and other particles with a size of 0.3 microns(μm) and larger.

Air Ionization:

The process of electrically charging atoms of air, either positive and/or negative, using electrical force to dislodge and re-attract electrons. Most commonly created by applying a high voltage to a sharp emitter point creating a corona discharge.

Laminar Flow Bench:

A workstation consisting of particle free surfaces and having HEPA filtered air blowing unidirectionally, either horizontally or vertically, across the table top.  HEPA filtered laminar air flow is air moving approximately 90fpm in one direction cleaned to 99.97% efficiency down to .3microns.

Static Control:

The controlling of static electricity through the use of ionzied air and grounding devices bringing electrically charged objects to a neutral or ground potential.

Static Electricity

Electrostatic potential caused when two surfaces come in contact with one another, separate and cause electrons to be stripped from one surface and added to the other, creating positive and negative charge potentials.  These charge potentials can be measured with an electrostatic field meter.  

Dust Collection:

The use of high capacity fans, blowers and filters to draw air in, filter contamination out and return air cleaned.

Air-borne Contamination:

Small pieces of foreign material in ambient air adversely affecting product quality, such as lint, hair, skin, flashing, fibers, pollen, smoke, bacterium, spores and the like.

Particle Control:

The use of air filtration, air ionization, non-particle generating materials, controlled environments and proper protocols to remove, clean and control air particle contamination.