6 Water Purification Methods For Cleanrooms
Water. It makes up 70% of our bodies, but, even more importantly, it serves as a vital ingredient and manufacturing component in cleanrooms. Before we are able to introduce it into the cleanroom setting - especially as part of the product, such as in injectables and other pharmaceuticals - it needs to be purified. We’ve outlined six of the most popular and effective water purification methods used in cleanrooms. Microporous Filters A microporous filter is exactly...
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“Cleanrooms” Introduced In Peru Hospitals
Cleanrooms and hospitals. We talk a lot about pharmaceuticals and other medical devices being developed in cleanrooms… But cleanrooms actually IN hospitals? Well, to be fair, they aren’t cleanrooms in the way we are used to them. They use the same principles and protections of the industrial cleanrooms we are accustomed to in order to protect critical and compromised patients. We see these kinds of rooms in US hospitals often (in fact, they’re used to...
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Particle Deposition And Ways To Prevent It
As the world’s clean air experts, we talk a lot about monitoring your cleanroom’s cleanliness by keeping an eye on airborne particles. But what happens when airborne particles are no longer airborne? That is what we call particle deposition. When a particle deposits, it causes contamination and chaos in a cleanroom. So it is important to understand what particle deposition is, how it occurs, and how to minimize or prevent it in your cleanroom. What Is Particle...
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5 Ways A Portable Particle Counter Will Improve Your Cleanroom
Everyone with a cleanroom could use a particle counter, right? But which particle counter is right for you, and WHY is that particle counter a portable one? First and foremost, a portable particle counter creates its own vacuum, can be moved, and typically displays its reading on a built-in screen. This prevents you from leaving the cleanroom to get the readings while moving around. A portable particle counter is one of the three main types of particle counters: portable,...
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2022 Cleanroom Trends: Digital Transformations
It is no secret that recent years have shown a shift towards decreasing human labor and increasing reliance on technology. We see this trend for a number of reasons. Technology reduces expenses while increasing accuracy. It also allows humans to focus on tasks that only humans can do. They don’t have to spend as much time completing mundane tasks and can focus on research, management, innovation, and more. These savings are adding up. In the last 20 years, we’ve...
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Cleanrooms & Electric Vehicle Batteries
How It's Made: Electric Vehicle Batteries Myth or truth: electric vehicle batteries are just as bad for the environment as driving a gas-powered car. Do you have your answer? Do you think it's a myth or the truth? It's a myth! This myth comes from the fact that electric vehicles have large batteries that can sometimes be found in landfills. Since these batteries take up landfill space, some people have claimed that they are just as bad...
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Is The ApexZ The Right Airborne Particle Counter For You?
An airborne particle counter only needs to know two things to begin sampling: where it is and how long to sample. From there, it should be built around ease of use and reliability. You should be able to trust that your airborne particle counter is working for you and not the other way around. You deserve to know that your equipment does not need you constantly checking in on it for it to do its job. That's where the ApexZ comes in. Built from over 40 years of...
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Validation Of An Environmental Monitoring System
Your Environmental Monitoring System (EMS): the frontline between your product and contamination. Or, at least, letting you know there is contamination so you can determine what the problem is and fix it! This means that an effective EMS is able to recognize when things are going wrong. The cornerstone of this process is conducting a Performance Qualification (PQ) that forces it into operational errors to ensure the system is handling and notifying operators of these...
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Case Study: Compatibility Of Lighthouse Particle Counters With Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide
Executive Summary The purpose of this case study was to evaluate the durability of Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions’ ApexZ3 and ApexR5p in a cleanroom where live microorganisms are processed and then decontaminated with Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP). When exposed to VHP, the equipment needed to be able to deliver accurate readings while maintaining its integrity. VHP cycles started on April 6 and ended on June 17. The equipment was checked on April 5 upon...
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Choosing & Installing An Environmental Monitoring System
Your Environmental Monitoring System stands between you and system failure, product recalls, contamination, and potential lawsuits. Sounds intense? We think so, too. But as the world’s clean air experts, we know it can be done right so at the end of the day you save time, money, and stress. Today, we’ve outlined the steps you can take to ensure you’re properly choosing and installing an Environmental Monitoirng System. What Is An EMS? An...
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How Do Manufacturers Get The Perfect Car Paint Job
Imagine you've been rear-ended. There's a little dent in your fender, but the paint has been damaged. When you go to get it fixed, what will matter more to you? The exact specifications of the process used to repair the dent or the guarantee that the paint will match your car's paint job? Probably the paint! Most car owners do care about their car's paint. It's upsetting when it gets chipped because it disrupts the car's appearance, decreases...
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How It’s Made: Gluten-Free Bread
Ah, yes, a holiday favorite: bread. Whether you love the soft, warm rolls straight out of the oven or the stuffing with the perfect amount of crisp to it, we all have a soft spot for bread. But if you have Celiacs or gluten sensitivity, bread can be a sad subject. Not to fear, though, there are gluten alternatives! And how gluten-free bread is made is quite interesting - and includes cleanrooms. Cleanrooms are used throughout the food production industry. As...
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Viable Sampling Vs. Nonviable Sampling
Does it matter what kind of particle exists in your cleanroom? Yes, it does! Two types of contamination include viable and nonviable particles. Depending on which is present in your cleanroom, you will be able to determine where your cleanroom contamination control strategy is suffering and how to build a cleaner cleanroom. To determine the difference and present in your cleanroom, you need to employ viable and nonviable sampling. What Is Viable Sampling? A viable...
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3 Ways NASA Uses Cleanrooms
When we think of cleanrooms, we usually think of manufacturing, technology, food processing, research, etc. But have you considered how those processes are used by NASA for space exploration? That’s right! NASA uses cleanrooms - and quite often, too! Not only is their equipment highly tuned, so it needs to be manufactured in a clean room, but they have an obligation to keep space clean and study a lot of different space materials. So how exactly does...
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How It’s Made: Bottled Apple Cider
Ah, yes, bottled apple cider. A delicious fall favorite for many, especially in the United Kingdom! Cider has been produced in the UK for several hundred years and, while the process has changed, it’s still essentially the same. So what does apple cider have to do with cleanrooms and particle counting? Well, clean rooms play an important role in food processing and manufacturing! We want to know that what we eat and drink is produced in clean spaces that prevent...
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Your Complete Guide To Face Masks
In many industries, face masks have played a significant role for many years! Surgeons wear them in surgeries. Scientists wear them in cleanrooms. Construction workers wear them on the job. And many more! But which face mask is best for which job? Some offer filtration from very small particles (viruses and bacteria), while others only offer protection from large droplets. Depending on your purpose for wearing a mask, one option will work better than others. Each one...
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Microplastics In Water
What is something that is truly indestructible? Comic book fans will say a vibranium-metal alloy, while others might say that diamonds are about as close as we’ll get in reality. But something is being manufactured on our planet today that is genuinely indestructible. Plastic. That’s right: the plastic we are making today is here to stay. Not necessarily in its exact form, but plastic does not break down. According to...
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3 Things To Look For In Your Particle Counter to Mitigate Risk.
Your particle counter is a foundational part of your cleanroom contamination control strategy, as it stands between you and contamination notification. But your particle counter has a wide array of electronics that should be monitored to ensure the reported data is accurate. There are a few things you can look for in your particle counter to ensure your data is accurate and reliable. What Does Your Particle Counter's Laser Do? Your particle counter's...
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How to Validate Your Cleanroom? ( Webinar available )
HVAC Performance Qualification Basics
HVAC Performance Qualification Roadmap, Application Guidance, and Tips as per ISO 14644-3:2019; Cleanroom Test Methods and Cleanroom Classification as per ISO 14644-1:2015.
Cleanroom HVAC performance qualification, known as “cleanroom validation,” is the most critical set of tests to ensure that the cleanroom is...
How Do Wildfires Affect Air Quality?
During the 2020 fire season, more than 106 large wildfires occurred in the states of Oregon and California. The fires were battled by tens of thousands of wildland firefighters, but still burned more than 6.7 million acres. While thousands of people lost their homes, almost every resident of the state was able to see the impacts of the wildfires on the air: their smoke. So how exactly do wildfires affect air quality? What Is Considered “Good” Air...
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