Suitability for use of equipment and materials by airborne particle concentration

The following part of the ISO 14644 cleanroom standards is currently going through the drafting process:

ISO/DIS 14644-14 Cleanrooms and associated environments- Part 14: Assessment of suitability for use of equipment and materials by airborne particle concentration.

This document links the cleanroom classification of air cleanliness by particle concentration (referred to by the initialism ACP) to the suitability of equipment for use in cleanrooms and associated controlled environments.

For example, this may extend to testing and manufacturing equipment and machinery; equipment for transport and handling; storage units; tools; furniture; doors; ceilings; IT hardware; and handling robots.

Items not covered by ISO/DIS 14644-14 include: assessment of suitability with respect to bio-contamination; Testing for suitability of decontamination agents and techniques; Cleanability of equipment and materials; Requirements on design of equipment and selection of materials; Physical properties of materials (e. g. electrostatic, thermal properties); Optimizing performance of equipment for specific process applications; Selection and use of statistical methods for testing; And protocols and requirements for local safety regulations.

The document is currently being prepared for voting on by national member bodies of ISO as a final draft International Standard.

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle