Cleanroom Lighting Options Explained

Cleanroom Lighting Options Explained

by | Apr 19, 2019 | Cleanroom Design

Lighting is an often overlooked but critical part of the cleanroom design process. A poorly lit cleanroom makes work difficult, and a cleanroom with energy inefficient lighting is not sustainably designed and increases energy costs. When designing a cleanroom, choosing lighting options that work for your application can also help control contamination and promote temperature control. Here are the cleanroom lighting options explained to help you in your cleanroom design project.

 

Lighting types

The first lighting option to consider is the type of lighting to use: incandescent, fluorescent, or LED. The chart below briefly explains how each of these types of lighting work, as well as their costs and benefits.

Incandescent

Fluorescent

LED

Incandescent lightbulbs are the traditional lightbulbs. They contain a capsule inside that holds gas around a wire filament, which went electricity is applied, gives off light. They give off heat as well as light, which makes them an inefficient light source and an energy waster. In fact, incandescent bulbs are banned in several countries. In addition to their inefficiency, the light they give off is often not bright or consistent enough for cleanroom applications.  

Fluorescent lights work by ionizing mercury vapor inside a glass tube, which causes the gas’s electrons to emit UV light, which is converted to visible light by the coating of the glass tube. They’re available in the traditional long tubes as well as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which are shaped like incandescent lightbulbs. They are more efficient than incandescent bulbs without being much more expensive and are appropriate for many cleanroom applications.

LED lights, which stands for Light Emitting Diodes, are the most energy-efficient lighting option. They create solid-state lighting by converting electricity directly into light, unlike incandescents and fluorescents. They tend to have a higher initial cost, but their efficiency offsets that cost. LED lighting is often ideal for cleanroom applications, as they do not produce any heat.

 

Also worth considering is natural lighting—you may want to evaluate whether is it possible and practical to incorporate windows into your cleanroom design. Natural light is free, but windows may come with some inefficiencies in terms of temperature control.  

 

Lighting fixture options

There are a variety of fixture options for cleanroom lighting, including

  • Fluorescent ceiling modules — these fluorescent ceiling modules are similar to what you imagine when you picture fluorescent lights: modules that house long fluorescent light tubes. Modules designed specifically for cleanrooms are dust, corrosion, and water resistant and house up to for T8 light tubes.
  • LED light panels — LED light panels provide bright, optimal lighting for cleanroom spaces, without crevices or seams that can house particulate matter or contaminants.
  • LED light strips — LED strips attach directly to the T-bar of the ceiling grid, keeping them out of the way of ceiling filters and allowing for unobstructed air flow.
  • Teardrop lights — teardrop lights are designed for cleanrooms that require whole-ceiling filter coverage, and they minimize obstruction of airflow by hanging down from the ceiling. These are best in cleanrooms with plenty of overhead space since they do hang down from the ceiling.
  • Flow through modules — flow through lighting modules use fluorescent tube lights that are placed directly under the filter system, without blocking airflow. This is a good option when your application requires efficient use of overhead space.

 

No matter the lighting needs of your cleanroom, Angstrom Technology can design a cleanroom that meets all your requirements. Contact us to discuss all the design options for your new cleanroom.

 

What is a Modular Cleanroom?

What is a Modular Cleanroom?

by | Apr 8, 2019 | Cleanrooms

Modular design is becoming a buzzword in the construction industry, which means it’s also becoming a consideration for companies looking to build or expand, and this includes companies that are designing new cleanrooms. While modular homes might be on your radar (and blocking the right lane of the expressway), modular cleanrooms should be too. So, what is a modular cleanroom?

 

What is modular design?

First, let’s briefly cover modular design. Modular design is an approach to design that separates a system into smaller, self-contained units that can be created individually then combined in various ways to create a whole system. In terms of building and architecture, modular design incorporates universal components that are manufactured in a factory, then assembled on-site into the desired configuration.

 

What is a modular cleanroom?

A modular cleanroom is a cleanroom that is built of pre-fabricated, manufactured components that are assembled to your specifications on-site. These pre-fab components include wall and ceiling panels as well as special features like pass thru chamber panels and air locks.

There are various different design options for modular cleanrooms, depending on your cleanroom’s needs in terms of application and required classification. Modular cleanrooms can be free-standing structures or they can incorporate existing walls and structures within your factory or facility. They can also incorporate existing equipment and HVAC. Modular cleanrooms can have hard walls that resemble traditional construction or soft walls that are somewhat tent-like for greater flexibility and ease of transport.

 

What are the benefits of modular cleanroom design?

There are many benefits of modular cleanrooms, including how quickly they can be built, with minimal disruption in your facility. Modular cleanrooms can also be easily expanded or modified—they can even be taken apart and reconstructed in a new location. And even though the components of modular cleanrooms are somewhat universal, you can still customize a modular cleanroom with a variety of special features and equipment to ensure that it meets your application’s specific needs. These are all immense benefits, and save time and money over most traditionally constructed cleanrooms.  

If you’re interested in learning more about modular cleanroom design, check out our Cleanroom Design Guide or get in touch with one of our cleanroom design engineers.