AUTOMOTIVE CLEANROOMS

AUTOMOTIVE CLEANROOM STANDARDS

Angstrom Technology designs, builds, and installs top-of-the-line cleanrooms to meet the needs of the automotive industry. Our automotive cleanrooms can meet any classification requirements and are ideally suited for applications in automotive innovation, component manufacturing, and quality testing.

Modular cleanrooms are reliable, energy efficient, and easy to reconfigure, expand, and upgrade — perfect for operations that need room to grow. As your projects evolve, Angstrom Technology will be there every step of the way, with cleanrooms designed to be ready for whatever comes next.

Angstrom Technology’s automotive cleanrooms are made to meet your cleanroom classifications and are fully equipped for your application. Our HardWall and RigidWall modular cleanrooms can make use of your existing walls or be free-standing with standardized modular panels that are fully customizable for industry-specific equipment or standards.

We do our best work so you can do yours. While you focus on developing, manufacturing, and distributing top-quality automotive products in a cleanroom built just for you, we can help you remain a leader in your industry. To talk with an experienced cleanroom designer today, give Angstrom Technology a call.

WHAT IS AN AUTOMOTIVE CLEANROOM?

Automotive cleanrooms are used for the design, production, assembly, and testing of automotive parts and components. Since many of these products will be operated by regular people, they protect not only the future owners of the vehicle, but also other drivers on the road. The stakes for functionality and safety are high, and so are the regulations for manufacturing, assembling, and testing automotive parts and products.

The automotive industry requires cleanrooms for many applications at various levels of the supply chain. As vehicles are more advanced, manufacturing is less about just fitting the pieces together and is instead continually becoming more complex. Components are often interconnected through calibrated sensors, an intelligent computer system, and unique safety features. During the manufacturing process, sensitive elements can be compromised by changes in temperature, humidity, and pressure, and are especially vulnerable to contamination and defects due to static electricity. A controlled environment is required to ensure that all vehicles and components are assembled correctly to prevent the risk of product malfunction or failure, and to guarantee customer safety.

AUTOMOTIVE CLEANROOM STRUCTURE

Angstrom cleanrooms can be free-standing or make use of existing walls and structures in your facility. They are made to be top-quality, durable, and high-performing. Our modular cleanrooms for the automotive industry are available as HardWall or RigidWall cleanrooms.

Automotive Cleanroom Design

When it comes to the comprehensive safety regulations outlined by automotive cleanroom classifications and standards, Angstrom Technology has you covered. Whether you need a custom layout to adapt your existing space or you’re starting from scratch, we can develop the best cleanroom for your application, complete with all the fixtures and systems you need to start using it right away.

Your automotive cleanroom is designed to fit your application. Our cleanrooms come with a number of options to meet your needs when it comes to structure, systems, and extra features. All of our cleanroom builds are also compliant with US building and safety codes. To get started with your automotive cleanroom design, check out our Cleanroom Design Guide or get in touch with us to discuss our cleanroom design process as well as our installation services.

Automotive Cleanroom systems

An automotive cleanroom is necessary to control the manufacturing environment to ensure product consistency and consumer safety, especially in those applications where the presence of contaminants could be a risk to an employee, buyer, or other drivers. In a controlled cleanroom space, environmental factors are monitored to limit airborne and surface contamination to an acceptable degree, as outlined by the cleanroom classification.

These factors are controlled by your cleanroom’s systems, specifically through HEPA filtration and your cleanroom HVAC. Other features included in your cleanroom design help to minimize threats of contamination, limit safety risks, or just make your work easier.

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AUTOMOTIVE CLEANROOM APPLICATIONS

Automotive cleanroom applications include automotive research and development, component manufacturing, assembly, and packaging. These applications make sure all automotive parts are produced, cleaned, and packaged safely.

Automotive manufacturing is more than the image of an assembly line with parts being attached until a new, shiny vehicle appears at the other end of the facility. Today’s vehicles are more complex than ever before, infused with computerized components that allow them to achieve better things like more reliability, fuel efficiency, and advanced sensor technology. These components require protection during manufacturing so they can live up to their promises. That’s where the controlled environment of the cleanroom comes in. Cleanrooms can provide control over humidity, particles, contamination, pressure, and temperature to ensure consistency and cleanliness in your products.

In addition to manufacturing and assembly, the testing of automotive components and products is commonly conducted within a cleanroom, and is of vital importance to consumer safety. Testing determines the functionality and safety of new products, finds defects that can occur during production, and makes sure all automotive parts are the best possible quality before they are available to consumers.

Automotive testing is responsible for preventing mass defects and saving millions of lives — as well as millions of dollars in product recalls. Cleanrooms are used for testing applications to focus the study on desired variables. These tests can include the CASS test for corrosion resistance as well as testing the performance of glass coatings, electrical components, and vehicle safety features.

AUTOMOTIVE CLEANROOM SERVICES

Angstrom Technology’s cleanroom experts provide the best modular cleanrooms on the market in all phases of creation, development, and installation. From the initial design to construction, adaptation and reconfiguration, routine maintenance and cleaning, cleanroom problem solving and repair, Angstrom Technology makes high-performance automotive cleanrooms that are perfect for your application. You’re responsible for developing, manufacturing, and distributing top-quality products safely and efficiently — what makes you a leader in your industry — and we can help you keep it that way because we’re a leader in ours.

Automotive Cleanroom Design & Build

When it comes to cleanroom design, rely on the experts at Angstrom Technology. Based on your specifications and unique application, we can design the ideal cleanroom for you. Our team can build versatile layout options that will encourage productivity and accessibility. With a layout in place, we can use computational fluid dynamics to create a digital model of your cleanroom space to find the best airflow pattern for your cleanroom, reducing the strain on your cleanroom’s HVAC system and changing the air more effectively. 

Angstrom Technology can assist in construction of your cleanroom, adaptation of your cleanroom site, even retrofit the cleanroom build to existing infrastructure. Our modular cleanrooms are pre-manufactured so when they arrive at your site, they can be assembled quickly and efficiently. We’ll provide straightforward instructions so you can set up your cleanroom yourself, or have our crew install it for you. We can also install industry-specific equipment so your cleanroom is up and running as soon as possible.

Reconfigure & Repurpose

If you need to upgrade, downsize, or reconfigure your existing cleanroom, Angstrom Technology can help you adapt your cleanroom to fit your revised needs and cleanroom standards. Using modular panels, a cleanroom can be expanded or condensed to accommodate new equipment, additional personnel, or a new layout. Our cleanroom experts can help create an intuitive and efficient cleanroom layout, upgrade your cleanroom HVAC system, and design an airflow pattern that works with your new space.

Maintain & Clean

Automotive cleanrooms require consistent evaluation to make sure they meet class standards, and that all systems perform efficiently and operate safely. In addition to routine maintenance, cleanrooms should also receive regular cleaning to reduce contaminant generation and prevent the transfer of contaminants inside the cleanroom.

If you want to make sure your space is always up to your cleanroom classification standards, Angstrom Technology can add you to our regular maintenance schedule for cleanroom HVAC service, filter replacement, deep cleaning, and more.

To discover more about Angstrom Technology’s cleanroom offerings, as well as our cleanroom design, maintenance, and installation services, reach out online or give us a call to speak with our team about your cleanroom needs.

AUTOMOTIVE CLEANROOM CERTIFICATIONS

Cleanrooms are controlled environments that establish a high level of air quality to limit contamination through air and surface particles. Automotive cleanrooms are controlled by classifications that determine the allowed number of particles per cubic meter of a certain size. Particle size and count matter because even the smallest particles can interfere with automotive manufacturing processes and lead to serious defects, damage, or bodily harm.

The primary authority for cleanroom classifications is the International Standards Organization (ISO), which organizes cleanrooms in ISO 14644-1 into 9 classes by their level of cleanliness, as defined by particle size and number, hourly air changes or airflow velocity, and percentage of ceiling coverage of fan filter units. Although different applications in the automotive industry will need to comply with different classification standards depending on the threat of contamination and worker safety requirements, most automotive cleanrooms fall within ISO 14644-1 Classes 5-8.

ISO Requirements - Sensitive Materials

ISO requirements can change significantly with each class type. For example an ISO Class 5 cleanroom is only allowed a maximum particle count of 3,520 at 0.5 microns per cubic meter compared to the 352,000 microns of an ISO Class 7 or the 3,520,000 of an ISO Class 8 cleanroom. Certain manufacturing processes, such as those working with electronics and microchips, will require a greater level of process control and may come with more stringent ISO standards. 

There are also industry-specific requirements for automotive cleanrooms that work with sensitive materials or processes. Two examples of these are:

  • ISO 18413 – For applications working with hydraulic fluid components, this standards document specifies cleanliness and outlines how to conduct inspections. 
  • ISO 16232 – This document relates to the cleanliness of components and systems used specifically for road vehicles, as well as how to test and verify cleanliness.
ISO Requirements - Quality Materials

For automotive cleanrooms, industry-specific standards can include performance tests of paints and finishes like CASS, as well as quality assurance testing. The CASS (Copper Accelerated Salt Spray) test occurs in some applications to determine corrosion resistance of aluminum alloys or chromium plating. It’s often used during research and development, but also has a place in evaluating manufacturing or product efficacy. The CASS test must be conducted within a controlled environment, ideally an automotive cleanroom.

To monitor and manage quality, most manufacturers of automotive components are required to meet these standards: 

  • ISO 9001 Establishes a customer-focused quality assurance system within a facility to ensure accountability in management and develop a process for continual improvement.
  • ISO/TS 16949 Outlines the setup of a quality management system for the entire supply chain of automotive development — including design, production, installation, and service — for safety, consistency, and reliability of all products and processes.
Environment Requirements

To meet the strict safety regulations in the automotive industry, a cleanroom environment is necessary to maintain the required standards of quality. At its most basic function, a modular automotive cleanroom is designed to limit the introduction of contaminants into the cleanroom, limit exposure to contaminants while in the cleanroom, and continually remove contaminating particles from the air — but it does so much more than that. 

The environmental control of temperature, humidity, pressure, and static are essential for the safe and effective production of automotive parts. An automotive cleanroom is also equipped with the extra features and systems your unique application needs to be successful. If your project requirements change, your cleanroom should be able to adapt to meet new classifications and reach new standards for optimal control. This can only be achieved in an Angstrom Technology modular automotive cleanroom.

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