Nov 9 2009
The installation of a Class 7 cleanroom deep underground is a key part of the business plan, of managers at Optical Surfaces Ltd, in their drive to provide customers with the highest quality optical systems possible. The new cleanroom, manufactured and installed by Connect 2 Cleanrooms Ltd., at the company's main workshops and test facilities, which are in a series of tunnels carved out of solid chalk bedrock, will allow Optical Surfaces Ltd to eliminate airborne contaminants from their final assembly and inspection area, thereby guaranteeing the availability of the highest quality, precision, optical components and systems for customers.
Optical Surfaces Ltd is a recognised leader in high precision optical solutions for high power laser research, astronomy, space defence, test and measurement and scientific applications.
Dr Aris Kouris, Sales Manger at Optical Surfaces Ltd. explained,' Today a growing proportion of high precision optical applications pose increased cleaning requirements on the production environment – be they individual components with particularly demanding surfaces or assembly of high performance optical systems. The installation of this cleanroom allows us to perform in accordance with our customers wishes which are to push the limits of optical performance. We also wanted a cleanroom facility that could easily be customised and installed at short notice and at an affordable price.'
The Class 7, softwall cleanroom was designed by Connect 2 Cleanrooms specifically for this unusual site, 5.3m long x 2.3m wide and 2m high, the cleanroom was designed as a 6 legged room so that the steelwork spans for the frame would be shorter and therefore easier to transport and handle within the confined site space. Built as a free standing unit the walls of the tunnel were not compromised in any way making the installation speedy cost effective.
'Some preparation work was required in order to make the tunnel suitable for accommodating the cleanroom, the main challenge being the ceiling. Due to the high humidity of the underground environment special consideration was required in the selection of material used on the ceiling. Finally we selected a type of plastic combined with some type of membrane to stop any moisture build-up interfering with the performance of the cleanroom air filtering system,'explains Dr. Kouris.
The air entering the cleanroom from outside is filtered to exclude dust, and the air inside is constantly recirculated through high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to remove internally generated contaminants. The 140 air changes per hour realises a very good particle count to achieve a Class 7(borderline Class 6) cleanroom classification.
'We have been impressed by the work of Connect 2 Cleanroom Ltd., from their initial visit from an engineer right through to completion of the project. We were reassured in our choice of supplier by their on-going communication and good record of previous reputable customers.'
Optical Surfaces Ltd's team of craftsmen work deep underground where temperatures remain constant and vibration is practically non-existent providing incredibly stable conditions for their high precision, quality led work.