CLEANROOMS What is a cleanroom ?   A cleanroom is an area or enclosure in which the air has to be cleaned to a defined particle limit, usually in "particles per cubic foot". In the United States most cleanrooms are discussed in terms of Classification Limits. For example, a "Class 1000" cleanroom means that a maximum of only 1000 particles 0.5 microns in size would be allowed in a cubic foot of air. A micron is equivalent to one millionth of a meter.                                          While most users still refer to cleanroom classifications in terms of the old Federal "209 E" standards, the new generally accepted classification limits are the ISO 14644-1 classes, as follows: Former Class 100,000 = New ISO Class 8 Former Class   10,000 = New ISO Class 7 Former Class    1,000 = New ISO Class  6 Former Class      100 = New ISO Class  5 Former Class        10 = New ISO Class  4 Former Class          1 = New ISO Class  3     Other "clean" spaces can be SOFTWALL enclosures, Laminar Flow Benches, Clean Benches, or Biological Safety Cabinets. They can have vertical or horizontal airflow, and can be designed to protect product, personnel, or both. The heart of any cleanroom or laminar flow bench is the HEPA filter. The term HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air . Hepa filters are usually made of boron silicate microfibers cast in to thin sheets. The filter media is folded to increase its surface area. For cleanroom planning and application information, and / or our LEASING guide, please call (724)-934-3396 , or e-mail sales@cleanroomresults.com