Air Shower

Modular air shower designs and configurations accommodate specific requirements for industry, as well as the number of personnel using the cleanroom. Modular cleanroom entry systems also simplify shipping and assembly.

Utilizing a 90-degree design, users enter on one side and exit to the right or left at a 90-degree angle. This allows the air shower, with nozzles on two opposing walls cleans workers with ease. In This configuration has fewer air nozzles than the straight-through design and requires the worker to turn 360 degrees to ensure that they’ve been thoroughly cleansed. Other designs may have double doors or even three doors for entry and exit. Configurations include cart/parts-cleaning air showers, which are used for carts, conveyors, pallets and continuous-part operation. Low-profile air showers accommodate facilities with ceilings less than 96 inches. ADA air showers are sized so a wheelchair can turn around in the air shower.

The number of people that need to enter your cleanroom in each amount of time will have a major impact on the size of the air shower and filtration system that is required. Designs range from single batch systems where one person uses the shower at a time, to tunnel systems for larger groups to pass through quickly. Tunnels are becoming more common because of the amount of cycle time needed for a shift change.

Doors
Like air locks, air showers have entrance and exit doors that cannot be opened at the same time. Workers enter one side and exit on the opposite side. When one door opens, the other door’s magnet energizes, preventing it from opening. During the cleaning cycle, both doors are energized (locked) to prevent anyone entering or leaving before the cycle is completed.

Materials
High-quality air shower shells are constructed of steel and painted with a strong, durable cleanroom-compatible finish. For some medical, pharmaceutical, or extremely wet environments, stainless steel construction is ideal.

Some manufacturers offer economy units made of laminated particleboard. However, this option has major weaknesses, including temperature and humidity fluctuations that can cause delamination. The materials are also easy to damage and susceptible to joint loosening. Any of these conditions may generate particulate or biological contamination.

The role of filters in air showers is crucial. The main requirements for filters in air showers include ensuring clean air, efficient particle removal, and long-lasting performance.

Air showers are essential in cleanroom environments, laboratories, manufacturing facilities, and other spaces where strict contamination control is vital. These enclosed spaces help minimize contamination by blowing high-speed filtered air onto individuals or objects before they enter the clean area. The purpose of an air shower is to remove any particles, dirt, or other contaminants from the surfaces or clothing of the individuals entering the cleanroom.

To achieve effective contamination control, filters play a vital role in air showers. Filters are responsible for capturing and removing particles present in the air, ensuring that clean air is delivered to the individuals inside an air shower. The requirements for filters in air showers are designed to meet stringent cleanliness standards and maintain a clean environment inside the cleanroom.

One of the main requirements for filters in air showers is the ability to provide clean air. Cleanroom standards define the maximum allowable number of particles of specific sizes in the air. Filters in air showers must be efficient enough to remove particles down to the specified size limit. Depending on the cleanroom standards, the filters should be capable of filtering particles as small as 0.3 microns or even smaller. The ability to achieve high filtration efficiency is crucial to maintain the cleanliness of the air in the air shower.

Efficient particle removal is another fundamental requirement for filters in air showers. When individuals enter an air shower, they carry various particles on their clothing or body. The filters in the air shower need to effectively capture and remove these particles to prevent contamination of the cleanroom environment. The filters should have a high particle-holding capacity, allowing them to capture and retain a significant number of particles before requiring replacement. Efficient particle removal ensures that individuals are properly cleaned before entering the cleanroom.

Long-lasting performance is also a critical requirement for filters in air showers. The filters need to be durable and have a long lifespan to minimize the frequency of replacements, reducing maintenance costs and downtime of the air shower. Filters should be designed to withstand the high flow rates and pressures of the air shower, without compromising filtration efficiency. Regular filter maintenance and monitoring should also be conducted to ensure optimal performance and prolong the lifespan of the filters.

Controlling The Environment
If you work in a clean room, you know that it is a controlled environment where products are manufactured. To control the generation of contaminants in the air caused by people, equipment, processes and facilities, personnel use an air shower before entering a clean room. The air shower's main purpose is to lower the incidence of particulates, which are small, solid objects that are deposited on objects during dry deposition. Typically, in an office building, you can find 500,000 to 1,000,000 particulates per cubic foot of air; in a clean room, no more than 100 particulates per cubic foot of air should exist.

Following Protocol and Operational Parameters
Air showers have unique parameters, starting with their modular or tunnel shape. As personnel and/or parts enter a buffer room, high-velocity HEPA- or ULPA-filtered air "scrubs" them. You need to follow proper protocol for the air shower to be effective. For instance, you must be trained on how to rotate 360 degrees with hands on your head during an air shower cycle, which is a minimum of 20 minutes.

The speed of air delivery is also a tightly controlled parameter. The minimum airflow of an air shower nozzle should be between 6,000 and 7,500 feet per minute, which is equal to 60 to 90 miles per hour. To ensure the efficiency of air shower operation, you should be careful with garment selection. For instance, synthetic fibers, such as Gore-Tex or Tyvek, are better to wear than natural fibers such as cotton or wool.

Air shower dimensions can be tailor-made to suit the size of the person or product using it. Air showers also vary in the materials used to construct them. Some of the typical materials are steel, stainless steel, aluminum and plastics. Governed by ISO and U.S. federal standards, the performance of air showers is closely monitored and must comply with ADA standards for individuals with disabilities.

Identifying Users of Air Showers
Electronics manufacturers use air showers because of the sensitive nature of constructing integrated circuits or chips. Strict sanitation is also required in the pharmaceutical industry, where the design and development of drugs and medications are prevalent. Air showers are also employed in the biotech industry, where clean rooms are used to experiment with biomolecular and cellular processes. Similarly, in the medical industry, workers take air showers to ensure that surgical procedures are kept sterile.

Customers can feel the use of the real GMP cleanroom and the specific details of our products, including the construction process, design concept, product quality control, safety equipment, and after-sales service. They can fully reflect the engineering quality and professional and rigorous service attitude of Suzhou Pharma.
We have supplied more than 500+ clean rooms all of the world, the clients are from Germany, USA, Canada, European, Uzbekstan, Pakistan, Indonicia and so on. Except the turnkey project, we also can supply the clean equipments such as pass box, air shower, clean bench, laminar flow hood and so on, once you need the clean room project, we can give you A to Z service.