Why is ESD a problem in cleanrooms?
Protection against contamination is crucial in medical technology cleanrooms. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is an often invisible but dangerous threat.
Clean rooms are particularly susceptible to electrostatic charges, as the highly efficient air filtration reduces the natural ion content of the air and the lower humidity reduces the electrostatic balancing capacity of the clean room air.
Main causes of ESD:
Triboelectric charging: Friction, movement and separation of materials (including cleanroom gloves) generate charges.
Induction: Charged objects generate a field that can induce charges on other, earthed objects. Insulating materials such as plastics, quartz, ceramics and glass retain charges for a very long time.
Dangers of ESD:
Destruction of sensitive medical components (ESD damage): Even low voltages (from approx. 30 volts) can damage or destroy components. This damage is often invisible and can cause considerable damage if detected too late.
Particle attraction and contamination: Charged surfaces act like magnets and attract dust and particles from the air, which contradicts the cleanroom objective and leads to defects.
Disruption of production machinery: ESD can cause malfunctions in microprocessor-controlled machines, which are often mistakenly interpreted as software errors, leading to production downtime.
Solution: Ionisation bars for effective discharge
Ionisation systems are crucial for neutralising electrostatic charges. They produce positive and negative air ions that neutralise charges wherever they arise.
SimcoION offers bars for the highest purity requirements, which can also be used in Class 1.
In summary, electrostatic charges are an invisible but costly source of contamination in cleanrooms. Controlling them with advanced ionisation solutions is a crucial part of a comprehensive contamination control programme in medical technology.
