When it comes to making devices that have medical applications, there is no room for error. Clean room molding technology ensures that the devices being created are free of contamination from a variety of environmental factors, including dust, pollen, bacteria, and viruses.
The medical industry relies on this type of manufacturing to guarantee the safety of their products and, more importantly, their patients. Clean room molding technology is absolutely essential to the integrity and safety of the medical field and the devices they use.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at some of the ways that clean room molding is achieved.
Low Emission Technology
To really create a quality clean room you have to begin with the machines you use to make the molds. Low-emission technology ensures that the air in the room is clean and free of contaminants and that the molding machines themselves do not cause contamination with their emissions. These specialized machines come standard with scratch and abrasion-free coating, so that particles from the outside of the machines do not contaminate the products they are making. They are built with special control cabinets and liquid-cooled drives to ensure there is no air turbulence being created during the manufacturing process.
This incredible technology also keeps the level of heat dissipation very low. And, since these machines use belt drives to dispense the products being manufactured, there is no risk of particle contamination from abrasions.
To be sure that the clean room technology continues to be effective at preventing contamination, while still manufacturing high-quality parts, it undergoes regular and vigorous testing, which includes static charging tests, particle measurements, and flow visualizations. When manufacturing medical devices, it is of utmost importance to ensure the parts being made continue to be manufactured contaminant-free.
Clean Air Filtration
While low-emissions technology helps keep the ambient air in the environment cleaner, there are still a number of other particles and contaminants that occur naturally and must be filtered out to ensure the devices being molded are free of contamination.
To achieve clean air, modules utilizing radial fans, a pre-filter, and an airborne particle filter are placed above the clamping units of the molding devices. This creates a high level of air circulation in the area where the molds are being used. Since there is so much air circulation occurring at these sites, a lot of air is displaced, thus, effectively preventing the penetration of particles. These types of modules help manufacturers achieve a class 3 ISO clean room at the site of the airborne particle filter. Clean air modules are also placed above the working area of the robotic system of the molding devices.
Regular Cleaning
This is completely essential if a clean room environment is to be maintained. Regular disinfection of the clean room and all production facilities is a must. Thankfully, the production technology, and all of its components, are very easy to clean and disinfect. In addition, there are specific requirements for the personnel who will be operating these machines. These regulate special clothing requirements, workplace guidelines, and stringent compliance with all cleaning procedures while operating in the clean room environment.
The Importance of Clean Room Molding
We know how essential clean room molding is to the medical community, but there are also a number of other technical applications that rely on clean room molds to ensure product quality and function. A good example of another industry that requires these kinds of environments is the optical components industry. Think lenses, sensors, parts with downstream finishing with painting and chroming, and all items that have in-mold labels.
Clean room molding will only prove to be more important as time goes on and further technologies require the quality that this process provides.
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