Options for Doors in a Cleanroom

Congratulations – you are building a cleanroom. It is important to choose the correct quantity and type of cleanroom doors so your cleanroom will function well.

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Cleanroom Gown Room Doors

These cleanroom gown room doors will be the most used doors in the cleanroom. They are typically kept as small as possible (3 ft wide) to limit the amount of contaminated air that can enter the cleanroom. Swing doors should have door closers to make sure the doors close when not in use. The cleanroom gown room doors can be interlocked to electronically make sure that only one door can be open at a time. For high-traffic cleanrooms, motorized sliding doors are often used to provide hands-free operation. However, the high cost of motorized sliding doors ($20k-$30k each) limits their usage.

Cleanroom Equipment Transfer Doors

Cleanroom equipment transfer doors are typically large doors that open directly to the outside to allow large equipment to be brought directly into the cleanrooms. Options for modular cleanrooms include manual cleanroom double swing doors varying from standard 6’x7’ to custom 8’x8’. For larger equipment, motorized roll up doors as large as 16’x16’ can be installed in cleanrooms albeit at high cost.

Cleanroom Sliding Doors

Manual Sliding doors are sometimes used in cleanrooms due to space restrictions. By installing a sliding door, we avoid using up space for the door swing. Disadvantages of manual sliding doors is they leak significantly more air than cleanroom swing doors and they do not last as long. There also needs to be space for the door to slide into when in open position. Motorized sliding doors are more durable but are very expensive.

Cleanroom Material transfer rooms doors

Material transfer rooms are airlocks where incoming material can be wiped down prior to bringing material into the cleanroom. These rooms typically have either large cleanroom double doors or motorized roll up doors to allow palleted material to be either forklifted or manually pallet jacked into the room. The motorized rollup doors are sometimes equipped with sensors so they will open automatically for forklifts. When automatic door openers are used then the doors must be equipment with interlocks to ensure that both doors are not open at same time.

Cleanroom Pass Thru

Rather than carrying material in and out thru gown rooms, pass thru’s are often installed in cleanrooms. They are typically 2’x2’x2’, though any size is possible with 2 doors. The doors are mechanically interlocked so only one can be opened at a time, thus limiting the amount of contaminants that can enter the cleanroom. The doors are typically clear acrylic or glass so personnel can see if there is something in the pass thru. Pass thru’s are most commonly made from plastic laminate but can also be made from stainless steel (very expensive). Sometimes a HEPA fan filter unit is part of the pass thru to further reduce contaminants entering the cleanroom thru the pass thru. Another type of pass thru is a cart pass thru that sits on the floor and is designed to allow carts of material to be brought into cleanroom.

American Cleanroom Systems door offerings:

American Cleanroom Systems design-build modular cleanrooms offer cleanroom swing doors, cleanroom aluminum storefront doors, cleanroom double doors with and without windows, motorized cleanroom sliding doors, motorized cleanroom swing doors, motorized cleanroom roll up doors, air showers, cleanroom pass thrus, cleanroom cart pass thrus, and interlocked cleanroom door systems.

Why American Cleanroom Systems

American Cleanroom Systems has been building quality modular cleanrooms since 1976.  We specialize in Design Build Cleanrooms. Our staff has more than 150 years combined cleanroom experience. Our blue-chip customer list includes Allergan, Baxter, Johnson & Johnson, Regeneron, NASA, Los Alamos National Labs, Oak Ridge National Lab, Apple, Boeing, Intel, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. From ISO5-ISO8, class 100-100k, with temperature, humidity and ESD control, American Cleanroom Systems is your Design Build cleanroom expert. We manufacture our modular cleanrooms in Rancho Santa Margarita CA and install them nationally.  Quotes in 48 hours.  949-589-5656. www.americancleanrooms.com

Copyright 2022 American Cleanroom Systems®

As its name implies, a cleanroom is a room that needs to stay perfectly clean. Cleanrooms are built to exacting standards to keep out any undesired particulates.  Part of these exacting standards include a very particular type of door, which will be the focus of our article. We’ll examine why cleanroom doors are so important, and which criteria to consider in selecting one.

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What is a Cleanroom? What is a Cleanroom Door?

A cleanroom is built to house very sensitive activities that require an extremely low level of particulate matter in the air. This is because any particulates or debris could compromise the activities being done in the cleanroom. This typically involves very precise tasks relating to research, manufacturing, product development, and more.

Of course, since the door is the room’s main access point to the outside world, it serves a very special purpose. The door must be built in a way that allows people and equipment to access the room without compromising the integrity of the room itself. A door must keep any particulates out of the room, which requires a very specific level of manufacturing and installation. Below, we’ll examine all the factors you’ll need to consider in choosing a cleanroom door. 

What are the right criteria for selecting appropriate doors for cleanrooms?

1: Know How Much Particulate Matter is Acceptable

Not all cleanrooms perform the same tasks. Before you select a cleanroom door, you need to know how tightly controlled the cleanroom environment will be. This requires a detailed knowledge of how much particulate matter is acceptable in the cleanroom. Essentially, the less particulate matter, the more extensive the door will need to be. This factor will guide all future decisions.

2: Quality Materials and Hardware

The first thing to look for in a cleanroom door is that it is made from quality materials. This includes the door itself and the materials affixing the door to the wall. The materials need to be strong and thick (recommended at least 60mm thick). This is not only to keep particulates out, but to ensure they can stand up to the rigors of an industrial environment and won’t break or bend. Typically, quality cleanroom doors are made from aluminum or stainless steel.

3: Tight Seal 

If your cleanroom doesn’t form a tight seal when shut, then it will be useless. Many cleanroom doors are built with double-gasket design to ensure a tight shut. The door needs to form a tight seal at the top, bottom, and both sides. The seal needs to be completely airtight, which is why you need to buy a door that was specifically designed for this task.

4: Flat 

This feature is often overlooked by buyers of cleanroom doors. It is important that the door has a flat surface, including where it connects to the wall and if there are any windows installed. This is because the door needs to be easy to wipe clean. If the door has any indentations, then it’s possible for dust to gather unnoticed. A flat door lessens this possibility and makes it much easier to wipe clean. 

5: Locking 

It’s important that the cleanroom door integrates into your security system as a whole. Due to the sensitive nature of what is being done in the room, you’ll likely want a door that works with your existing access privileges. For example, if your business operates on a key-card system, then you’ll want to be sure the door is compatible. Whatever locking mechanism you choose for the door, it’s most important that you provide access to the right people. 

6: Open/Close Speed

Another factor to consider is how quickly you can open and close the door. Many cleanroom doors need to open for very short periods to ensure that no outside contaminants have the chance to enter. For this reason, many cleanroom doors are built with fast-sliding doors, which form a tight seal when shut. Alternatively, some doors operate automatically, which makes sure the door is never open for too long and always shuts properly. 

7: Proper Installation 

Finally, you need to be sure the door is properly installed so it’ll fit perfectly with the door frame, ensuring a tight fit when shut. Once again, this is why we recommend you contact a professional to handle this process. They’ll install the door so it blends seamlessly with your cleanroom and performs its intended function. After all, no matter the quality of the door, it won’t work properly if it’s installed improperly. 

What are cleanroom doors made of?

There are many types of cleanroom doors, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. What’s most important is that you choose a style of door that is suited to the tasks being done in your cleanroom. Here’s a quick overview of the types of cleanroom doors:

• Sliding Doors: Sliding doors are uniquely suited to cleanroom environments. Their design allows them to sit flush against the wheel, forming a tight seal when shut. These doors are also able to slide open and shut quickly, which minimizes time spent exposed to the outside environment. However, these doors tend to be quite expensive to install, particularly if you want to give them “automatic” functionality.
• Swinging Doors: The most “basic” type of cleanroom door, and often the most affordable. Swinging doors operate by swinging in or out and form a tight seal when shut. These doors hold cost advantages, but often can’t open and shut as efficiently as other doors on our list.
• Roll-up Doors: The most sophisticated type of cleanroom door. A roll-up door is built using a “shutter” design, and it automatically rolls up when opened. It is able to roll up and down swiftly to allow quick access. It’s also designed to fit together tightly, and it forms a reliable seal when closed.
• “Pass-through” Doors: Not quite a cleanroom “door,” but an intuitive solution for getting materials in and out of the cleanroom. A pass-through is a compartment surrounded by two doors, connecting the cleanroom to the outside environment. An object is placed in the compartment, shutting the door behind it. Then, someone inside the cleanroom can open the opposite door, receiving the object. A sanitary way to get equipment or materials in and out of the cleanroom.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading our guide to cleanroom doors. As you can see, these doors can be as sophisticated as you need them to be. What’s more important is that you choose the right door for your cleanroom environment. 

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