Case Studies

• Application:20,000 square foot cleanroom in a new manufacturing facility.
• Special Needs: Long-term flexibility to modify or expand the cleanroom.

Wilson-Cook Medical manufactures a variety of medical devices and is one of the leading makers of endoscopic accessories for use in gastrointestinal medical procedures. Obviously, the production of these instruments requires an ultra-clean environment.

When Wilson-Cook was ready to construct the manufacturing area in a brand new facility, they were faced with two important challenges. First, they needed a high-quality, reliable cleanroom that would maintain critical environmental conditions. Secondly, they wanted the flexibility of a cleanroom that could be modified or expanded to meet changing needs.

Richard Marshall, Vice President of Operations at Wilson-Cook, contracted Filtration Technology – a turnkey cleanroom contractor- to design and build a modular cleanroom that would give him both quality and flexibility. With these needs in mind, Filtration Technology’s decision to specify a Porta-Fab cleanroom wall system was an easy one.

Filtration Technology installed a new 20,000 square-foot cleanroom at Wilson-Cook using a modular Porta-Fab wall system. Installation was fast and easy, according to Marshall. “Everything was pre-engineered and prefabricated by Porta-Fab“, he says, adding that the wall panels – delivered ready for immediate assembly – integrated perfectly with the cleanroom ceiling and floor, and all mechanical components, according to plan.

• Purpose of facility: Application of a finish-coat sealant to an automobile dashboard component with a requirement not allowing more than one-micron size particle per 18 square inches of the part.
• Facility Size and Cleanliness: 80 square feet of class 1000 space.

Colorworks, Inc is a sublicensee to a printing process that can apply wood grain or other patterns to injection molded plastic components and other substrate materials. The final step is the application of a final clear-coat finish. An automobile manufacturer contracted the client to apply the finish to a dashboard component that must meet stringent quality control requirements. Prior to installation of the cleanroom, the client applied the coating in a standard environment.

The cleanroom was built within the industrial environment without disrupting the process which was within 10 feet of the cleanroom. The room required exhaust for two spray booths, the generation of paint particles during the spray process, and the wall openings that had to remain open to the general manufacturing operation to allow parts passage through the room.

An airlock/changing room was created at the entry to the cleanroom. Positive pressure was created to offset the large openings for the product passage. The critical drying area was certified in Class 10.

Since 1971 Filtration Technology Inc. continues to demonstrate proven leadership as FILTRATION and Contamination Control Specialists by providing the highest quality in Cleanroom Facilities and Air & Liquid Filtration to all types of commercial, industrial, and specialized manufacturing facilities.