QUESTION:
Does the decision to choose a single pass or recirculating cleanroom design have an impact on the construction and design cost?
Answered By: Tim Loughran
It does, and actually in opposite ways. A single pass cleanroom is going to cost you less to construct because you don’t need that return air path, or that secondary containment, and you need secondary walls to do that. However, the problem with it is you cannot control the outside environment as well.
The outside environment in a single pass clean room influences your cleanroom more, therefore it can cause you to operate in a more costly environment (i.e. be more expensive to operate). As a result you have to consider those factors and determine what is more important: the upfront cost, or the operating cost.
