QUESTION:
How does the clean room classification one chooses affect cost?
Answered By: Tim Loughran
Everything depends on the amount of air cleanliness that is required; the number of filters you need, the amount of CFM that you need – everything is a result of that decision. Therefore, that decision sets the tone for every other decision that has to do with designing and constructing a cleanroom. And it adds the cost up front, as well as the operational cost.
A common mistake involves a client asking for a cleanroom that is too tall, or otherwise in excess of what they really need. If you require a cleanroom with an 8-foot ceiling height, but decide to make it taller in order to align better with the surrounding environment and make it 10-feet high, that changes the volume of the area by 25%. Therefore you’re increasing the amount of air needed for that cleanroom by 25% because you decided on building a 10-foot height, when you only needed an 8-foot height.
Related: How do cleanroom temperature and humidity affect cost?