How to Decrease Your Clean Room Operating Costs with the Right Equipment

Worried about cleanroom costs? 

Adding these time saving, maintenance reducing features will help you save a bundle while maintaining high quality procedures.

Here are the main things you should consider when you purchase a new cleanroom and equipment to outfit it.

1. Specifications: Are They Right for Your Lab?

The fact of the matter is that cleanrooms require proper filters and equipment to operate smoothly and as they grow in size energy demands go up significantly. More the cleanroom is in use more maintenance costs will go up and possibly causing maintenance shutdowns. 

To avoid any additional expenses, facility managers should consider proper Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and one or more add-on features especially when they specify a modular cleanroom. Here's a list of requirement that cleanrooms performing to stringent cleanliness standards benefit from:

• Standard product features
• Modular HVAC and recirculating airflow designs
• ISO classification
• smart controls for fan
• Dimensions and measurements
• filter and lighting systems 
• AMC compliance
• High-tech DC and room-side replaceable Fan Filter Units (FFUs).

While all of these solutions add initial cost at the onset, they can provide a significant reduction in energy costs and long term savings, especially when it comes to maintenance. This provides a rapid return on the initial investment in often 12-18 months.

 

2. The Life Span: Does It Come with a Warranty?

It is an open secret that clean rooms are one of the most corrosive environments in a research laboratory. This why you must check the warranty and life span of the products before you buy it. You want to make sure that the equipment will bear constant exposure to hazardous chemicals and radiations.

What do you want? The product must be non-porous and non-corrosive. Such standards guarantee long-term effectiveness in the work station. Without these labels, your equipment will become a rotting, corroded piece of junk in a matter of months. This is a price you don’t want to pay!

3. The Cleaning Crew: Is It Easy to SterilizeClean?

Is the equipment cleanable?  This is probably an odd question to pose to a supplier. But you must factor in the cleaning issues on every purchase. 

Clean rooms are the most sterilized environments in the world. They are constantly scrubbed and washed with harsh cleaning agents to eradicate the chemical residue left on the surfaces. There is a high chance that your equipment will get sprayed on with disinfectants. So only buy materials that can tolerate the corrosive nature of the chemicals in use.

A few materials to steer clear from are: PVC, acrylic, polycarbonate, synthetic products, and high-pressure laminates. Instead of these flimsy fixtures, you must buy equipment that is made from stainless steel, aluminum or has powder coat covering. All three materials are known to provide the best protection from chemical degradation.

4. The Maintenance: Does It Come With Spare Parts?

Faulty equipment is one of the most common causes of delays and impeded experiment Sand we all know that minute lost in the clean room costs thousands of dollars. One way to minimize clean room operational costs is by ensuring that you have access to backups. You should stock your storeroom with spare parts and duplicates to be on the safe side. This practice saves you the hassle of looking for spare parts and calling up suppliers during emergencies.

Moreover, check if the suppliers provide maintenance services. That’s because getting them to make repairs is a lot cheaper than seeking help from third parties.

The Bottom Line

In a nutshell, you must pay attention to the details when you go off to purchase lab equipment. Sometimes the best prices aren’t the cheapest options. So always consider the operational and maintenance cost against the cost of ownership. You’ll notice that most of the times a sturdy, high-quality option is better than the cheap knock-off.

Are You Looking for a Supplier?

Lab Pro is one of the best lab suppliers in the Bay Area. We’ve been in the business for over four decades now. So we do know a thing or two about cutting costs in the clean room.

We are committed to providing you with cost-effective solutions in the most affordable prices. Rest assured, our products are durable, practical and are manufactured according to the approved code of conducts. 

So what are you waiting for? Contact us to make a practical investment in lab equipment.