Cleanroom trends: from innovation to substitution

Higher requirements, new materials and fields of application: cleanrooms are establishing themselves as one of the key auxiliary technologies in a growing number of sectors. At Cleanzone, representatives from a broad cross-section of industries will come together to discuss the trends and markets that are likely to be the most important in the near future. The international trade fair and congress will be held in Frankfurt on 24 and 25 October 2012.

Steam engines, railways, automobiles, telephones and PCs: all these great innovations have changed the world significantly in what are known as “Kondratiev waves”. Although current opinion varies somewhat among trend experts as to which technology will be crucial for the nascent cycle, it is nonetheless certain that cleanrooms will have a key role to play in virtually all high-tech sectors – and will therefore be directly involved in the coming wave of innovations.

Innovations and new materials
Cleanroom technology continues to be driven very much by the sustained trend towards miniaturisation, for example in space technology, air technology, semiconductor technology and nanotechnology. The ever-changing possibilities and requirements in these fields inspire innovations in cleanroom technology itself. Cleanroom zones rather than entire cleanrooms, more effective combinations of different cleanroom classes or smaller, flexible cleanrooms – developments such as these ensure that this is a cost-effective option in more and more sectors. For instance, medium-class cleanrooms are already increasingly used in the automotive industry, such as in the production of high-grade interior trim or paintwork. There is a simple reason for this: customer expectations as regards the design of luxury brands are rising and the industry is called upon to respond with suitably high quality.

Another strong trend is the increasing substitution of materials. Particularly in the pharmaceuticals, food and healthcare industries, plastic is being used more and more for products such as packaging, ampoules, syringes, etc. Medical technology innovations like bioresorbable implants or semi-coated lenses for minimally invasive surgery are continually raising the bar. However, producing and processing plastics constitutes a particular challenge for cleanroom technology. There are problems to be resolved – for example heat generation, contrary air flow and the use of lubricants. New ideas and standards are required. This means that experts in this field currently have admirable opportunities on international markets.

Challenges faced by suppliers
Oncology, hospital hygiene, biopolymers, multifunctional proteins, aviation and semiconductor technology – across all areas of application, there are constant new challenges not only for the industries but also for cleanroom planners. Chief among these include the rising quality expectations of customers worldwide and the growing demand for ultra-pure products from the cleanroom. In order to remain competitive, manufacturers are forced to monitor and optimise their own production – and, in some cases, that of their suppliers. Particularly in the case of pharmaceutical and medical technology products, the international market is characterised by increasingly stringent legal requirements, which also lead to tougher product liability standards that affect the entire manufacturing process. The upshot of this is that more and more supply companies are called upon to find solutions for manufacturing and packaging their products in cleanrooms.

Cleanzone – one for all sectors
Decision-makers from the fields of chemicals, medicine, pharmaceuticals, food, nanotechnology, optics and laser technology, microelectronics, and the automotive and aerospace industries: Cleanzone in Frankfurt is the new meeting place for all companies and sectors that already use cleanrooms or that are planning to introduce them in the near future. On 24 and 25 October, the trade fair will bring together all relevant sectors and interdisciplinary operations. On the event’s two days, manufacturers of cleanroom facilities and systems, construction components and associated consumables will rub shoulders with representatives from universities and other higher education institutions. The wide range of exhibitors will include companies such as BSR, CAS Clean-Air-Service, Colandis, Hydroflex, Kimberly-Clark, PPS Pfennig and WISAG. The accompanying congress will provide visitors with in-depth and independent knowledge. Among the international experts speaking will be Koos Agricola (ICCCS International Confederation of Contamination Control Societies), Dr. Udo Gommel (Fraunhofer IPA), Conor Murray (3dimension Cleanroom and Chairman of the Irish Cleanroom Society), Joachim Ludwig (Colandis), Gabriele Schmeer-Lioe (Denkendorf Institute of Textile and Process Engineering) and Florian Dittel (Dittel Engineering).

Partners to Cleanzone include Reinraum-Akademie GmbH, the Association of German Engineers (VDI), the International Confederation of Contamination Control Societies (ICCCS) and the German Cleanroom Institute (DRRI). On the media front, the event is supported by specialist publications Cleanroom Magazin, Cleanroom Technology, Contamination Control Report, Chemie Plus, Device Med, Gesundheit Adhoc, Pharma+Food, Pharma Produktion, Reinraum Online and ReinRaumTechnik.

More information on Cleanzone 2012 and the congress programme can be found at:
www.cleanzone.messefrankfurt.com

Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is Germany’s leading trade fair organiser, with 467,5 million euros in sales and 1,725 active employees worldwide. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 28 subsidiaries and approx. 50 international Sales Partners, giving it a presence for its customers in more than 150 countries. Events “made by Messe Frankfurt” take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. In 2011, Messe Frankfurt organised 100 trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany. Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds, featuring 578,000 square metres, are currently home to ten exhibition halls and an adjacent Congress Center. The company is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent. For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com

Kerstin Männer
Tel: +49 22116995930
E-Mail: kerstin.maenner(at)messefrankfurt.com

This release was published on openPR.