The first Cleanzone draws an international array of top decision-makers

The right trade fair at the right place: the new Cleanzone in Frankfurt am Main attracted top decision-makers from 13 countries to its debut on 24 and 25 October 2012. Klaus Reinke, Member of the Extended Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH: “We promised the cleanroom industry that we would establish a powerful, independent platform to reach new, international visitor groups from all kind of industries. The first-ever Cleanzone has successfully achieved its objective of creating a solid foundation for this demanding format.”

A total of some 600 participants from various areas of application were on hand for the new international trade fair and congress for cleanroom technology. Exhibitors were pleased by the outstanding international participation as well as the strikingly large number of visitors from senior management. Prof. Gernod Dittel, CEO of Dittel Engineering, was emphatic: “We were impressed by Cleanzone’s high visitor quality and international response. Even before the first morning was over, we had welcomed high-calibre companies from Hungary, Austria and Switzerland to our stand. Each was represented by management or top decision-makers, and they knew exactly what they were looking for.” It is a sentiment that is also shared by Detlef Jäth, Head of Order Processing and Logistics at Daldrop + Dr. Ing.Huber: “The visitors were decision-makers and project managers, many of whom approached us with concrete plans. We were able to make valuable new contacts, expanding our network through the addition of new suppliers and partners while also presenting our new monitoring system.”

More than a quarter of visitors to this new industry platform came from outside Germany, a fact that was particularly beneficial to companies with an international orientation. Steffen Wessel, Product Management and Sales at VIESSMANN Technologies, summed up as follows: “We were very pleased with the 2012 event, and we expect to take part again next year. We need an international audience, and Frankfurt is the right place.”

In 2012 the industry’s new meeting place for cleanroom technology boasted 41 exhibitors for its tightly planned two-day event, which offered numerous highlights, such as the presentation of the first Cleanroom Award, the Cleanzone Plaza and an enjoyable get-together. Exhibitors included BSR, CAS Clean-Air-Service, Colandis, Daldrop, Decontam, Dycem, Hydroflex, Kimberly-Clark, Particle Measuring Systems, PPS Pfennig, Technology of Sense, Viessmann, WISAG, Weiss GWE and Weiss Klimatechnik. The high-calibre Cleanzone Congress taking place at the same time delivered the latest scientific expertise from internationally renowned experts.

Inspiration from the industry
The impetus for establishing this new event came from the cleanroom industry itself. Dr.-Ing. Udo Gommel, Head of the Ultraclean Technology and Micromanufacturing department and the Cleanroom Testing Centre at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA): “It is essential that our industry move into new high-potential markets and attractive niches around the globe. The outlook is promising, as more and more manufacturing industries are recognising the benefits offered by cleanroom technology. Now the challenge is to create innovative solutions – including going beyond classic ventilation technology – to meet their specific requirements. Cleanzone is the ideal platform for this purpose.”

Reinraum-Akademie (Leipzig) is serving as a marketing and content partner for technical expertise. Managing Director Frank Duvernell believes the first step has already been taken: “Cleanzone was intended to perform two functions: firstly, it is to serve as a pioneering trade fair across national and industry boundaries, and secondly, to act as the new industry meeting place not only for networking, but also for the provision of high-quality know-how that is in compliance with international guidelines. In 2012 we sent a signal with this highly focused congress, and next year we will follow this up by covering a wider range of topics, including, for example, a session for new entrants to the field.”

The drive to create a new platform has also been well received internationally. Conor Murray, Chairman of the Irish Cleanroom Society (IRE) and one of the speakers at the congress, stated that: “Meeting places such as Cleanzone are important to our industry, yet they must have something to offer: something that is different, relevant and interesting. Messe Frankfurt has made a good start with Cleanzone 2012. Now our task is to expand this event, establishing it as a valuable platform for the direct exchange of expertise at the professional level with an attractive range of products and networking opportunities.” The 2012 Cleanzone received strong support from its partners, including the Association of German Engineers (VDI), the International Confederation of Contamination Control Societies (ICCCS), the Austrian Cleanroom Society (ÖRRG) and SwissCCS.

Cleanzone Congress
One of the highlights of the Cleanzone Congress was the keynote address given by Prof. Dr. Ulrich Walter, an astronaut who inspired his listeners not only with his talk of outer space, but also by using his own experiences to showcase the importance of cleanroom technology for space travel. The Cleanzone Congress featured a total of 17 presentations as part of its four sessions: “Concepts and Trends”, “Planning and Construction of Clean Zones”, “Cleanroom Operation” and “Cleanroom Qualification and Monitoring”. Speakers included Koos Agricola (ICCCS International Confederation of Contamination Control Societies), Dr.-Ing. Udo Gommel, Fraunhofer Institute (IPA), Dipl.-Ing. M. Kuhn, Steinbeis Transfer Center: Energy, Environment and Clean Room Technology, and many other leading figures from the industry. An extremely wide range of topics was covered, such as the challenges of the future, new cleanliness concepts, climate control and efficiency, measurement methods, cleaning of surfaces, personnel training and the latest developments pertaining to international ISO standards.

First Cleanroom Award won by Technology of Sense
Reinraum-Akademie presented the Cleanroom Award at Cleanzone 2012 for the first time. This prize, which honours projects that are distinguished by their exemplary innovation, sustainability and efficiency, was awarded on the second day of the event to Dutch company Technology of Sense for its APMON product, a new type of monitoring system. Jan Gerbrands, Managing Director of Technology of Sense: “Our innovation lies in the fact that we do not measure the particles suspended in the air; instead, we measure those that are deposited on surfaces.” Another new feature is their real-time implementation of measurements of warning devices and terminals at frequent intervals. The project arose from a scientific hypothesis put forward by Dutch organisation TNO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek). Gerbrands: “We are renowned for translating the latest technologies into products – that is why TNO came to us. We are very proud of this award.”
More information on APMON is available at: www.apmon.eu

The Cleanroom Award is worth 3,000 euros. The expert jury chose five finalists from a total of 20 entries: in addition to Technology of Sense, these included Palas, AAF-Lufttechnik, Colandis and Graz University of Technology. All five finalists presented their projects to Cleanzone visitors who voted for their favourites during the trade fair.

Hands-on tips and networking opportunities
In the free presentation area, trade fair visitors were able to obtain hands-on information, tips and tricks for the use of cleanrooms; the two “Life Science” and “Microtechnology” forums covered various topics, such as particle measurement, cleanroom cleaning, optimising cleanroom clothing, security and surface cleanliness. The first day of Cleanzone ended on a very social note with a get-together to which all visitors, exhibitors and speakers were invited. Live music, food and drink were provided, helping foster a relaxed atmosphere in which guests were able to expand networks and engage in more in-depth discussions.

The next Cleanzone will be taking place in October 2013.

More information is available online 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 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
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Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH
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Telefon +49 221 16 99 59 30
kerstin.maenner@messefrankfurt.com
www.messefrankfurt.com

This release was published on openPR.