From Food to Chips: Cleanroom Maintenance

Although they are all "cleanrooms," the material selection logic for food factories, pharmaceutical plants, and electronics factories can be entirely different. Food factories are most concerned with wall moisture and efflorescence, dirt accumulation in seams, and mold growth. Pharmaceutical plants focus more on particle control, GMP compliance, and material traceability. Electronics factories are extremely demanding regarding static electricity, particulate matter, and seam precision.

If you choose materials based solely on the question, "How much per square meter for a cleanroom panel?", you will likely end up with a scenario where you save a little during procurement, but after production begins, you constantly pay the price for efflorescence, delamination, rust, air leakage, and maintenance shutdowns. Therefore, when selecting cleanroom panels, you shouldn't just ask, "How much per square meter?" Instead, you must first clarify: Can it solve the critical problems?

So, how exactly should enclosure materials be selected for cleanrooms in different industries?

Food Factories: Focus on Long-Term Moisture Resistance and Cleanability, Not Just Appearance

Food workshops are exposed to high-humidity environments for long periods and require frequent washing and disinfection. If the enclosure materials lack sufficient moisture resistance, issues such as wall efflorescence, bulging, delamination, and mold can easily occur. Furthermore, if corners and panel seams are not handled properly, they will form hard-to-clean hygienic dead spots. Therefore, when selecting cleanroom panels for food factories, focus on the following:

• Selection Tips:

1. Prevent Efflorescence: Prioritize sulfur-oxygen-magnesium (SOM) core materials to reduce the risk of efflorescence associated with traditional chlor-oxygen-magnesium (MOC) panels when exposed to moisture.
2. Minimize Dead Spots: Use rounded transitions with an R-angle of ≥50mm at the intersections of walls, floors, and ceilings.
3. Washability: Choose corrosion-resistant coatings based on the concentration of disinfectants and the frequency of cleaning.
4. Easy Maintenance: Ensure the panel surface is flat and seams are tightly sealed to reduce dirt accumulation and mold growth.
5. Pharmaceutical Plants: Look Beyond Panel Performance to Compliance Capabilities
6. Pharmaceutical cleanrooms have higher requirements for particles, microorganisms, airtightness, and pressure differential control. When selecting materials, in addition to a smooth surface and ease of cleaning, you should also verify: Can it adapt to different cleanliness levels?

• Selection Checklist:

1. Are the inspection reports complete?
2. Can product batches be traced?
3. Is the material performance stable?
4. Do the node seals meet cleanliness requirements?
5. Can the documentation support acceptance and GMP unannounced inspections?

Note: The panels should have a fine, easy-to-clean surface suitable for high-grade cleanroom environments, and suppliers should provide supporting inspection data and batch traceability. It must be clarified that the cleanliness grade is the combined result of the enclosure system, HVAC purification, airflow organization, construction quality, and operational management. You cannot rely on a single panel parameter.

Electronics Factories: Neither Static Electricity Nor Particulate Matter Can Be Ignored

• Precision manufacturing workshops for electronics and semiconductors are highly sensitive to static electricity and particulate matter. Key selection focuses include:

1. Configure anti-static coatings according to process requirements.
2. Choose panel surfaces that generate low dust and are easy to clean.
3. Improve panel dimensional stability and installation precision.
4. Control panel seams to ≤0.3mm, depending on project requirements.
5. Ensure comprehensive sealing of panel seams, doors, windows, and internal/external corners.

Suzhou Pharma Machinery Co.,Ltd.

2026/08/28

Gino