In response to the ever-increasing demand for high-purity components in various industries, acp systems AG, a global technology leader in advanced clean production, has expanded its test capacities with the introduction of a cutting-edge cleanroom test center. The new facility is designed to meet the exceptionally high particulate and filmic cleanliness requirements for high-tech components and enables thorough testing and verification of achieved cleanliness levels.
The demand for high-purity parts, whether they are made of metal, optical, or plastic materials, continues to grow across all branches of industry. Meeting stringent cleanliness requirements down to the submicron range and addressing filmic-organic and inorganic residual contamination are becoming critical challenges. In response to these market demands, acp systems AG has developed cleanroom-compatible solutions for its innovative quattroClean snow jet technology.
The quattroClean snow jet technology is a dry process for full-surface or selective parts cleaning. It utilizes climate-neutral, liquid carbon dioxide fed through a wear-free two-substance ring nozzle. As the liquid carbon dioxide expands, it forms fine snow particles, which are then propelled by a jet of compressed air to remove particulate and filmic contamination on the respective surface using four mechanisms of action. This state-of-the-art cleaning system is employed by manufacturers in various industries, including the sensor and microsystems, electronics, semiconductor supply, precision optics, aerospace, medical engineering, pharmaceutical, communications technology, and automotive sectors.
With an increasing need for high-purity conditions to carry out cleaning tests for diverse applications, acp systems AG took a significant step by constructing a cleanroom test center at its Ditzingen site, completed in mid-June 2023. The test center is designed and equipped to meet Cleanliness Class ISO 5 standards, ensuring reliable and accurate testing procedures. It includes a validated ISO Class 7 cleanroom with zones up to Class 5, according to ISO 14644-1. The two integrated JetStation-HP cleaning systems in the test center meet the stringent requirements of Cleanroom Class 5.
To achieve ultra-high purity, the media preparation system ensures 99.995 percent cleanliness of the process medium (liquid carbon dioxide), while the compressed air preparation unit guarantees 1.2.1. quality as per ISO 8573-1:2010. A gas scrubber is also integrated into the media supply for compressed air (XCDA), filtering out traces of organic substances to meet the air quality standards required for semiconductor production.
The new cleanroom test center offers the capability to carry out cleaning trials and feasibility studies on a wide range of parts with extremely high cleanliness requirements, such as Grade 1. It accommodates components that cannot be cleaned using wet chemical processes due to their dimensions or pre-assembly, as well as cases where the required cleanliness levels cannot be reproducibly achieved with conventional methods. Various inspection technologies are available to verify the attained cleanliness level, and components are packaged in cleanroom-compatible packaging for transportation.
The cleanroom test center complements the existing test laboratory, integrated into a cleanliness room several years ago, which caters to various industries where technical particulate cleanliness down to 100 micrometers is required for the entire surface or selected areas of a part. The cleanliness room test lab serves as a preparatory step before components undergo the final cleaning process in the cleanroom.
acp systems AG, founded in 1997, has established itself as a pioneer in advanced clean production, process automation, and system integration. The company’s core technologies, including the quattroClean snow jet cleaning, high-precision microdosing, and smart handling solutions, support companies in the electronics, automotive, medical, pharmaceutical, and semiconductor supply industries, enabling highly automated and sustainable production processes.
The launch of the cleanroom test center by acp systems AG reinforces its commitment to meeting the growing demands for high-purity components in various industries. The facility’s advanced capabilities and cutting-edge quattroClean snow jet technology promise to set new standards in security, efficiency, and performance, ensuring optimal testing and verification of cleanliness levels for high-tech components.
