Build cleanrooms the modern way – go with prefab cleanrooms
Embracing the modern way in a decades-old industry
Cleanroom technology is not new. For decades, cleanrooms have been the backbone of many industries from biopharma and biotechnology to semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace, and beyond – essentially, in any industry that demands precision manufacturing and strict control over environmental conditions.
As the broader industrial and technological landscapes have evolved, so has the cleanroom ecosystem. From the beginnings of the cleanroom industry in the mid-20th century to today to the future, cleanrooms are poised to leverage cutting-edge technology, operational efficiencies, and cost-saving improvements. Think automation, sustainability, smart monitoring, prefabricated cleanrooms, and a lot more.
As we explore the present and future of cleanrooms, let us analyse the market and trends in cleanroom technology. We’ll cover everything from advanced real-time monitoring to modular cleanroom systems.
So whether you’re in electronics, aerospace, pharma, biotech, defence, or any other precision and contamination-controlled process, you should read through to ensure you’re up to date with the modern way of cleanroom construction and operation, including how prefab cleanrooms can transform your project.
The cleanroom market: Traditional and prefabricated cleanrooms across the world
Now, why is it so important to stay ahead in the world of cleanroom technologies?
Well, the industry is highly regulated and can be difficult to navigate. Nonetheless, given the high demand from industries that need high precision and contamination control, the market for cleanrooms – both stick-built and prefabricated modular cleanrooms – is growing.
As per reports by MarketsandMarkets, the cleanroom technologies market was worth an estimated USD 8.18 billion in 2023. By 2028, the market research firm predicts this market will grow to USD 11.39 billion – that’s a CAGR of 6.8%.
The market for cleanroom technology is growing because of increasing demand for products certified as manufactured in ISO-compliant facilities. It is growing due to advances in cleanroom tech, an increasing prevalence of infectious diseases that need more and/or new treatments, and a growing demand for sterilized pharma products.
And this growth is across countries. In emerging economies like China and India, pharma and biotech companies are expected to increase their adoption of cleanroom technologies in the coming years. The cleanroom markets here are also likely to expand for cost reasons – compared to the United States, cleanroom technologies are 30 to 35% cheaper in India and 35 to 40% cheaper in China.
Moreover, emerging markets currently have less stringent regulations, allowing players in precision and high-purity industries to relatively easily scale up production for a variety of products.
Meanwhile, in European countries, extremely strict regulations have sped up the adoption of state-of-the-art systems, whether they are stick-built or prefabricated cleanrooms, to deliver highly controlled environments. The region is leading the charge in the adoption of modular cleanroom systems, real-time digital monitoring, and other advanced technologies. All countries and industries that want to stay at the forefront of the technological landscape will likely follow suit, adopting the latest advancements in cleanroom technology, including prefab cleanrooms.
Trends in cleanroom technology: Modular cleanroom systems for sustainability, efficiency, and flexibility
Since cleanrooms began to be used in the mid-20th century, they have enjoyed multiple evolutions, big and small. Today, the scenario is no different. From energy-efficient lighting and modular cleanroom systems to advanced monitoring and the incorporation of nanotechnology, modern cleanrooms are fairly different and more advanced than cleanrooms were a couple of decades ago.
Today, some common trends are sweeping the cleanroom industry. Any modern cleanroom being constructed today will ideally have as many of these features as is feasible – this isn’t just a matter of modern technology for its own sake; it is about greater sustainability, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
Let’s explore the major trends defining what “modern” means across the leading cleanroom markets today.
The rise of automation in cleanroom operations
Today, automation is giving a complete makeover to how cleanrooms – particularly prefab cleanrooms – are monitored, operated and maintained. Automation in cleanrooms is streamlining processes – making them safer, faster, and less susceptible to human error. It is improving reliability and scalability while maintaining strict cleanroom standards for companies in biotech, aerospace, electronics and beyond.
Trends indicate the increasing use of intelligent control systems, robotics, and other forms of automation in service of precision and efficiency. Robotic arms will be used for the accurate and delicate handling of sensitive parts. Automation for material handling will reduce minimal idle times and an overall reduced time for logistics. On the whole, automation in cleanrooms will be in service of:
- A reduction in manual interventions and consequently, a reduction in human error and/or accidents
- Greater precision, accuracy and consistency
- The greater availability of trained personnel for strategic and high-value work
- Cost savings in the long run through increased operational efficiency, product quality, and productivity
The prioritisation of sustainability
Cleanrooms have strict hygiene standards. Maintaining these hygiene standards requires cleanrooms to have advanced air filtration, environmental control, high-quality building materials, and more. All of these elements call for not only large investments in design and construction but also massive operating budgets for maintenance and to meet the cleanroom’s energy needs.
Across industries, sustainability is taking centre stage and it is no different in the world of cleanrooms. As businesses aim to comply with increasingly stringent ESG requirements and reduce increasing energy costs, they are redesigning their cleanrooms to reduce their ecological footprint. Largely, cleanrooms are being transformed into more sustainable spaces through:
- Energy-efficient HVAC systems are helping cleanrooms maintain strict cleanroom standards while reducing the costs of energy consumption. This includes advanced air filtration technologies that offer the dual benefits of enhanced particle capture and better energy efficiency. Moreover, intelligent control in HVAC systems – this includes adapting variables like air flow, temperature, etc. to changing cleanroom usage patterns – ensures the maintenance of optimum environmental conditions while maximising energy efficiency.
- Energy-efficient lighting systems i.e. LED lights have become increasingly common in cleanroom settings. They offer the benefits of reduced energy consumption and longer service life compared to traditional lighting solutions.
- Many building and construction materials emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can affect product integrity in a cleanroom. Eliminating these VOCs from the cleanroom environment calls for investment, of both money and energy. Low-VOC materials are being adopted in cleanrooms to support clean air goals without causing an additional energy burden.
- Recyclable cleanroom materials, including both construction materials and consumables, are helping address the waste generation problem in cleanrooms. Prefab cleanrooms and modular cleanroom systems are particularly suited to the use of recyclable construction materials.
Automation and sustainability are at the forefront of what makes a “modern” cleanroom today. Prefabricated modular cleanroom systems make implementing both these interventions a lot simpler, given the adaptability and lower material use that prefabrication entails.
Nonetheless, there are several other factors that characterise modern cleanrooms and many more reasons why you should adopt them. Stay tuned for part two of this article for the rest.
Modern problems require modern solutions. So naturally, you should be adopting the most modern technologies in your cleanroom, especially since cleanrooms today have such stringent quality and safety requirements.
In part 1 of this article, we covered two major features of modern cleanroom systems – automation and sustainability. While these two features are certainly gaining significant importance in the cleanroom industry, they are far from the only vital ones.
In this part, let’s explore other features that are coming to characterise what counts as modern in today’s world of contamination control. We’ll explore advanced monitoring systems, regulatory upgrades, agile construction, dehumidifying systems, nanotechnology, design, and building materials in traditional and prefabricated cleanrooms.
While prefabricated cleanrooms support the integration of many of these features, prefabrication in itself is an important feature of modern agile cleanrooms. So we’ll also explore the benefits of prefabrication in modern cleanrooms separately.
Advanced real-time monitoring systems
Environmental monitoring systems in cleanrooms today are far more advanced than they were a couple of decades ago. These advancements include real-time monitoring and control, IoT devices, and AI-driven sensors.
These advancements are particularly crucial for the cleanroom industry because of the need to maintain strict hygiene levels and contaminant concentrations. Real-time data visibility helps identify deviations from ideal conditions instantaneously, allowing cleanroom operators to remedy the situation. Some advanced systems also have automated real-time responses to rectify deviations, reducing the need for constant human monitoring and intervention. Some systems also analyse all the collected data, using predictive analytics to identify patterns and make preventative maintenance all the more easy.
The integration of these technologies into cleanrooms is enabling:
- Instant responses to deviations in contaminant concentration and environmental conditions. This not only minimises risks to process and product integrity but also optimises the performance of the cleanroom.
- The detection of potential concerns before they escalate. This ensures operational continuity over long periods and consequently improves productivity.
- The extension of equipment lifecycles through preventative maintenance.
Tightening regulatory requirements
As contamination control and real-time monitoring technologies improve, regulations around the world are tightening to keep up with industry development and to ensure that cleanrooms are as safe as can be. This is particularly applicable to critical fields, for instance, cell and gene therapy manufacturing, where precision, safety, and quality are non-negotiable.
Keeping up with these requirements, gradually, regulatory guidelines are evolving to include greater contamination control, upgraded systems, and changes in existing classifications. Modern cleanroom systems should be prepared to evolve with evolving regulatory requirements. Given their modular nature, prefabricated cleanrooms are particularly suited to adaptations as mandated by cGMP or ISO classification guidelines.
Dehumidifiers and desiccant systems
Of all the environmental parameters that must be controlled within a cleanroom, humidity is an important one. This is because too high a humidity level can result in equipment rusting, mould growth on machinery and other materials, and final products of subpar quality.
Dehumidifiers and desiccants play a critical role in preventing these issues. Advanced dehumidifying systems do an efficient job of regulating indoor humidity levels and ensuring stable environmental conditions. Modern dehumidifiers are more effective than older ones because they use energy-efficient components like smart humidity sensors and variable-speed compressors, ensuring accurate and appropriate humidity control.
The use of nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is transforming how cleanrooms operate by enabling the development of advanced materials and filtration systems. These systems are not only new but also superior in removing particulate pollution and controlling indoor air quality.
Material choice and design
User-centric design is seeing growing demand in the cleanroom industry – this involves a demand for layouts which make daily cleanroom operations smoother and more efficient for the people who work in the space.
In their construction, today’s cleanrooms boast of modern wall systems which include seamless finishes, modular panels, and antistatic coatings – particularly necessary in the electronics industry. The floors and ceilings of modern cleanrooms are designed for load capacity, ease of cleaning, and required airflow patterns. They are also ergonomically designed with workflow layouts which minimise cross-contamination between the different sections for gowning, staging, and production.
Prefabricated modular cleanroom systems for agile production
Beyond all the above-mentioned features characterising “modernity” in cleanroom design, construction and operation, prefabrication is another growing practice that is more than a passing trend.
Prefabricated modular cleanrooms offer the unparalleled benefits of adaptability and agility. They can be deployed quickly, even in resource-scarce locations. They require minimal downtime during modifications and upgrades. They are suitable even for short-term projects. And most importantly, they are very cost-effective as compared to traditional cleanrooms.
Beyond these benefits, the modular nature of prefabricated cleanrooms gives them the adaptability needed to incorporate new technologies. This means that as the definition of “modern” changes in the cleanroom world, prefab cleanrooms can be expanded, scaled back, reconfigured and/or relocated, as needed, to meet the demands of evolving technologies and operational practices.
Investing in prefab cleanrooms is the most effective way of ensuring that your cleanroom is future-proof. Need to install a more advanced HVAC system? A traditionally built cleanroom system would need a massive overhaul to make the required changes. In a prefab cleanroom? So much smoother and more stress-free. Recyclable building materials? Piece of cake to incorporate them in a prefabricated cleanroom. Changes in ISO classification guidelines? Your prefab cleanroom can also be changed to meet those guidelines.
In other words, many features make a modern cleanroom today. Modular cleanroom systems underlie almost all of those features. They are the foundation – robust, yet leaving space for adaptability – upon which newer technologies can be included, making your cleanroom forever open to improvement.
Whether you’re in pharma, biotech, aerospace, electronics or any other such industry, if you want to remain open to the constantly evolving definitions of “modern” or “advanced”, choosing prefab cleanrooms is the only way.