Transparency and Cooperation in the Growing Market of Cleanroom Technology

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Since 2001, the Benediktbeuren Cleanroom Days have been held. And this year as well, the company Dittel Engineering, together with the Rosenheim Plastics Institute, organized this industry meeting with further training offerings. From April 26 to 27, 2017, around 80 participants gathered at the Salesian Don Bosco Monastery in Benediktbeuren to listen to exciting and up-to-date lectures and to engage in intensive discussions about the latest developments, trends, opportunities, and challenges in the cleanroom industry. The motto of this year's event was: "Pure environments for future technologies ensure progress".

The market for medical technology as well as the market for technical components that must be produced in a particularly clean environment have been growing rapidly for years. Medical care relies on high-quality and hygienically impeccable medical products, many of which are made of plastic and must be produced in a controlled environment to ensure quality and remain competitive. Technical products are also becoming increasingly complex and must meet higher demands due to miniaturization. Clearly: Future-proof production with high efficiency is only possible under controlled conditions.

This entire topic was thoroughly examined at the Benediktbeuren Cleanroom Days, where questions about requirements, their implementation, compliance, and verification were raised and addressed with various solutions. After greetings and introductions by Prof. Peter Karlinger from Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences, Dr.-Ing. Erwin Bürkle, and Prof. Dr. phil. Gernod Dittel from Dittel Engineering, Prof. Burkhard Stolz from the Ostbayerische Technical University Weiden spoke about strategies in medical technology for sterile products, followed by a presentation by Michael Skerat and Jochen Weber on digitalization in the value chain of cleanrooms. The subsequent, very lively panel discussion moderated by Erwin Bürkle on Industry 4.0 in cleanroom technology took up a broad space and kept the audience captivated until the coffee break. It became clear that the industry is currently driven strongly by innovation pressure and that intensive communication, interaction, and cooperation are needed to successfully navigate the future.

After the coffee break, which was also used for intensive exchange, the event continued with various experience reports, such as an example of a successful entry into medical technology, a presentation on equipment qualification from URS to turnover, and a very open practical report on cleanroom manufacturing after the startup phase. The presentation on Medical Additive Manufacturing Solutions and the summary of the current status of cleanroom technology kept the audience in eager attention and stimulated in-depth discussions. And of course, the first day concluded with a presentation of the mobile, multiple award-winning cleanroom system SHELLBE by Prof. Dr. Gernod Dittel. Afterwards, the lively closing discussion took place, which the organizers allowed plenty of time despite the late hour. The monastery tour and the Bavarian evening provided a successful conclusion to the day.

On the morning of the second day, everything revolved around necessary and interesting topics, including sensor technology in cleanrooms, development of modular climate systems, microbiology and sterile testing, clothing and technology, and regulatory requirements for cleanroom cleaning, which were well received by the participants. The official program ended with another lively closing discussion and an equally lively exchange of experiences in the foyer. Thus, the 15th Benediktbeuren Cleanroom Days concluded very successfully, and the organizers were highly satisfied. Gernod Dittel expressed in a brief interview "delight at the open, lively, and constructive discussions" and summarized the event with the words: "Despite the adverse weather conditions with snow and cold, it was two wonderful days that showcased innovation and technology from science and applied engineering without reservations." The participants also expressed themselves very positively overall, especially highlighting the great openness and courageous transparency of the contributions.

So, one can look forward to what the next Benediktbeuren Cleanroom Days will bring.