After 1 year project duration: turnkey ISO8 cleanroom

Turnkey ISO8 cleanroom (Photo: Netzer Group)

Employees of the Netzer Group (Image: Netzer Group)

The NETZER GROUP has established itself as a sought-after partner for global players such as Weidmann Medical Technology AG, headquartered in Switzerland. The company needed an ISO8 cleanroom with 800 m² at the Mexican site in Saltillo to produce diagnostic products.

The implementation period was tight, and the task as general contractor was comprehensive – from 3D laser scanning of the building, inventory of all utility media including assessment, a new implementation of the required infrastructure, to the turnkey and operationally ready facility.

To meet these often very tight completion deadlines, the NETZER GROUP plans the technical centers of the cleanrooms in turnkey modules. These are commissioned, tested in advance, and only integrated on-site. However, due to the limited space in the production hall and the time factor, the technical centers were housed in shipping containers. The modules were pre-fabricated and implemented in the containers, then directly integrated in Mexico. This method guarantees the highest quality and speed – from order placement to the turnkey handover of the facility in one year. A strategy that proved to be fully worthwhile. Both time and budget targets were precisely met for the project.

The production site in Saltillo, Mexico, is an important part of Weidmann Medical Technology's global presence. The new ISO8 cleanroom was implemented by the NETZER GROUP using proven smart cleanroom technology, integrated into the existing production operation. Without additional interfaces and assembly work, a cleanroom from the NETZER GROUP goes into operation immediately. The basis for this is extensive planning knowledge and a lot of experience.

For the NETZER GROUP, as a general contractor, new challenges arose through overseas logistics, the legal conditions of international projects, external service providers from Mexico, etc.

All of this brought the company a wealth of experience and much recognition from the customer. This comprehensive know-how guarantees the NETZER GROUP a leading position in cleanroom technology.

The main sales markets of the NETZER GROUP currently lie in the DACH region and Latin America. With the planning of its own operational sites in the world's key markets, the NETZER GROUP is becoming a strong engineering partner – no matter where in the world, whether for the pharmaceutical, electronics, automotive, or food industry.

What exactly are ISO8 cleanrooms?

There are a total of nine ISO classes for cleanrooms. ISO8 is the second highest. For example, the ISO8 class defines that per cubic meter, only up to 3.5 million airborne particles with a maximum size of 0.5 µm may be present. 1 µm equals one-thousandth of a millimeter. Here are some comparisons to get an idea of the size: an average human hair is 60 µm, a dust particle is 5 µm, bacteria range from 0.5 µm to 2 µm. In a cleanroom, it’s not just the defined concentration of suspended particles that matters, but also the ability to precisely control cleanliness-relevant parameters such as temperature, humidity, and pressure. This high level of control requires specialized know-how and extensive experience in cleanroom technology. The air exchange rate in an ISO class 8 cleanroom is also significant: the entire air volume in the room must be exchanged 10 to 25 times per hour. Only then can this low particle count be maintained.