Cheap maintenance can become expensive

"When changing filters in cleanroom systems and equipment, especially in safety cabinets, it is crucial to ensure that only original parts are used," says Egon Buchta, Managing Director of the "Engineering Office & Cleanroom Service Egon Buchta GmbH" from Wannweil near Reutlingen, Chairman of Standardization Committee 12980 (Laboratory Equipment - Safety Cabinets for Cytostatics), and lecturer in the Cleanroom Service Technician certification course at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Niederrhein. The current reason for this warning is a case from Buchta's customer circle. The expert provides details in an interview with cleanroom-online.

cleanroom-online: What are the reasons for installing filters other than the original parts?
Buchta: On one hand, it can be that third-party products are cheaper. Or, that a maintenance company, for various reasons, is not supplied by the manufacturer of the original parts, or that the original parts are no longer produced.

Are third-party products necessarily worse?
That cannot be said in general. The question is only whether the filters actually fit. In the current case, which we happened upon rather accidentally with a customer, the dimensions and sealing surfaces did not match. This led to a significantly increased contamination risk.

What other consequences did this have?
The filters had to be replaced in a negative pressure tent, which involved high costs. Particularly serious is that, due to the installation of the wrong filters, the entire operating license was revoked. This is similar to cars. If you install the braking system of a different model into a vehicle, you would no longer be allowed to drive it, even if all connections seem compatible.

Did your customer know that incorrect filters had been installed in his system?
No, he relied on the maintenance company. And they had ultimately confirmed that everything was in order.

How can companies working with cleanroom systems and equipment protect themselves from such experiences?
It is indeed difficult to identify the black sheep in the industry. I advise caution especially with offers that sound too good to be true. Savings might be made at the wrong end. It also seems very important to me that service technicians are certified, for example by the IHK Niederrhein or TÜV Nord. Supporting evidence includes training and qualification certificates from the equipment manufacturers themselves.