Fraunhofer Purity Technology Awards Presented

V. l. n. r.: The award winners with judges: Hans Hauger, Gerhard Koblenzer, LPW Reinigungssysteme GmbH, Dr. Udo Gommel, Fraunhofer IPA, Prof. Arnold Brunner, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Dr. Ute Schleyer, Vetter Pharma International GmbH, Phillip Hagedorn, Igus® GmbH, Dr. Lothar Gail, GMP Cleanroom Technology

At the Lounges fair in Karlsruhe, the Fraunhofer IPA awarded the Fraunhofer Purity Technology Prize on February 6th. For their innovations, LPW Cleaning Systems GmbH, igus® GmbH, and Vetter Pharma International GmbH received the CLEAN! 2018.

The production of microchips, flat screens, implants, pharmaceutical active ingredients, or micro- and nanoproducts would be unthinkable without a clean, pure, or ultra-clean manufacturing environment. Purity technology production is regarded as a key technology that drives important innovations across industries. Outstanding ideas in purity technology not only enable completely new products but also increase the economic efficiency of production processes. The five-member jury, led by their chairman Udo Gommel, was convinced by the following developments in terms of innovation leap, sustainability, enabling quality, and industrial feasibility:

1st Prize Clean! 2018: Surface cleaning down to the last corner

Whenever we open a water bottle with carbon dioxide, the bursting bubbles greet us. They form during the transition from the liquid to the gaseous phase and are an example of a physical process whose mechanism is used for cleaning. This so-called nucleation has been further developed by LPW Cleaning Systems GmbH for their cleaning processes and was awarded the 1st prize Clean! 2018.

2nd Prize Clean! 2018: Simply clean

For the area of energy guidance in pure productions, igus® has developed a novel conduit. This "e-skin®" reliably, robustly, and flexibly supplies plants with data, media, and energy without generating airborne particles through friction that could contaminate the room and exceed narrow limit standards. The improved corrugated hose for cleanroom applications received the 2nd prize.

3rd Prize Clean! 2018

Manufacturing technology for the aseptic filling of injection systems. Increasing requirements for the aseptic filling of medications have immediate consequences for production in cleanrooms. To meet the required quality and flexibility, Vetter has developed a "best practice" concept for cleanrooms: "Vetter CleanRoom Technology" (V-CRT®) was awarded the 3rd prize.

Profile Clean! 2018

Award and evaluation criteria
Innovation leap: Distinction from the state of the art
Sustainability: Resource and energy efficiency as well as environmental compatibility
Key technology for new applications (Enabler)
Industrial feasibility

Jury
Prof. Arnold Brunner, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Dr. Lothar Gail, GMP Cleanroom Technology
Dr.-Ing. Udo Gommel, Fraunhofer IPA
Dr. Gerhard Kminek, European
Thomas Wollstein, VDI e. V.

Contact person
Organization: Tanja Eisermann | Phone +49 711 970-1863 | tanja.eisermann@ipa.fraunhofer.de | Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology
and Automation IPA | www.ipa.fraunhofer.de
Technical: Dr.-Ing. Udo Gommel | Phone +49 711 970-1633 | udo.gommel@ipa.fraunhofer.de | Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and
Automation IPA | www.ipa.fraunhofer.de