ISO-certified door solutions impress with a wide variety for cleanrooms

With door systems for cleanrooms of classes 5 to 7, certified according to DIN EN ISO 14644-1 and VDI 2083, EFAFLEX offers a wide range of options to properly seal sensitive areas. This supports industries such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, or the semiconductor industry in ensuring production quality. Newly added to the largest portfolio on the market, the leading door manufacturer has introduced a door variant certified according to ISO Class 7.

"Thanks to our ISO-7 certification, we now also offer our customers a TÜV-tested door that meets the specific requirements of this cleanroom class while still maintaining the highest quality standards," reports Jan Hauffe, Head of Product Management at EFAFLEX, on the occasion of the product expansion in the EFAFLEX CR portfolio, the most comprehensive on the market so far. "This allows us to offer our customers the maximum range in cleanroom technology. And it is well received."

High demand for cleanroom doors

ISO 14644-1 is the current standard that classifies air cleanliness in enclosed spaces into nine classes. Class 1 requires the most particle-free air, while Class 9 has the least stringent requirements. ISO Class 5 includes the strictest criteria for the use of cleanroom doors, which can still be met with roller doors. It defines the upper limit of a maximum of 3,520 particles larger than 0.5 micrometers (µm) per cubic meter of air. "Our Class 5 door has been in high demand for years," says Hauffe. Typically, this special rapid roll-up door is used in cleanrooms with the highest demands.

Diverse requirements

For adjacent rooms with less demanding ISO classes, the need for certified doors is also increasing. These are used, among other things, in airlocks and rooms with defined purity criteria. As the mandatory requirements for companies to demonstrate impeccable product quality, including manufacturing and transportation conditions, become more comprehensive, the demand for official and independent certification is rising. "Certificates have become extremely important," Hauffe explains. "Of course, we also meet this need with our new, certified Class 7 door, the EFA-SRT CR-C."

Technical modification of a classic

The basis of the ISO-7 door EFA-SRT CR-C, according to Hauffe, is a proven design in the industry. "Technically, we changed one thing: the position of the control system." Originally, it was integrated intelligently into the door construction. The newly added ISO-7 variant features the control system in a control cabinet, which can be mounted, for example, next to the door or above a suspended ceiling. "In higher cleanliness classes, components that can accumulate dust and other particles are avoided," Hauffe explains.

Price difference rather than quality

In Class 7, budgets are more limited, so not all features of Classes 5 or 6 need to be implemented. By relocating the control system, a more cost-effective variant was created. This provides the difference desired by customers," Hauffe describes. A price difference rather than a quality difference: "This variant is also an excellent rapid roll-up door that meets the requirements of these areas."

Important competitive factor

The traditionally very high robustness of EFAFLEX products also applies to the roll-up doors suitable for cleanrooms or cleanrooms: they must withstand the prevailing pressure conditions permanently and seal reliably, as Hauffe explains. "Even a dust particle or a draft can lead to contamination and often render an entire production line unusable." The experts of the leading door manufacturer are aware of the high demands on cleanrooms and are highly qualified. Not only to manufacture the right doors individually to measure, but also to advise customers professionally on the products and their versatile application options.