Particle Standard - an advancement of the usage standard for cleanliness inspections according to VDA 19 / ISO 16232

The normal "particle standard" is excellent for testing the capability of an extraction cabinet.

Construction of the standard for cleanliness examinations

Company founder Markus Hansel

"Particle Standard" refers to a new cost-effective development of the usage standard for cleanliness testing, which was awarded 1st place at the Fraunhofer Cleanliness Technology Award "Clean 2014" in 2014. The usage standard consists of a glass slide, standardized test particles, and an adhesive fixing agent. The test particles are attached to the surface of the slide using the fixing adhesive. In the original usage standard "ParticleMaster," the particles on the glass surface are automatically counted and measured afterward. The result protocol of this evaluation, the reference analysis, provides the exact number and size distribution of the test particles on the slide. The reference analysis is therefore a component of the usage standard. The fixing adhesive dissolves completely during the cleanliness extraction process, releasing the test particles into the extraction medium. The goal is to extract all particles from the slide and deposit them onto a suitable filter membrane. When counting the particles on the filter membrane, the number and size distribution determined must match those of the reference analysis.

Through continuous optimization of manufacturing processes, the company Markus Hansel - Normpartikel has succeeded in developing a new, cost-effective alternative to the well-established usage standard for cleanliness testing. The company's aim is to continuously improve the comparability of cleanliness test results. Markus Hansel – Normpartikel was established as a subsidiary by one of the founders of the company "Partikelxpert" with the goal of establishing the usage standard in a significantly improved, widespread form. While the "ParticleMaster" relied on process-safe counting of randomly applied standard particles using an automated measurement system, the new standard involves deliberately applying a predetermined and consistently identical number and size distribution of particles onto the slide during manufacturing. This method has successfully eliminated potential sources of error in creating the reference analysis, which, as with any fully automated particle measurement, cannot be entirely ruled out despite the highest care. Thus, the new production process offers very high security in this regard. Additionally, ongoing control of the number of particles applied to the slide using an analysis microscope ensures this security at the highest level. However, the high quality standard is not the only advantage of the optimized manufacturing process. Since the new variant completely eliminates the need to create a reference analysis due to the consistently identical particle count, manufacturing costs can be reduced by more than half. Furthermore, the company has already focused on in-house production of the previously very costly standard particles. As a leading manufacturer of standard particles with lengths corresponding to the size classes specified in VDA 19 / ISO 16232, the company is regarded among experts as a specialist in the sensitive production of these valuable particles. Consequently, Markus Hansel – Normpartikel can offer the optimized version of the standard at a significantly lower selling price compared to the original product. The goal of widespread application is thus within reach. While smaller, less profitable companies have previously been deterred by the relatively high costs of the usage standard, the new version is now affordable for everyone. Nevertheless, the original standard with individual particle application and reference analysis continues to play an important role in the quality assurance of automotive manufacturers and their suppliers. Since the number of particles on the slide is unknown in this variant, the "ParticleMaster" is ideal for audits or as proof of testing parameters during accreditation processes. It is also recommended for training courses where the standard can be used for exams. With these two versions of the usage standard, Markus Hansel – Normpartikel offers a product range suitable for every application. The implementation of a standard can only be effective if it is applied comprehensively. The revision of the VDA 19 regulations from 2013 to 2014 also contributed to this. The usage standard was presented to the committee meeting under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation in Stuttgart on November 14, 2013. The inclusion of the procedure in the revised version of the standard was unanimously approved at this meeting. With the release of the second revised edition of VDA 19 Part 1 in March 2015, the application under the section "Recovery of Test Particles" was published. Since then, hardly any major automotive manufacturer, supplier, or cleanliness laboratory has failed to regularly use the standard. The product is now internationally recognized and has proven itself many times over. If this success continues at the current pace, widespread adoption of the standard could be achieved in the foreseeable future. Markus Hansel – Normpartikel will continue to pursue this ambitious goal with the highest commitment and ongoing optimization of the cleanliness testing standard.