Prevents cross-contamination of doors

Two family-owned companies, pioneers in their industry, with the same working method: Glatt GmbH in Binzen, southern Baden, is a market leader in the construction of life science systems for the refinement and processing of powders for the pharmaceutical industry. They also offer services for pharmaceutical companies. EFAFLEX GmbH & Co.KG is a pioneer in high-speed industrial doors and has supplied Glatt GmbH with various applications and customization options for their door systems.

Goods receipt, cleanrooms for production and process development, warehouses, weighing cabins, clean corridors: Although the functions of these rooms vary greatly, the seals and doors must be equally versatile to close off these areas at Glatt GmbH's plant in Binzen. Richard Brenneisen, a diploma engineer in chemical technology, is now responsible for the buildings and facilities on the company premises. He explains which functions the EFAFLEX EFA-SRT® CR (Clean Room) doors fulfill within the pressure zone concept at Glatt.

Glatt GmbH operates according to the Clean Corridor principle, a protective concept to prevent cross-contamination. The room layout is designed so that a central corridor lies in front of the process rooms, which is pressurized with the highest pressure. When a door to a room is opened, the airflow flows into the respective production room, preventing the escape of substances from this area.

"The EFAFLEX cleanroom doors are perfectly adapted to the requirements of controlled manufacturing zones," emphasizes Brenneisen. "They ensure a high airtightness of the access points. This saves energy and costs."

The process engineer, who has been with the company for over 25 years and is well-versed in production processes and workflows at the plant, opens the door to a weighing cabin. "Even if it looks unusual: the door had to be installed in such a way that the entire cleanroom door is on the inside of the cabin," notes Richard Brenneisen. "For certain workflows, we need to install a decontamination lock in front of the room. It must be sealed tightly against the wall." Then he points to the touchless hand sensors for opening next to the doors: "They were installed at our request."

The safety viewing windows in the door panel are very small – also a custom-made feature from EFAFLEX. "In some of these rooms, work is done with light-sensitive substances. To prevent daylight or mixed light from entering the cabins during these processes, additional yellow lighting can be used in front of and inside the cabins."

On the way through the warehouse halls, it is alternately warm in some areas and quite cold in others. "Depending on which substances are stored here, we have temperatures between +20°C and ±5°C in these zones," explains the engineer. "These sections are also effectively separated from each other by EFAFLEX doors."

  He finally points to the largest door, which is 4500 mm high. This is where products are loaded. Tall vehicles, such as large forklifts and medium-sized trucks, can drive into the hall there.

Elsewhere, the plant is expanding. Richard Brenneisen shows two doors in the installation phase. "They are brand new and are currently being installed." When the very first high-speed doors from EFAFLEX were installed in the buildings of Glatt GmbH in Binzen, Richard Brenneisen can no longer say with certainty. He summarizes: "Gradually, more and more were added because the doors are very reliable. We are very satisfied with them."

Technical Information: EFA-SRT® CR High-Speed Roll-Up Door

The high-performance high-speed doors have a smooth surface structure and no protruding edges. They are easy to clean, and particle settling is largely prevented. The GMP-compliant door types of the CR series are mostly made of V2A steel. Like all EFAFLEX high-speed doors, the cleanroom doors are very durable and low-maintenance.

The door suitable for GMP-compliant cleanrooms, among other reasons, due to its design and high airtightness, is suitable for installation in cleanrooms of class 8 according to DIN EN ISO 14644 and for sealing off cleanrooms of class 7. Naturally, the EFA-SRT® CR Premium is also suitable for installation in cleanrooms of other classes.
The EFA-SRT® CR Premium is the ideal closure for rooms with different pressure conditions. Fast opening and closing increase efficiency in the cleanroom; it keeps filter load low and reduces air loss.