Reduced noise pollution at the workplace through optimized fan technology in cleanroom workbenches

In addition to environmental pollution caused by harmful substances, humans are increasingly exposed to a new source of danger: rising noise pollution. Persistent stress caused by noise can lead to health problems. The health-damaging effects of noise are very diverse. They range from serious hearing damage to hidden, often slowly developing symptoms over many years, such as sleep disturbances, irritability, or nervousness.

While measures can be taken in the private sector to reduce or avoid noise, this is often not possible at the workplace. The employer has the obligation to implement measures to keep the sound pressure level as low as possible.

The requirements for cleanliness or purity of laboratory environments and operational facilities have increased significantly, especially in industrial production and packaging, as well as in analytical and medical laboratories, and in research. Particulate and germ-free conditions are often a must. Small, local cleanroom cabinets or laminar flow boxes serve this purpose and protect the work area from particles, germs, and dust.

The function of a flow box is quite simple. The ambient air is drawn in by a fan and pushed through a high-performance particle filter of the HEPA H14 type. Many customers find the unavoidable fan noise to be constantly disturbing. Therefore, it was a special concern of Spetec GmbH to develop a particularly quiet fan concept in collaboration with a fan company. The filter arrangement creates a laminar airflow in the work area. The cleaned air protects the sample by a positive pressure, like a curtain, from incoming particles.

All laminar flow boxes in the CleanBoy^® product range remain below the noise level of a normal office operation (55 dB) in normal operating mode. The Spetec laminar flow module FMS 37 even produces only the noise level of light music at this stage. Even at the highest power setting, the noise level does not exceed the values prescribed for industrial workplaces (80 dB). Regarding noise development, Spetec's laminar flow boxes meet all requirements to minimize noise pollution at the workplace. The achievable noise level corresponds to the current state of fan technology; none of the offered module sizes exceed the values prescribed for general offices during normal operation. They can be retrofitted in analytical laboratories as well as in electronic and optical manufacturing or in the packaging of medical or pharmaceutical products (as ceiling versions) or installed without extensive construction work or modifications to existing air conditioning systems.