Reinraum system CAPE® used for satellite assembly

»CAPE®« is as flexible as a tent and enables a highly pure manufacturing environment up to ISO Class 1. (© Photo Fraunhofer IPA, Photo: Rainer Bez)

With »CAPE®«, the first »Cleanroom on Demand« was launched on the market in summer 2016. The aerospace company OHB System AG collaborated with Fraunhofer IPA to develop a quickly realizable, cleanliness-technical enclosure for its satellite applications. The resulting, cost-saving system resembles a tent in size and weight but allows for air cleanliness up to class 1 according to ISO 14644-1. Contamination-sensitive products can be kept and transported flexibly within it. OHB System AG has now used CAPE® for the first time to assemble a satellite.

Even minor contaminations can cause significant quality losses in many industries. For example, if impurities reach microchips, spacecraft, or lenses, it can lead to defective or faulty end devices. To prevent such damage, companies outsource contamination-sensitive manufacturing and assembly steps to cleanrooms. However, these are expensive, not available everywhere, and do not protect against transport-related contamination.

Flexible, portable, cost-effective, and quick to install

CAPE® is the world's first cleanroom system that can be set up flexibly in less than an hour and keeps contamination-sensitive products clean during manufacturing steps or transportation. The cleanroom system, which has a tent-like structure, is operational after a short startup phase of less than five minutes. It is available in various sizes up to 50 square meters, optionally with or without a floor. It weighs approximately 60 kilograms in its medium size. With the »on demand« operation, the user of CAPE® does not experience the utilization constraints of traditional cleanrooms and thereby saves significant energy and maintenance costs.

For its system, the researchers developed a airflow concept based on TVOC- and abrasion-resistant materials with an attached filter system. This allows CAPE® to guarantee a contamination-free manufacturing environment of ISO classes 1 to 9 in a standby »at rest« state according to DIN ISO 14644-1. »CAPE® impresses with its extreme cleanliness, very short setup time, high flexibility, and transportability,« summarizes IPA project manager Frank Bürger. It can be moved not only within a cleanroom in operational condition but also, due to its low weight and small packing size, transported by air freight, for example. This ensures that companies' products remain clean after cleaning. Test series in the cleanroom laboratories of the Contamination Control Center and at customers have successfully confirmed its functionality. The patent disclosure for CAPE® took place in summer 2017.

CAPE® in industrial use

CAPE® is already being used in the industrial environment. For example, by the aerospace company OHB System AG, which uses the cleanroom on demand for satellite assembly. OHB System AG uses CAPE® to ensure cleanliness quality during maintenance work in its cleanrooms. Furthermore, OHB System AG plans to take the lightweight CAPE® to its suppliers if only temporary high air cleanliness environments are needed.

Companies interested in using CAPE® can order their custom model from Fraunhofer IPA or through OHB System AG. Depending on size, requirements, and air cleanliness class, the system costs between 40,000 and 80,000 euros. The necessary equipment is determined jointly by the cleanroom experts and the partner company. The delivery time is approximately eight weeks. The individual components are manufactured by selected industrial partners of Fraunhofer IPA.