The countdown is on – The industry is meeting in Karlsruhe

Register for free as a visitor with the code: rronline2018

The LOUNGES present themselves in 2018 in Karlsruhe with various highlights and an innovative program for the general public. Over 200 companies are exhibiting, giving the industry event, right at the beginning of the year, a very special significance. The focus is on cleanroom and pharmaceutical technology. New topics and areas in the over 12,000 m² hall offer every visitor countless opportunities for information and exchange.

In addition to the very large exhibition, where companies showcase their products and services, there are over 300 lectures, actions, and product shows summarized, which visitors can attend free of charge.

New this year

Highlights for 2018 include new areas presented on separate spaces and in forums. These include an Innovation Lab, a section on Innovation Cleanroom, the Hygienic Design topic, GMP Talks with regulatory representatives, the Darkzone, and a "Meet the Expert" meeting point for exchange with specialists.

CLEAN! 2018

The Fraunhofer IPA awards the Fraunhofer Cleanliness Technology Award CLEAN! at the LOUNGES to honor groundbreaking developments in cleanliness technology. The cleanliness technical production is considered a key technology that drives important innovations across industries. The manufacturing of microchips, flat screens, implants, pharmaceutical active ingredients, or micro- and nanoproducts would be unthinkable without a clean, pure, or ultra-pure production environment. Outstanding ideas in cleanliness technology enable not only completely new products but also increase the economic efficiency of production processes.

The three top-rated contributions by an independent expert jury are presented and awarded by the winners during the LOUNGES.

From theory to project

The focus of the lecture sessions is on realized projects and the path to them, starting with planning basics, legal requirements, and the wishes of operators. It is interesting to see how different projects are approached—each has a different approach and focus. This makes it so exciting and offers every visitor the opportunity to choose exactly the right session for them. In addition to the classic lecture sessions, the IPA, VIP3000, and ISPE also participate with top topics.

Darkzone, a very special experience

From 11:00 am to 3:35 pm daily, up to 14 guided tours, each approximately 15 minutes long, take place through the Darkzone, with 10 persons per group. The last presentation of the day is broadcast live outdoors. In the Darkzone, visualization—i.e., the use of the optical channel—is deliberately used to make this fundamental but complex topic of contamination control to ensure purity visually and understandably. During a tour of the Darkzone, various stations show where contamination occurs, how it behaves, and especially how it can be further transferred. The tour is supplemented by another station outside the lecture room, which addresses the topic of "proper dressing." Here, too, correct behavior is visually demonstrated through visualization. The demonstrations in the Darkzone are framed by expert lectures on topics related to contamination control in cleanrooms. The interactive visualizations combined with technical information focus viewers on the essentials and increase understanding of microcontaminations that are normally invisible in cleanroom operation. Dive with us into another world—the Darkzone!

New and forward-looking – the Innovation Lab

Through various presentations, the topic of "Innovation" is brought closer to both exhibitors and visitors of the LOUNGES. It is planned that visitors to the Innovation Lab will be directly involved in the presentations and actively participate. This will be implemented using the Science Café and the World Café as successful formats. The goal is to promote communication and knowledge transfer between companies, exhibitors, and participants, as well as dialogue, interaction, and networking. The concept of innovation will be strengthened among SMEs, and awareness of the current and future importance of innovations will be created.

New and communicative – Meet the Expert

The focus here is on exhibiting companies and experts who engage in discussions. An intensive exchange takes place in a cozy setting. There will be two different meeting areas, which can be chosen as needed.

Meet the Expert – face to face

The expert meets visitors in one-on-one conversations in a separate room where discussions can be held in peace. Prior registration of visitors is required. Topics may include GMP compliance, project workflows, or specific issues such as microbial count determinations.

Meet the Expert – open discussion

The expert presents a topic invited within the program. The expert is accompanied by co-experts who guide the discussion round. Visitors do not need to register for this. The number of participants in the discussion is unlimited. Topics include Building Information Modeling, Quality Oversight, Mutual Recognition Agreement EU-USA, WFI via membranes, isolator technology, rouging, stainless steels, the revised DIN 12980 – May 2017 edition, and much more.

New and informative – GMP Talks

Within GMP Talks, representatives from authorities discuss with users and plant builders. Topics include: the appropriate attitude before an inspection, how GMP inspections and audits are changing, whether the hype around data integrity is justified, why the pharmaceutical world is like a rabbit staring at a snake hoping no mistakes are seen and the snake strikes, why we find it so difficult to openly acknowledge documentation errors, ventilation systems or the invisible energy in the cleanroom! Ventilation systems are the heart of cleanrooms—they circulate the air like the heart pumps blood through an organism. What must we do to keep the heart beating long and efficiently? What do ventilation systems need to handle daily stress? What regular checks are necessary?

New and focused – Cleanroom Innovation Forum

Presented by Fraunhofer IPA, the topic of cleanrooms offers highly interesting insights. Topics include: Cape®: Fast & Flexible Cleanroom, Mobile Analytics: MUCA, Mobile Ultraprecision Cleaning: MoCI, PAC/MOC/Bio-Monitoring: Innovative Witness Sampling, On-/Off-Site Assessment of Cleanliness Conformity, Use Cases in Semiconductor/Satellite/Medical Device/Automotive Manufacturing, the influence of equipment on air balance, ISO 14644-15, and more.

New and certified – Hygienic Design

The topic of Hygienic Design is clearly in focus. It concerns the cleanability of systems and components and the practical challenges of mastering these with modern solutions. Consideration is given to the use of certified components and their advantages in operation, as well as risk avoidance. Production downtime is more expensive than hygienic design, so cost efficiency through proper planning from the start is central.