The nominees are announced: Six exciting innovations in the race for the Cleanzone Award

Cleanzone 2022 Award Ceremony

Since 2012, the Cleanzone has been awarding an accolade for outstanding innovations that increase efficiency in contamination control and provide key impulses for the future of cleanroom technology. At a recent meeting of the expert jury, six submissions were nominated for the award.

The range of submitted ideas and topics is broad: they include new approaches that integrate virtual reality, focus on robotics and environmentally friendly measurement methods, or introduce new clothing and testing systems. In their evaluations, the jury particularly considered aspects such as the degree of innovation, the impact on industry development, and deviations from conventional ideas.

"We've never had as many applicants as this year. And the quality and diversity of the submissions have also increased compared to previous years," says Anja Diete, Director of Cleanzone. "The award promotes innovation activity in an industry that, as a pioneer of dynamic high-tech industries, must continually offer new solutions."

"Especially impressive among this year's submissions was not only the high number but also the great variety of innovations," adds Professor Dr. Andreas Schmid, jury member and Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences at Hochschule Albstadt-Sigmaringen. "Innovation drives the advancement of cleanroom technology and enables meeting the highest standards of purity and efficiency. In this context, the Cleanzone Award is valuable because it highlights new and industry-leading solutions."

The nominees are:
- La Vision with Smokeless Smoke Testing in Cleanrooms with FlowBOS
- Dastex and DITF (German Institute for Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf) with ReBa² Test Method for Determination of Bacterial Penetration of Cleanroom Garment Materials
- Elis Cleanroom with ElisAir
- ICA with HERO21
- Viality in cooperation with MyCleanroom with Mixed Reality (MR) Cleaning
- UVMedico with The UV Booth

Smoke-Free Smoke Testing in Cleanrooms

The FlowBOS camera from La Vision enables airflow tests without smoke. It prevents contamination from residues by using a neutral gas instead of smoke. This can significantly reduce cleaning costs and avoid production downtimes.

A New Test Method for Cleanroom Clothing

Dastex and DITF (German Institute for Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf) present the ReBa² test method. ReBa² stands for Realistic Bacterial Barrier and allows the determination of germ penetration in cleanroom garment textiles. The new biological method represents a significant improvement in terms of realistic contamination and high flexibility compared to previous testing methods.

Aseptic Clothing System for Sterile Environments

ElisAir is an integrated aseptic clothing system for sterile environments. It is a fully enclosed clothing concept that completely covers the skin, ensures controlled air supply, reduces up to 80% CO2 in the suit, allows the use of personal glasses, and offers maximum comfort and safety to the wearer.

Robotic Disinfection

The HEealth RObot for the 21st Century, HERO21, is an autonomous, mobile UV-C disinfection robot that combines the extensively researched benefits of UV-C technology with the advantages of mobile robotics. The entire disinfection process is significantly faster compared to manual disinfection. Risk areas can be targeted for longer irradiation. Additionally, HERO21 improves disinfection quality and expands the disinfection area.

Mixed Reality – Cleaning with the Help of a VR Glasses

The "Mixed Reality (MR) Cleaning" system from Viality in cooperation with myCleanroom combines the advantages of virtual and augmented reality. A VR headset makes certain areas visible to the user, which can be used in the context of cleaning during active work routines. Through visualization, it raises awareness of infection risks and enables correct and effective cleaning. The system can be used in everyday work and training situations.

The UV Cabin

The UV Medico UV Cabin allows fully dressed personnel to enter the cleanroom without microbiological contamination of coats, masks, safety glasses, gloves, and other equipment. With a fully contactless interface, operators can enter and easily activate the UV cabin to initiate a quick and efficient decontamination process.

The winner will receive a check for 3,000 euros from ReinRaumTechnik, the professional publication of Wiley Verlag and media partner of Cleanzone. Source: Messe Frankfurt

The Cleanzone Award Jury

The jury, comprising members from research and teaching as well as practitioners, consists of:
- Egon Buchta, Managing Director of Ingenieurbüro & Reinraumservice Egon Buchta GmbH
- Dr. Roy Fox, Editor-in-Chief of the trade magazine ReinRaumTechnik
- Josef Ortner, owner of Ortner Reinraumtechnik GmbH
- Prof. Dr. Andreas Schmid, Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences at Hochschule Albstadt-Sigmaringen, and
- Anja Diete, Show Director of Cleanzone.

About the Award

The Cleanzone Award recognizes the best ideas in innovation, sustainability, and energy efficiency in cleanroom technology. Companies, organizations, research institutions, and individuals were invited to apply. A five-member expert jury selected six nominees from all submissions. These will present themselves to the professional audience on September 25th from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Cleanzone Conference area. Visitors can also learn about the innovations' features in an exhibition at the trade fair. From the six new developments, the industry audience will choose the winner, who will be awarded on September 26th from 1 to 2 p.m., also at the Cleanzone Conference. The winner will receive a check for 3,000 euros from ReinRaumTechnik, the professional publication of Wiley Verlag and media partner of Cleanzone.

This year, there are six nominees. The favorites were so close that limiting the number to five was not possible to do justice to all innovations.