Cleanroom standards measure airborne particles.
Product contamination is caused by particles that deposit.
CleanroomIQ calculates particle deposition rate limits, determines the cleanroom conditions needed to achieve them, and estimates what your cleanroom can deliver with an optimal operational programme.
The traditional approach
Cleanroom classifications are based on airborne particle concentrations - typically measured for particles >= 5 um.
But airborne concentration alone does not determine whether a product becomes contaminated.
The key insight
The critical question is not how many particles are in the air - but how many actually deposit onto the product.
Contamination risk is determined by particle deposition rate combined with exposure conditions.
What actually determines contamination
Contamination depends on:
- Exposure duration of the product
- Airflow behaviour and ventilation effectiveness
- Proximity to contamination sources
- Human interaction and handling
- Orientation of critical surfaces
This means traditional approaches can lead to:
- Over-engineered cleanrooms with unnecessary cost
- Under-protected processes with hidden risk
- Decisions that are difficult to justify technically
The CleanroomIQ approach
Instead of asking:
"How clean is the air?"
CleanroomIQ evaluates:
"How likely is it that particles reach and deposit on this product?"
Starting from the product, CleanroomIQ evaluates:
- How particles move through the environment
- How particles deposit onto surfaces
- How handling contributes to contamination
The result is a structured contamination risk assessment that reflects actual product exposure.
ISO 14644-17 aligned
ISO 14644-17 emphasizes contamination control based on risk rather than fixed classifications. CleanroomIQ applies this by:
- Linking product sensitivity to contamination pathways
- Evaluating exposure and deposition mechanisms
- Relating contamination risk to cleanroom performance
- Assessing effectiveness of control measures
What engineers can do
- Investigate product vulnerability to particle contamination
- Evaluate risk based on deposition and exposure
- Identify when airborne limits are not the dominant factor
- Avoid unnecessary cleanroom over-specification
- Support decisions with structured, defensible reasoning
Developed by Brookhuis Applied Technologies
CleanroomIQ is developed by Brookhuis Applied Technologies, a specialist in contamination-sensitive environments with experience in product contamination analyses, particle behaviour measurement, contamination transfer mechanisms, and instrumentation for controlled environments.
CleanroomIQ translates this expertise into a structured digital model for engineering decision support.
From airborne assumptions to product-based decisions
See how contamination risk can be evaluated based on particle deposition, exposure conditions, and vulnerable product surfaces.
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