CLEAN ROOMS | APPLICATION REPORT


Adding to the complexity of clean


room projects is the fact that most clean room installations demand almost entirely custom work. Zinter Handling regularly invents new pieces of machinery to meet specific applications, as pre-existing designs often fail to meet


clean room requirements. Zinter says some companies may try to pass off standard industrial equipment as clean room equipment by painting it white. He explains the key to rooting out bad actors in this sector is insisting on seeing documentation: “There are plenty of people in the


Q A David Round Co. powered stainless steel jib crane with


manual chain hoist designed for clean room use.


marketplace who call their equipment clean, but can’t provide any documentation that it is clean. We can provide documentation that proves our product is actually clean.” Clean room hoists may be involved in


“All the moving parts of our product are


precision-machined,” he says. “Everything has to fit hand-in-glove. Any type of misalignment or poor interaction between components results in particulates, which is why everything needs to be a hundred times more precise than a standard piece of industrial equipment.” Zinter Handling produces overhead


crane systems, jib and gantry cranes, and material handling equipment for both industrial and clean room use. Zinter says that the business’ clean room division typically has significantly longer project cycles than the industrial division. Project timelines, he says, last a great deal longer because every piece of equipment must be perfectly precise. Working in a clean room setting also involves specific protocols that all personnel are required to follow. “If it’s an operational clean room, there


are numerous protocols to follow in order to enter, work in, and exit the room,” Zinter explains. “You have to perform your tasks while wearing a protective white suit. Masks, safety glasses, rubber boots; it’s not a comfortable working environment. Staff also need to be trained in the proper process and protocol for working in a clean room environment.”


24 | November 2021 | www.hoistmagazine.com


a variety of processes that could increase the risk of particulates if the hoist isn’t designed or installed correctly. Matt Downing, director of sales and marketing for David Round Company in Streetsboro, Ohio, USA, notes that production hoists in clean rooms are typically used for moving product from one production station to another. Downing says designing hoists for these applications involves a significant amount of engineering work to customize the equipment for individual customer requirements. “The hoists are usually required to be


entirely stainless-steel construction,” he notes. “Sometimes there are polishing requirements, which we can do if requested. Sometimes there are explosion-


proof requirements for motors, brakes, and controls. We custom engineer for each customer’s needs.” David Round Company has supplied


clean room hoists and cranes, as well as custom-engineered material handling solutions, to pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Merck, and GlaxoSmithKline. These companies, and other clients in the clean room/pharmaceutical industry, typically require hoists to have high-quality finishes that can meet particular specifications. Clean room applications also tend to


have specific requirements regarding the types of cleaning solutions, lubricants, and other chemicals in use. Hoists are usually required to be made with entirely stainless- steel construction. David Round Company’s trademarked Lab-Lift, for instance, is a fully enclosed stainless steel strap hoist designed for use in clean rooms. The Lab- Lift’s mechanical components are sealed inside a stainless-steel enclosure, with the only external component being a stainless- steel swivel hook on a urethane-coated Kevlar strap. The Lab-Lift features smooth ground welds, flush mounted faces, and plugged fasteners, all of which work to reduce possible avenues of contamination. Downing says in the United States,


there are no official regulatory standards that hoist equipment must meet to be considered suitable for clean room use, apart from lubricants and paint finishes. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved certain paint finishes, and the government requires all oils and lubricants to be food-grade; otherwise, there is no universal government-imposed standard


R A Cromox-brand stainless steel chain hoist designed for use in clean room settings. William Hackett supplies Cromox hoists.


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