APPLICATION REPORT | CLEAN ROOMS
R The Pelloby hoist was designed to maximize available lift height using low-headroom construction and an underslung design.
designed to prevent equipment damage. Christensen says Syclone ATTCO
has recently developed a variety of technological solutions to prepare for upcoming new installations: “Our goal is to keep things as simple as possible. We design our equipment to avoid buildup of electrostatic charge. Depending on the application, we may put in an underhook device. But this market is almost 90% custom work.” However, designing a new solution that suits a clean room may not be the most challenging portion of a project. The COVID-19 pandemic may have caused a spike in demand for clean room equipment, but it has also forced several changes in the way projects get done. Christensen says Syclone ATTCO has had
to modify the company’s communications and planning strategies to meet social distancing constraints. “We aren’t able to get on-site as
easily,” he explains. “I’ve actually seen an improvement when it comes to customer communication, because they’re using video technology a lot more and allowing us to get information remotely.”
CONTROLLING PARTICULATE GENERATION While other design considerations like ergonomics, floor space, and utility are important, all clean room hoists must meet one basic minimum requirement: They must generate as little particulate matter as possible. Jeffrey Thornton, senior mechanical engineer for Beaverton, Oregon, USA- based Allied Power Products Inc. (APPI), says designing hoists in a manner that limits particulate generation is a multifaceted and challenging process. However, new products are coming out that are enabling cleaner designs. “It’s all about the minimization and containment of particulate,” Thornton says. “The choice of coatings and surface preparation goes far beyond simply being smooth and wipe-able, and in many cases, the overall finish must be polished. With this in mind, and due to the need across many industries, motor manufacturers are making products that work very well in a clean room setting.” These new clean room motors, Thornton explains, boast a variety of features that
make them ideal for use in clean room environments. In addition to stainless steel offerings, aluminium gearmotors are now available via special order, and at least one manufacturer provides surface conversion coating. This type of coating is applied with a proprietary process that is typically used for improving corrosion resistance; it also works well in clean room applications, as it eliminates the off-gassing associated with traditional paints, coatings, and finishes. “Brushless motors, gearcase breather
valves that provide submicron filtration, breather valves, and then there are the coated ropes and straps,” Thornton says. “There isn’t much in the way of high-tech equipment that benefits clean rooms, but for a number of reasons, the equipment that’s on the market is getting better across the board.” Eric Peterson, general manager at APPI,
says there are several application-specific methods for reducing particulates. One APPI client in the semiconductor industry uses a nylon-coated galvanized wire rope assembly with an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) wear plate that can be easily removed and replaced. In a non-clean room environment where
www.hoistmagazine.com | November 2021 | 27
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