Cleanroom Design

Our experienced cleanroom design teams can support you with all aspects of the design and specification requirements of your cleanroom project, bringing experience and knowledge of traditional and specialist cleanroom panel systems. We can assist from project conception to facility handover and validation, with feasibility studies, Capex / budget costs, design for tender process or as part of a design and build project.

SOLUTIONS CONTACT US

Cleanroom Design FAQ's

The Cleanroom Design Process

Measured Building Surveys

A measured building survey is an essential step in cleanroom design for several reasons. This type of survey provides precise and detailed measurements of the existing building structure, which is crucial for creating an effective and efficient cleanroom.

Data collected during the onsite survey can be used as an up-to-date site record for planned maintenance programmes, area identification, fire escape plans, quantifying and future space planning, all in one place and in an industry standard usable digital data format.

We understand that most of the existing spaces / facilities are within live critical environments, so we only use our most experienced specialist team who are very familiar with GMP and critical environment procedures.

Benefits of a Measured Building Survey

Our experienced specialist survey team can produce accurate, non-invasive 2D live AutoCAD files of your existing facility, gathering onsite dimensions and images using a combination of traditional and latest laser measuring technology and recording equipment. Here are the key benefits:

Accurate Space Utilisation

Provides an accurate representation of the existing space, allowing for optimal layout design. This ensures that all cleanroom components, such as workstations, equipment, and air filtration systems, fit perfectly within the space.

Design Precision

Ensures that all dimensions are precise, which is critical for designing a cleanroom to meet stringent regulatory and operational standards. This minimises the risk of design errors leading to costly modifications.

Integration with Existing Structures

A compatibility check takes into account how the new cleanroom will integrate with existing building systems, ensuring a seamless integration and functionality with existing electrical and plumbing systems for example.

Cost Efficiency

By providing accurate measurements, a measured building survey helps in precise budgeting for materials, labor, and time, reducing the likelihood of unexpected costs.

Project Planning

Identifies potential issues early in the planning phase, allowing for risk mitigation strategies to be implemented. This helps to create a realistic project timeline.

Future Proofing

Allows for designing a cleanroom that can accommodate future changes or expansions, ensuring long-term usability and adaptability if required.

Conceptual Design

Conceptual design is the very first stage of the cleanroom design process, where layouts and other models, such as renders, are used. It is a draft consisting of ideas and concepts about what space the room should offer, including:

  • The required classification(s)
  • The control of specific parameters, such as differential pressures, temperature and humidity
  • Whether to apply dedicated or segregated zones
  • How to best facilitate internal logistics of people and products

This phase allows you to evaluate the proposed specification. We will work collaboratively with you to achieve the right combination of operational parameters that will deliver results.

Cleanroom design and build - GMP cleanroom render

What's Involved in Conceptual Design

Conceptual design is an early phase of the design process where the foundational ideas and concepts of a project are developed. It focuses on defining the broad outlines and primary structure of the project, establishing the basic functions, form, and overall vision before detailed design and development begin.

Flow of Materials

Design cleanroom entrances and gowning areas so that personnel donning cleanroom clothing minimise contamination from outside. Incorporate transfer hatches for materials to move from one zone to the other without personnel crossing boundaries.

Room Sizing

Allocate space for necessary equipment and furniture given the required ISO or GMP classification. This may involve considering any potential future need for expansion, allowing for scalability and room to adapt to future demand.

Gowning Areas

Gowning areas provide a seperate entry and exit into the main cleanroom area where personnel can remove contamination from the outside world. These areas may utilise air showers, step-over benches and tacky mats to control contamination.

Support Areas

Storage areas and utility rooms provide a seperate space to store cleanroom supplies, raw materials and any supporting equipment necessary to aid the processes undertaken in the cleanroom.

Airflow Design

Calculations are required to work out the necessary Air Changes per Hour (ACH) along with other airflow paramaters in order to meet the desired cleanroom classification. This will involve deciding on the optimal number of fan filter units required.

Filtration Placement

Strategically placed HEPA or ULPA filters will provide the necessary air filtration to achieve the desired ISO or GMP classification. In some cases airflow may need to be vertical or horizontal depending on the processes or restrictions of the cleanroom space.

Detailed Design

In the detailed design phase, the ideas and concepts evolve to concrete plans, required specifications and exact definitions of dimensions, materials and components, defined in a User Requirement Specification (URS).

The initial URS defines the processes, equipment, operations, capacities and the environmental criteria for the cleanroom design. In the URS, designers need to review the flow of people and products through the facility to assess the optimum layout for regulatory compliance, efficient operation and the minimisation of cross contamination opportunities.

It is vital that relevant personnel from production, quality, logistics, maintenance and engineering are involved in the early stages of the design. This avoids reworking of design layouts and minimises costly errors by overlooking or misinterpreting practical issues. Once the URS has been approved, the functional design specification (FDS) will be developed.

What's Involved in Detailed Design

The detailed design phase of cleanroom construction is critical as it translates the conceptual design into precise, actionable plans. This phase involves comprehensive planning of architectural elements, mechanical systems, electrical systems, plumbing, and special systems. Each component is meticulously detailed to ensure the cleanroom meets the specified cleanliness standards and operational requirements.

Detailed Drawings

Floor plans, elevations and sections of the facilty are defined, showing the exact layout of the walls, doors, windows and fixtures. Drawings of structural elements such as walls, ceilings and potential furniture options detail specific elevation and height paramaters.

Materials Selection

Wall panels, ceiling panels and floor choices such as anti-static or chemical resistant. Fixtures and fittings also need to be defined such as LED lighting or UV protective film on the windows. Which furniture do you need?

Mechanical System Design

HVAC system design needs to meet the desired temperature and humidity paramaters as well as any required pressure gradients to prevent contamination between higher and lower grade areas. This requres meticulous air filtration and ductwork design.

Electrical System Design

Illumination levels need to be defined so that the lighting layout provides the required lux levels and adequate illumination for the tasks being undertaken. Circuit design and cleanroom rated fixtures need to be appointed to supply particulate free power to certain areas.

Plumbing Design

Process utilities such as compressed air and gas lines may be required for certain procsses. Waste management needs to be designed to safely dispose of any waste, considering local regulations and environmental impact.

Special System Design

Environmental monitoring systems are required for continious monitoring of temperature, humidity, pressure and particulate level. Some processes may require a data logging system to alert users of major changes to the operating environment.

Building Information Modelling (BIM)

Our team of Autodesk certified design engineers create designs following the latest BIM standards and workflows. By working in this way, we are able to collaborate with clients and coordinate with any other contractors involved in a facility build, resulting in greater accuracy and higher quality results.

Using modern surveying equipment, we 3D scan the current environment of our client’s facilities and carry out clash detection to verify that the proposed cleanroom design operates in line with the planned process and its surrounding environment. 2D and 3D models allow our clients to visualise their project, including virtual reality walk-through tours to test the layout and workflow.

Due to the structural and mechanical requirements, cleanrooms are complex systems. By applying Design for Manufacture and Design for Assembly (DfMA) principles, we are able to manufacture and assemble more efficiently. This improves the installation experience for our clients, resulting in smoother project management and a shorter project lifecycle.

Benefits of BIM for Cleanroom Design

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an advanced technology that is increasingly used in the design, construction, and management of cleanrooms. BIM involves the creation and use of a digital 3D model to represent the physical and functional characteristics of a facility. For cleanrooms, which require meticulous design and strict adherence to cleanliness standards, BIM offers several significant advantages.

Enhanced Visualisation

3D models and visual walkthroughs allow the stakeholdsers to see the cleanroom design in three dimensions, making it easier to understand the process flow through the facility and identify any potential issues before construction begins.

Improved Coordination

BIM modelling allows for seamless collaboration of different services such as plumbing, electrical and architectural, ensuring all systems integrate correctly. Clash detection helps to resolve any conflict between these systems.

Detailed Design

Detailed models provide a precise representation of all working components within the cleanroom. This allows for refined information about materials, equipment and systems to be specified ensuring compliance with cleanroom regulations.

Construction Efficiency

The BIM process can increase the efficiency of the design process between conceptual design through to detailed design. It also enables stakeholders to visualise the most appropriate construction sequences and optimise resource allocation.

Cost and Estimation

Increased accuracy in the costing and estimation process creates improved financial forecasting and planning. This allows you to identify potential areas for overruns and address as required to minimise the impact.

Facility Management

The BIM model should reflect the as-built state of the cleanroom, making it easier to construct maintenance plans and any required ongoing support for operations and compliance. It also provides a good reference for any future modifications to the facility.