A cleanroom pass through chamber is a chamber that allows you to pass materials into an out of your cleanroom without your employees having to exit and enter the cleanroom and gown. One of the most significant benefits of a cleanroom pass through is to reduce foot traffic by minimizing the need for non-vital personnel to enter the controlled environment.
Cleanroom pass throughs are also called, passthrough cabinets, passthrough windows, passthrough chambers or, pass through boxes. They allow for the transfer of parts and equipment into and out of a cleanroom.
Adding a passthrough to your cleanroom provides an easy and efficient way to transfer materials and equipment into the cleanroom. Passthroughs help to eliminate the volume of unnecessary traffic through the cleanroom, reducing cross-contamination and maintaining the positive pressure of the cleanroom.
HOW A PASSTHROUGH WORKS
Pass through doors are designed with interlocks, so that only one side door can be opened at a time, preventing depressurization of the cleanroom. Transferring materials into the cleanroom begins when an operator opens the pass-through door on the “dirty air” side; the interlock mechanism automatically or manually locks the cleanroom side door shut.
1. The operator places material into the pass through on the dirty air side and closes and latches the door. The pass throughs sturdy, latching doors on both sides tightly compress against closed-cell or non-absorbent gaskets to prevent air loss from the cleanroom. If the air pressure in the cleanroom drops, untreated dirty air at lower pressure will flow into the cleanroom.
2. The interlocking mechanism releases, an operator opens the cleanroom side door and transfers materials into the cleanroom. After transfer is complete, the cleanroom side door is closed. When both doors are closed, the interlock is releases and the pass through is ready for another use.
SELECTING A PASSTHROUGH FOR YOUR APPLICATION
The function of every passthrough is to transfer materials with minimal impact on the cleanroom. Well designed passthroughs contribute to this requirement; they are made of rugged, durable stainless steel so they withstand constant use and are easy to clean and maintain, especially in sterile environments, inter-locks are an essential mechanism; models with double-wall construction hide and protect the interlock.
Passthrough include features that meet requirements for specific industries and standards.
There are 3 levels of passthroughs
1. Basic Stainless Steel: Fits most every need. Easy to wipe down and is suited for most manufacturing and laboratory processes, including pharmacies and semiconductor manufacturing. The cabinet floor is completely flush; there is no lip at the front to clean around. Hard-edge door gaskets made from smooth, durable, heavy-gauge polyethylene eliminate interior crevices that could harbor contamination. A built-in mechanical interlock with T-handle turn latch is highly recommended, and models with double-wall construction hide and protect the interlock.
2. Full Welded Body: Processes including aseptic manufacturing, compounding pharmacies, chemo drug pharmacies and manufacturing require sterile yet easy cleaning to meet this need, cabinets with fully welded stainless steel interiors have smooth, formed radius corners to prevent particulate from collecting in corners and edges and spills are easily wipeable.
3. Bio-Design: Specialized bio-contaminant or “germ-free” processes require aseptic cleaning of cleanroom equipment surfaces. For these processes, bio-design passthroughs feature the same solid, fully welded body but now with a coved radius, seamless interior, and knife-edge hatch openings.
BUILT TO LAST
The two (2) main components that define a passthrough cabinet are the doors and the interlock mechanism. These small details make a big difference, as they are the two most common features likely to break or malfunction on a passthrough box. A non-functioning , out of service, passthrough box in a worst-case scenario can lead to an extremely costly shutdown of critical operations.
As a leader in Scientific Equipment Repair and medical equipment calibration, Scientific Instrument Center works with many corporations, universities, and hospitals providing the highest level of laboratory services.
Keeping your lab equipment in peak condition is vital if the results are going to be accurate and reliable. Scientific Instrument Center (SIC) is your trusted company for laboratory equipment repair and maintenance services. If you have questions about your laboratory equipment and would like to discuss options for repairing or maintaining the equipment, please contact us at (614) 771-4700.
Our skilled staff members understand the nuances of instrument calibration and the manufacturers train our technicians, so any inspections we make mean your equipment is to quality standards. For more than 30 years, SIC has served businesses that use a wide variety of diagnostic and scientific equipment. We are specialists.
Get a free consultation. Call (800) 686-8965
