The Closed-loop Control System

smart | clean | green

the closed-loop control system

Closed-loop Control System

A Definitive Change in Cleanroom Technology

Cleanroom Award 2012 Entry

The Closed-loop Control System

smart | clean | green

the closed-loop control system

An Introduction

Connect 2 Cleanrooms has developed an innovative Closed-loop Control

System which manages the control of its modular cleanrooms to use only

the amount of energy required, whilst maintaining its level of cleanliness.

Rather than constantly running cleanroom fan filter units at full speed, the control system uses real-time

monitoring data to vary the speed of the fan filter units according to levels of contamination in the cleanroom,

meaning running costs are kept low.

This unique system drives sustainability, efficiency and quality assurance to client’s processes worldwide.

About Connect 2 Cleanrooms Ltd

Connect 2 Cleanrooms was founded in 2002 by Managing Director, Joe Govier.

Now celebrating its 10th year in business, the UK based company has always kept its

founding values of quality and flexibility at its centre. These core values, along

with a drive for sustainability, were driving factors behind the development of the

Closed-loop Control System.

Connect 2 Cleanrooms has steadily expanded and can now boast a team of experienced and qualified project

engineers, along with a dedicated consumables division. The team at cleanroomshop.com supplies the

cleanroom industry with consumables and provides expert guidance on cleanroom conduct protocols.

More recently, Connect 2 Cleanrooms has been realising the international potential for supplying freestanding

modular cleanroom solutions through a combination of direct sales and establishing a growing network of

international distributors, with targeted efforts into the German market.

As forward thinking innovators, Connect 2 Cleanrooms were the first company to

release a cleanroom App into the market. Gown Me is available for free download

from the App Store.

Future plans include utilising new and emerging technologies further, to produce a

family of Apps which will educate cleanroom users with best practice.

Gown Me – cleanroom App

The Closed-loop Control System

smart | clean | green

the closed-loop control system

Modular Cleanrooms

Any element of contamination within a production process has the

potential to cause defects, delays, re-runs, product recalls and other

concerns which can impact negatively on an organisation.

A modular cleanroom system can provide an affordable, fast and

reliable solution to many contamination issues. Introducing a localised

clean-air supply will protect processes from harmful airborne

particulate and drive efficiency by reducing wastage.

Why have so many companies chosen to work with Connect 2

Cleanrooms?

Connect 2 Cleanrooms are pioneers in cleanroom technology and have

developed techniques that have made modular cleanrooms more

affordable, which means more accessible to a vast variety of sectors

and companies.

Reasons to work with Connect 2 Cleanrooms:

• Meet particle counts according to International Standard ISO

14644-1

• Running costs and energy usage low due to localised area

• Customised design to meet individual requirements

• In-house 3D CAD design capabilities

• Price match guarantee and a 5 year warranty

• Manufactured in as little as 2 weeks

• Quick installation on-site in a matter of days

• Cost considerably less than traditional-build cleanroom

• Easily extended or relocated

Plus… the Closed-loop Control System has been developed to lower

energy consumption

Modular cleanroom creating

localised cleanroom in a large

warehouse

Modular cleanroom over Arburg

injection moulding machine

Hardwall modular cleanroom for

medical device manufacture

The Closed-loop Control System

smart | clean | green

the closed-loop control system

ECO-1 Control Panel

ECO-1 Control Panel

ECO-1 Control Panel with 3

magnehelic pressure gauges

Introducing the Closed-loop Control System

The Closed-loop Control System was developed by Connect 2 Cleanrooms

as a tool to drive sustainability and quality during production.

You can’t control what you don’t measure

Many companies who don’t measure particle counts within their clean

environment and run the fan filter units at full speed, day and night, in

the hope that this will ensure it reaches its required ISO class. This leads

to blocked filters and high energy consumption.

What if you measure but can’t control?

Conversely some companies who monitor particle counts within their

clean environment can manually alter fan speeds to suit a given level of

particulate contamination, but may not always be on hand to re-adjust

the fan speed when a new source of contamination is introduced; such as

an influx of production staff or a dirty batch of product.

The perfect solution – measure and control

The Closed-loop Control System uses its user-friendly ECO-1 Panel to

interface with a series of high resolution particle and pressure sensors,

then uses the outputs to vary the volume of filtered air delivered into the

cleanroom; diluting the particle concentration down to the specified ISO

14644-1 Cleanroom Standard.

Using real-time data to adjust the fan speed means:

• Only the exact amount of energy is being used at any given time

to control the particle levels

• Reduction in energy consumption and lower running costs

• Prolonged filter life

• The cleanroom never deviates from the airflow and particle

count parameters set by its International Cleanroom Standard ISO

14644-1 class

The Closed-loop Control System

smart | clean | green

the closed-loop control system

Commitment to Sustainability

The current European Union Energy Efficiency Directive puts a strong

emphasis on energy audits, which generally map all significant energy

usage elements within a company. To encourage the uptake of Energy

Management Systems (EnMS), the role of energy efficiency as part of

broader company strategies is taking a greater precedent.

The introduction of the Connect 2 Cleanrooms Closed-loop Control

System will help companies to encourage energy efficiency and in turn

save running costs of the cleanrooms.

50% energy reduction

Tests have shown that savings of 50% on energy costs compared with a

typical cleanroom can be achieved without any reduction in cleanliness.

This allows clients to identify areas where energy can be saved, which is

of course, reflected by a corresponding decrease in carbon footprint.

Less people in the room = less contamination = reduced fan filter speed =

less energy required.

Filter longevity

A less obvious (but equally impressive) advantage of reducing fan speed

whenever possible is that the life of the relevant filters will be

considerably extended, causing them to require less frequent

replacement. This is because the less air you filter, the fewer particles

you “catch”, and the longer your filters remain effective.

Maintaining levels during downtime

Facilities are also provided for automatically reducing the level of

lighting and maintaining a base level of airflow when the room is not in

use, which again reduces power consumption while ensuring that the

room remains a safe and clean environment.

ECO-1 Control Panel with magnehelic

pressure gauges

Energy saving graph

ECO-1 Control Panel

The Closed-loop Control System

smart | clean | green

the closed-loop control system

Closed-loop Control System Features & Benefits

Quality Assured

As well as the particle counter, the control system incorporates a comprehensive set of additional sensors so

that room temperature, humidity and pressure can be monitored, logged and used to generate alarms to alert

supervisory staff if the cleanroom strays beyond a user-defined set of control parameters.

This enables blocked or cracked filters, failed fan motors, unexpected levels of temperature and / or humidity

etc. to be detected and rectified. There are also facilities for recording a batch I.D. to identify the process to

which each set of data relates, and for logging which members of staff were involved with each process.

A great deal of useful Management Information is generated and can be used to demonstrate historical

conformity to the required level of cleanliness as well as to analyse any variances in production processes.

Features Benefits

Programmable day to night control Can opt to use day to night pre-sets for stable shift patterns

Temperature and humidity monitoring For sensitive processes and batch identification

Validation reminders and scheduling Never let a validation lapse again with helpful reminders to book in the all-important visit

Automatic lighting control Controls lighting as well as fan speeds so only completely necessary outputs are in use

Data logging and download Download monitoring data logged for quick and easy reporting for peace of mind or use for

audit purposes

Alarm outputs and remote signalling Alarms sound to signal to production staff if the cleanroom stops reaching its ISO class

meaning actions can be taken, reducing the risk of contamination to product

Batch identification Record batch information for quality purposes

Secure log-in for access control Password protected to ensure secure access

CE Marked Meets all the appropriate provisions of the relevant legislation implementing certain European

Directives

The Closed-loop Control System

smart | clean | green

the closed-loop control system

Setup

The basic system envisages a

cleanroom with two zones –

typically a main production zone

and an ancillary zone used for

activities such as production staff

changing into cleanroom attire

and back again. Both zones are

provided with filtered air at a

pressure higher than the atmosphere outside, but if required the Closed-loop Control

System can ensure that pressure in the production zone is always higher than in the

ancillary zone, so that particles introduced into the ancillary zone will not enter. More complex setups are also

available.

If required the system can be expanded by additional Control Units which are driven by the same ECO-1 Control

Panel allowing the units to be future-proofed for further growth.

Each Control Unit can drive six filters in Zone 1 and Zone 2 with its own particle counter and temperature /

humidity sensor. Each ECO-1 Control Panel can drive up to 16 units.

Summary

The Closed-loop Control System is a fully-endorsed Connect 2 Cleanrooms initiative and one which the company

is extremely proud of. It is successfully performing in the international marketplace and many organisations are

reaping the benefits from the energy saving, auditable data monitoring and quality assurance the Closed-loop

Control System and its ECO-1 Panel provide.

“I have more than enough information for my auditors and I am making huge savings

compared to what it took to run the traditional build cleanroom in my previous

facilities. The cleanroom will pay for itself in 2 years from the dramatic saving on

my energy bills.”

- Jason Rainbow, TSC Ltd

Example of basic setup

The Closed-loop Control System

smart | clean | green

the closed-loop control system

Contact

Joe Govier - Managing Director of Connect 2 Cleanrooms & cleanroomshop.com

E mail – joe@connect2cleanrooms.com www.connect2cleanrooms.de www.cleanroomshop.com

Phone - +44 (0) 15242 74170

Mobile - +44 (0) 7947 214422