Manufacturing environments that must be kept pollutant-free because of the product’s requirements are more commonly referred to as “clean rooms.” Industries where you typically find these requirements include:
- aerospace industries
- beverages
- electronics
- food
- pharmaceutical
Because the products produced by the beverage, food, and pharmaceutical industries are destined for human consumption, they must be contaminate-free in order to be sold on the market. Furthermore, aerospace and electronic products must be produced in a clean room environment because they are sensitive and could lead to immediate failure if they get contaminated during their manufacture.
Because a contaminant-free environment is critical in the manufacture of the products mentioned above, all equipment that is installed or placed in a clean room must comply with some very strict standards. This includes material lifting and handling equipment (i.e. cranes). For example, in order to meet the stringent standards that NASA requires, many companies today are designing their clean room equipment. The following is a list of special features one often finds on NASA equipment that was manufactured in a clean room environment:
- Debris shield positioned beneath the lower block helps prevent wire rope debris from reaching a spacecraft’s components
- Diamond-shaped, stainless steel track used in conjunction with festoons in order to eliminate debris and dust gathering areas
- Runaway conductor bars that are coated in an extruded plastic to help prevent debris from escaping into the clean room environment
- Self-locking, stainless steel fasteners that will ensure no fallout from the crane (e.g. Bolts and other debris)
- Shielded electrical enclosures ensure that EMI or RFI don’t reach the spacecraft
- Walkways equipped with continuing kick plates for capturing debris and dirt
These are just some of the more common examples of components and equipment that are manufactured in clean rooms for NASA. Many crane manufacturers today are producing clean room equipment today and have incorporated it into their product assortment. In fact, some companies are producing only clean room materials handling equipment. Cranes and other equipment that is being developed for clean room environments are adapted to the specific requirements of each industry.
Cleanliness and hygiene standards must be made throughout in order to preserve the purity of manufacturing and production environments. Special lubricants, materials, and surfaces are utilized in the manufacture of clean room cranes so the air within those environments doesn’t get contaminated and the manufacturing process isn’t hindered in any way. For many crane manufacturers, this places considerable demand on the purity of the product. If a business is looking to invest in gantry crane, it is important to ensure that they work with the right supplier. Get the right price by comparing costs and features of the crane.
