The birth of the modern cleanroom originated in the wartime military industry. In the 1920s, the United States first introduced the requirement for a clean production environment during the gyroscope manufacturing process in the aviation industry. To eliminate airborne dust contamination of aircraft instrument gears and bearings, they established "controlled assembly areas" in manufacturing workshops and laboratories, isolating the bearing assembly process from other production and operation areas while also supplying a constant supply of filtered air. During World War II, cleanroom technologies such as hepa filters were developed to meet the needs of war. These technologies were primarily used in military experimental research and product processing to achieve precision, miniaturization, high purity, high quality, and high reliability. In the 1950s, during the Korean War, the US military encountered widespread electronic equipment failures. Over 80% of radars failed, nearly 50% of hydroacoustic positioners failed, and 70% of the Army's electronic equipment failed. Annual maintenance costs exceeded double the original cost due to poor component reliability and inconsistent quality. Eventually, the US military identified the primary cause as dust and unclean factory environments, resulting in a low yield rate of parts. Despite stringent measures to seal off production workshops, the problem was largely resolved. The introduction of hepa air filters in these workshops ultimately resolved the issue, marking the birth of the modern cleanroom.
In the early 1950s, the US invented and produced hepa air filters, marking the first major breakthrough in cleanroom technology. This enabled the establishment of a number of industrial cleanroom in the US military and satellite manufacturing sectors, and subsequently, their widespread use in the production of aviation and marine navigation equipment, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and electronic instruments. As cleanroom technology rapidly advanced in the US, developed countries around the world also began researching and applying it. It's said that a US missile company discovered that when assembling inertial guidance gyroscopes in the Purdy workshop, rework was required an average of 120 times for every 10 units produced. When assembly was carried out in an environment with controlled dust pollution, the rework rate was reduced to just two. Comparing gyroscope bearings assembled at 1200 rpm in a dust-free environment and a dusty environment (with an average particle diameter of 3μm and a particle count of 1000 pc/m³) revealed a 100-fold difference in product lifespan. These production experiences highlighted the importance and urgency of air purification in the military industry and served as a driving force for the development of clean air technology at the time.
The application of clean air technology in the military primarily improves the performance and service life of weaponry. By controlling air cleanliness, microbial content, and other contaminants, clean air technology provides a well-controlled environment for weaponry, effectively ensuring product yield, improving production efficiency, protecting employee health, and complying with regulations. Furthermore, clean air technology is widely used in military facilities and laboratories to ensure the proper operation of precision instruments and equipment.
The outbreak of international war is stimulating the development of the military industry. This rapidly expanding industry demands a high-quality production environment, whether for improving the purity of raw materials, processing and assembling parts, or enhancing the reliability and service life of components and complete equipment. Higher requirements are being placed on product performance, such as miniaturization, high precision, high purity, high quality, and high reliability. Furthermore, the more advanced production technology becomes, the higher the cleanliness requirements for the production environment.
Cleanroom technology is primarily used in the military sector in the production and maintenance of aircraft, warships, missiles, and nuclear weapons, as well as the use and maintenance of electronic equipment during warfare. Cleanroom technology ensures the precision of military equipment and the purity of the production environment by controlling airborne contaminants such as particulate matter, hazardous air, and microorganisms, thereby improving equipment performance and reliability.
Cleanroom applications in the military sector primarily include precision machining, electronic instrument production, and aerospace. In precision machining, cleanroom provide a dust-free and sterile working environment, ensuring the precision and quality of mechanical parts. For example, the Apollo moon landing program required extremely high cleanliness levels for precision machining and electronic control instruments, where cleanroom technology played a key role. In electronic instrument production, cleanroom effectively reduce the failure rate of electronic components. Cleanroom technology is also indispensable in the aerospace industry. During the Apollo moon landing missions, not only did precision machining and electronic control instruments require ultra-clean environments, but the containers and tools used to bring back lunar rocks also had to meet extremely high cleanliness standards. This led to the development of laminar flow technology and Class 100 cleanroom. In the production of aircraft, warships, and missiles, cleanroom also ensure precision component manufacturing and reduce dust-related failures.
Cleanroom technology is also used in military medicine, scientific research, and other fields to ensure the accuracy and safety of equipment and experiments under extreme conditions. With technological advancements, cleanroom standards and equipment are constantly being upgraded, and their application in the military is expanding.
In the production and maintenance of nuclear weapons, clean environments prevent the spread of radioactive materials and ensure production safety. Electronic equipment maintenance: In combat environments, cleanroom is used to maintain electronic equipment, preventing dust and moisture from affecting its performance. Medical equipment production: In the military medical field, cleanroom ensure the sterility of medical equipment and improve its safety.
Intercontinental missiles, as a vital component of a nation's strategic forces, their performance and reliability are directly related to national security and deterrence capabilities. Therefore, cleanliness control is a crucial step in missile production and manufacturing. Inadequate cleanliness can lead to contamination of missile components, affecting their accuracy, stability, and lifespan. High cleanliness is particularly crucial for key components such as missile engines and guidance systems, ensuring stable missile performance. To ensure the cleanliness of intercontinental missiles, manufacturers implement a series of stringent cleanliness control measures, including the use of cleanroom, clean benches, cleanroom clothing, and regular cleaning and testing of the production environment.
Cleanroom is classified according to their cleanliness level, with lower levels indicating higher levels of cleanliness. Common cleanroom grades include: Class 100 cleanroom, primarily used in environments requiring extremely high cleanliness, such as biological laboratories. Class 1000 cleanroom, suitable for environments requiring high-precision debugging and production during intercontinental missile development; Class 10000 cleanroom, used in production environments requiring high cleanliness, such as the assembly of hydraulic or pneumatic equipment. Class 10000 cleanroom, suitable for general precision instrument production.
ICBM development requires Class 1000 cleanroom. Air cleanliness is crucial during the development and production of ICBMs, especially during the commissioning and production of high-precision equipment, such as laser and chip manufacturing, which typically require Class 10000 or Class 1000 ultra-clean environments. ICBM development also requires cleanroom equipment, which plays a crucial role, particularly in the areas of high-energy fuel, composite materials, and precision manufacturing. Firstly, the high-energy fuel used in ICBMs places stringent requirements on a clean environment. The development of high-energy fuels such as NEPE solid fuel (NEPE, short for Nitrate Ester Plasticized Polyether Propellant), a highly regarded high-energy solid fuel with a theoretical specific impulse of 2685 N·s/kg (equivalent to an astonishing 274 seconds). This revolutionary propellant originated in the late 1970s and was meticulously developed by the Hercules Corporation in the United States. In the early 1980s, it emerged as a new nitramine solid propellant. With its exceptional energy density, it became the highest-energy solid propellant in public record for widespread use worldwide.) requires strict control of production environment cleanliness to prevent impurities from affecting fuel performance. Cleanroom must be equipped with efficient air filtration and treatment systems, including hepa air (HEPA) and ultra-hepa air (ULPA) filters, to remove airborne particulate matter, microorganisms, and harmful substances. Fans and air conditioning systems should maintain appropriate temperature, humidity, and air flow to ensure that air quality meets production requirements. This type of fuel places extremely high demands on grain shape design (grain shape design is a core issue in solid rocket engine design, directly impacting engine performance and reliability. Grain geometry and size selection must consider multiple factors, including engine operating time, combustion chamber pressure, and thrust) and casting processes. A clean environment ensures fuel stability and safety.
Secondly, the composite casings of intercontinental missiles also require clean equipment. When composite materials such as carbon fiber and aramid fiber are woven into the engine casing, specialized equipment and processes are required to ensure material strength and lightweight. A clean environment reduces contamination during the manufacturing process, ensuring that material performance is not affected. Furthermore, the precision manufacturing process of intercontinental missiles also requires clean equipment. The guidance, communication, and propellant systems within the missiles all require production and assembly in a highly clean environment to prevent dust and impurities from affecting system performance.
In summary, clean equipment is essential in the development of intercontinental missiles. It ensures the performance and safety of the fuel, materials, and systems, thereby improving the reliability and combat effectiveness of the entire missile.
Cleanroom applications extend beyond missile development and are also widely used in military, aerospace, biological laboratories, chip manufacturing, flat-panel display manufacturing, and other fields. With the continuous emergence of new technologies in computer science, biology, and biochemistry, as well as the rapid development of high-tech industries, global cleanroom engineering industry has gained widespread application and international recognition. While the cleanroom industry faces challenges, it is also filled with opportunities. Success in this industry lies in keeping pace with technological advancements and proactively responding to market changes.
Post time: Sep-25-2025