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THE BRIEF HOSTORY OF CLEAN ROOM

Clean Room

Wills Whitfield

You may know what a clean room is, but do you know when they started and why? Today, we are going to take a closer look at the history of clean rooms and some interesting facts that you may not know.

The beginning

The first clean room identified by historians dates all the way back to the mid-19th century, where sterilized environments were being used in hospital operating rooms. Modern clean rooms, however, were created during WWII where they were used to produce and manufacture top-of-the-line weaponry in a sterile and safe environment. During the war, US and UK industrial manufacturers designed tanks, airplanes, and guns, contributing to the success of the war and providing the military with weaponry that was needed.
Although no exact date can be pinpointed to when the first clean room existed, it is known that the HEPA filters were being used throughout clean rooms by the early 1950s. Some believe that clean rooms date back to World War I when there was a need to segregate the work area to reduce cross-contamination between manufacturing areas.
Regardless of when they were established, contamination was the problem, and clean rooms were the solution. Continually growing and constantly changing for the betterment of projects, research, and manufacturing, clean rooms as we know them today are recognized for their low levels of pollutants and contaminants.

Modern clean rooms

The clean rooms you are familiar with today were first established by American physicist Wills Whitfield. Prior to his creation, clean rooms had contamination due to particles and unpredictable airflow throughout the room. Seeing a problem that needed to be fixed, Whitfield created clean rooms with a constant, high-filtration airflow, which is what is used throughout clean rooms today.
Clean rooms can vary in size and are used for a variety of industries such as scientific research, software engineering and manufacturing, aerospace, and pharmaceutical production. Though the “cleanliness’ of clean rooms has changed throughout the years, their purpose has always remained the same. As with the evolution of anything, we expect the evolution of clean rooms to continue, as more and more research is conducted and air filtration mechanics continue to improve.
Maybe you already know the history behind clean rooms or maybe you didn't, but we are guessing that you don't know everything there is to know. As the clean room experts, providing our clients with the high-quality clean room supplies they need to stay safe while working, we thought you may like to know the most interesting facts about clean rooms. And then, you may even learn a thing or two you want to share.

Five things you didn’t know about clean rooms

1. Did you know that a motionless person standing in a clean room still emits more than 100,000 particles per minute? That is why it is so important to wear the right clean room garments which you can find here at our store. The top four things that you need to wear in a clean room should be a cap, cover/apron, mask and gloves.
2. NASA relies on clean rooms to continue growth for the space program as well as continued development in airflow technology and filtration.
3. More and more food industries are using clean rooms to manufacture products that rely on high sanitation standards.
4. Clean rooms are rated by their class, which is dependent on the number of particles found in the room at any given time.
5. There are many different types of contamination that can contribute to product failure and inaccurate testing and results, such as micro organisms, inorganic materials, and air particles. The clean room supplies that you use can reduce contamination error such as wipes, swabs, and solutions.
Now, you can truly say you know everything there is to know about clean rooms. Okay, maybe not everything, but you do know who you can trust to provide you with everything you need while working in a clean room.

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Post time: Mar-29-2023