Frequently Asked Questions
Data Clean is pleased to provide our customers and site visitors with useful information. Below are some of the usual questions we hear on a day to day basis. If you have a specific question please contact us.
- What is a controlled environment?
- Why should I clean my controlled environment?
- Why can't my regular maintenance people take care of my clean room?
- Why should I use a professional specialty company like Data Clean?
- How long have you been doing cleanroom maintenance?
- How often should I have my facility cleaned?
- Do I have to shut down my operations to have my facility cleaned?
- Do you work on weekends or at night?
- How much does it cost?
- Can you give me a good definition of the different Clean Room Classes?
For an overview of standards please view our Summary Of Different Clean Room Standards
What is a controlled environment?
Any area that is restricted to general use because of:
- Special contamination requirements
- Special power requirements
- Special security concerns
- Special temperature or humidity control
All of these areas are typically overlooked by the regular janitorial staff. All of these areas need to be cleaned just like any other area of the building. And in the case of special contamination requirements, the area will need to be cleaned more often.
Examples of controlled environments include:
Cleanrooms, computer rooms, telecom/datacom closets or termination rooms, telecom/datacom switching centers; cable head ends; cellular communication shacks and hubs; specialized production environments; laboratories; biomedical facilities, clean rooms, CLASS 10 and under.
Why should I clean my controlled environment?
Your equipment needs it.
Typically, the equipment within a controlled environment is special and requires its own environment. An environment will not stay clean by itself.
Your staff needs it.
Nobody likes having to work in a dirty room
Why can't my regular maintenance people take care of my clean room?
Regular janitorial service is not enough.
In the majority of cases your regular janitorial service cannot provide the level of service your facility requires. Your data processing centre needs a preventative maintenance program carried out by trained and experienced professionals.
Data Clean has over 26 years experience in cleaning controlled environments and we carry out this service all over the world. Our staff are trained in how to work and behave in a controlled environment. The products and techniques we use have been tried and tested for 26 years.
Why should I use a professional specialty company like Data Clean?
As AFCOM and the Uptime Institute studies show: A clean computer room will help prevent costly downtime and the loss of valuable data.
Like so many disciplines, even cleaning has its specialties. Data Clean has over 26 years experience in cleaning controlled environments and we carry out this service all over the world. Our staff is trained in how to work and behave in a controlled environment. The products and techniques we use have been tried and tested for 26 years.
How long have you been doing cleanroom maintenance?
For over 26 years!
Since 1979 Data Clean Corporation has provided its clients with the highest level of computer room cleaning possible. As the industry leader in computer room preventative maintenance, Data Clean has helped thousands of clients - including IBM, Unisys, Rockwell International, State farm Insurance and AT&T - increase productivity. And at the same time, saved their clients money by reducing downtime and the loss of data.
How often should I have my facility cleaned?
The short answer is, it depends.
It depends on how clean you need it to be and how much contamination is introduced to the facility by the activities conducted within the facility. Some facilities are cleaned daily, or more often (i.e. before each shift), while others are cleaned on a yearly or even less frequent basis.
Do I have to shut down my operations to have my facility cleaned?
No. Shutdowns and downtime are a concept of the past.
Our technicians work around your operations and your staff. However special consideration must be given to dangerous equipment or other hazardous situations.
Do you work on weekends or at night?
Yes, we work 7 days a week...24 hours a day.
We try to accommodate every customer's schedule request.
How much does it cost?
The short answer is, it depends.
There are several factors which influence the price of our services. These include, facility size, existing contamination level, desired contamination level, equipment density, and cleaning frequency.
Can you give me a good definition of the different Clean Room Classes?
Clean Rooms are specified by their class of cleanliness.
While there are many factors, the class system allows people to use a generally similar frame of reference. In the US most people use Federal Standard 209E which defines the classes, how to measure them and how to report them. Until you get to a real clean facility, the reference particle size is 0.5 microns. By measuring how many such dirt particles are in a cubic foot of atmosphere, you define the class. The bigger the number, the dirtier the room.
For instance:
CLASS 100,000 (100,000 0.5 micron particles per cubic foot of atmosphere)
Typical for a computer room. Besides restricted access and positive pressurization, no special garments or procedures are required.
CLASS 10,000 (10,000 0.5 micron particles per cubic foot of atmosphere)
Typical for a hospital operating room. Some types of factories use this class of room. Clean Room coats or bunny suits, head covers and booties are required. Air enters the room through HEPA filters. (High Efficiency Particle Accumulation) Access is restricted. Room is positively pressurized relative to surrounding space.
CLASS 1,000 (1,000 0.5 micron particles per cubic foot of atmosphere)
Typical for making computer disk drives or other sensitive materials. Same rules as Class 10,000 but workers are required to wear gloves and full hoods as part of the clean room wardrobe. More frequent air changes in the room. Again, all air is constantly filtered through HEPA filters and the number of air changes per hour is very large.
CLASS 100 (100 0.5 micron particles per cubic foot of atmosphere)
Typical for special semiconductors like computer memory. Also used for some pharmaceuticals. Includes all protective clothing as above but full face masks are required here.
CLASS 10 to CLASS 1 and cleaner (10 to 1, 0.5 micron particles per cubic foot of atmosphere)
The classification for large semiconductor fabrication where even the slightest amount of contamination will cause product failures. Workers wear complete suits, with face masks. Breathing is done through a respirator to filter workers' breath and prevent breathing from contaminating the space.
In general, all of these facilities have the air directed from HEPA filters straight at the work. The term is “product gets first air”. This means that the air is the cleanest as it leaves the filter and that cleanest air should come in contact with the product being manufactured before coming in contact with anything else especially people. The closer the product is to the source of filtered air, the more likely it is that the product will be defect free.
