The demand for clean production and assembly is increasing
Partially due to the growth of the hightech industry, the demand for ‘clean production and assembly’ has increased significantly in recent years, and with it the importance of the ‘clean’ supply of components and tools by suppliers. Contamination of components in the semi-conductor industry, among others, has a detrimental impact on the operation and performance of the end product, which can ultimately cost huge amounts of money.
Clean production inevitably means clean packaging. So it also encourages suppliers to think about packaging designs, materials and processes. Because when an OEM in the hightech sector sets high standards for packaging, it affects the whole chain.
Producing 'clean' in a cleanroom
Companies in the hightech sector often assemble their products in a cleanroom. A cleanroom is an enclosed space in which specific forms of contamination are eliminated or minimised to a certain level. Contamination can damage a product by solid, liquid or gaseous particles. The predefined parameters are continuously monitored in the cleanroom.
For example: temperature, humidity, electronic conductivity and electromagnetic interference. As the level, parameters and number of particles per cubic metre differ per product, sector or application, cleanrooms are classified. In the higtech sector class 7 cleanrooms are often used. At Faes we also use this type of cleanroom.
Does your customer have strict requirements for clean packaging? If so, you may have certain questions and face different challenges:
Which requirements does the packaging have to meet for your customer?
In many cases, contractors are clear about the requirements and will formulate them specifically in the application or order description. Some companies will even mention a specific type of packaging, while others will only indicate which requirements the packaging must meet. For example, which ISO standard, parameters, cleanroom type and/or material must be maintained.
But then?
The more specific your contractor is about the framework, the easier it is to select the right packaging or to have the right one produced. If the information is incomplete, make sure you ask the right questions to make sure you don’t miss the mark. This could be financially detrimental, but also damaging to your delivery performance, image and customer relationship. As experts in packaging solutions and clean packaging, we will be happy to advise you on designing the right packaging.
Do you have (sufficient) insight into your customer's application and process?
Only few companies give it much thought, but selecting the right packaging can provide a lot of added value for your customer. In that case, it is important that you know your customer well, the application of the component that you supply and the process that takes place in the customer’s cleanroom.
For example, does the packaging go all the way into the cleanroom or not? If so, which ISO standard applies? If not, is there perhaps a simpler (and more economical) solution that does not compromise product safety and performance? Your proactive approach in this matter will certainly be appreciated. We are happy to assist you in thinking about this.
What makes a packaging cleanroom-proof?
With cleanroom-proof packaging, we ensure that the outside of the box or flight case has a surface that is as smooth as possible, with few corners, ridges and edges, where contaminating particles can accumulate more easily. The same applies to plastic or metal pallets. But of course the inside, the interior, is also important. A foam interior often has an open cell structure, so that dust particles can quickly accumulate there. Because of the increasing interest in and demand for “clean delivery” we at Faes use LD45 foam for the interior, which at this moment is the best available solution for use in cleanrooms, because of the very compact cell structure of the material.
Read more about the application of LD45 foam.
Deliver clean packaging and products if you do not have a cleanroom available
Your contractor not only demands cleanroom-proof packaging, but also that packaging or even the contents be delivered completely cleaned. However, you do not have access to a cleanroom and it is not profitable for your company to install one yourself.
Returnable Packaging Service
Whatever your reason, you prefer to outsource the professional cleaning of products. In that case you can make use of Faes’ ‘Returnable Packaging Service‘. We set up a procedure whereby your durable (reusable) packaging is returned to our warehouse time and time again and is then checked, repaired and cleaned in our cleanroom.
The cleaned packaging is delivered back to you for immediate re-use or we take it in stock until the need arises. It is even possible to leave the cleaning of your components or tools and the filling of your packages to us. This efficiency saves you a lot of space, time and money.
Want to know more about clean packaging and our services?
We have a very informative white paper on what to pay attention to when it comes to cleanroom packaging. If you are interested in reading it, you can easily download it by filling out the form below.
Do you have a question to ask us directly? Simply call us or send an e-mail and one of our packaging experts will be happy to help you.
