To meet your technical cleanliness requirements
mk cleanroom conveyors boast low particle emissions, are easy to clean and certifiable to ISO standard 14644.
Manufacturing processes in micromechanics, in the production of electronic and optical devices and in the production of batteries and fuel cells are sensitive. Contamination with even the smallest of particles can lead to cost-intensive impairments of the products. For more and more industries and production processes, it is therefore becoming important to create controlled environmental conditions. These cleanrooms are differentiated according to the ISO 14644 standard from cleanroom class 1 (highest level of cleanliness) to cleanroom class 9, based on the quantity and size of the contaminating particles.
Automation in cleanrooms
The importance of automation in cleanrooms and laboratories is constantly increasing. More and more technical products require a high level of technical cleanliness during their manufacture. Manufacturers and integrators are therefore being faced with the challenge of relocating automated processes and thus also the conveyor technology to cleanrooms. Alternatively, automation solutions are also being implemented as so-called mini-environments, for example, in encapsulated plants.
Manufacturing processes in the industries mentioned above generally take place in cleanrooms or mini-environments of class 5–9. We have also designed our conveyors specifically for these cleanroom classes and can adapt them to your cleanroom concept. Based on many years of experience, we optimise belt conveyors and timing belt conveyors for use in cleanrooms. These conveyors produce minimum particle emissions and are extremely easy to clean. For example, a GUF-R 2000 cleanroom conveyor was certified for cleanroom class 4 by the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA back in 2015.
Since there are no standards for designing cleanroom conveyor technology, the knowledge and experience of the provider is crucial. Depending on requirements, the mk Technology Group makes the following adjustments compared to conventional conveyors in order to keep abrasive wear as low as possible or necessary.
- All surfaces of the mk cleanroom technology are smooth, easy to clean and protected against corrosion (for example, against cleaning fluids): a low-wear, smooth conveyor belt or conveying medium; a direct drive with appropriate motor, e.g. smooth-surface motor or drum motor; stainless steel driving rolls, slide beds etc.; closed cleanroom profiles.
- Even conveyors in cleanrooms inevitably have moving parts. Since these components potentially generate abrasive wear, they are located below the transport level and are positioned appropriately for the airflow concept.
- Optimised control strategy: cycle operation, meaning that the conveyor runs only when a product actually needs to be transported; Speed should not be higher than necessary; accumulated operation with relative movement between the conveying medium and the product conveyed is to be avoided.
Customer-specific conveyors with our own cleanroom
Our experts create the optimum conveyor technology concept based on your requirements and in accordance with the principle of technical cleanliness “as clean as necessary”, thereby ensuring that the concept is economical and focussed on your product. We also factor in ESD, LABS, micro-organisms and other aspects of technical cleanliness. In doing so, we draw on a wealth of experience from solutions that we have implemented.
The mk Technology Group has its own cleanroom, enabling us to continuously expand our expertise in cleanroom conveyor technology. After running in – with a documented decay curve – and final cleaning, we can deliver the conveyors hermetically sealed. This measure ensures rapid commissioning in your cleanroom. An individual check and certification of the conveyor by an independent testing institute is also possible.
Additional solutions for cleanrooms
In addition, mk offers an extensive aluminium profile construction kit for compatible constructions, such as mini-environments, machine frames, protective device guards or workstations. Based on groove-free cleanroom profiles and internal profile connections with no obstructing edges, these can also be implemented in a way that is suitable for cleanrooms.
Based on the mk profile system, our subsidiary mkf also offers a flexible and modular cleanroom concept. An individual cleanroom can be configured using different flush-mount wall and ceiling modules. And if your requirements change, adaptations can be made with minimum effort.
Get free advice
For custom requests, please contact our technical sales department at info(at)mk-group.com, by phone at +49 2284598-0 or using the contact form below.