Arlon upgrades cleanrooms at its Californian facility
Reduces foreign object debris and installs new air filtration equipment
Arlon Electronic Materials (a division of Rogers Corporation), a US manufacturer of speciality high performance materials used in the defence, space and avionics industries, has made significant capital investment in upgrading cleanroom facilities at its site in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, US.
The company has installed new equipment in its build-up and sheeting processes to reduce foreign object debris (FOD) and enhance cleanliness of the manufacturing process of all of its prepreg and laminate materials.
Arlon said it is moving forward with plans to expand the use of cleanroom technology into other processes throughout its operation for the rest of this year and next.
Key improvements include enclosing prepreg sheeting and build-up areas using modular technology, resulting in dramatically smaller spaces to keep free of particle contaminants. The overall footprint of the build-up area has been reduced by more than 50%, enhancing environmental control and particle reduction.
The improved cleanrooms with substantially reduced particle counts are rated ISO Class 7 (Class 10,000).
A new air filtration system results in 50 to 60 volumetric air exchanges every hour and creates positive pressure within the room. This ensures the constant filtration and introduction of cleaner air, which aids in the removal of any residual particulates.
Particle count data indicates a 70% reduction in airborne particles during the build-up process since the installation of the various cleanroom technologies.
The company has always used HEPA-filtered air and daily room cleaning protocols to keep particulates to a minimum. The implementation of new cleanroom equipment and controlled air flow has allowed operational cleanliness to reach a higher standard.
