Recognising excellence: The Cleanzone Awards 2020

Am 3. September nominierte die Jury der Cleanzone Awards 2020 sieben herausragende Projekte. (Quelle: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH) / On 3 September, the panel of judges for the Cleanzone Awards 2020 selected seven outstanding projects. (Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH)

Outstanding innovations generate excitement for the future – for the cleanroom industry and beyond. That is why the Cleanzone Award honours outstanding projects that promise key benefits for their users and for the cleanroom industry as a whole.

On 3 September, the panel of judges for the Cleanzone Awards 2020 got together for their virtual meeting. The team of specialists from the fields of academia, engineering, journalism and cleanroom technology evaluated twelve submissions.
The panel is made up of Egon Buchta, Managing Director, Ingenieurbüro & Reinraumservice Egon Buchta GmbH; Dr. Roy Fox, Editor-in-Chief of the ReinRaumTechnik trade journal; Josef Ortner, owner of Ortner Reinraumtechnik GmbH; Prof. Andreas Schmid, Dean of the Life Sciences Faculty at Albstadt-Sigmaringen University; and Anja Diete, Director of Cleanzone.

Every one of the entrants’ projects has a great deal of potential – so much, in fact, that the award’s panel faced quite a challenge. Finally, after much back and forth and dozens of arguments for and against, the panel selected seven finalists in an open process. However, the final decision lies with the visitors to Cleanzone.

The international trade fair for cleanroom technology is taking place on 18 and 19 November 2020. Both the trade fair and the industry are utilising high-tech to avoid contamination through micro-organisms, pathogens and particles – and one of the reasons they are doing so is to make face-to-face encounters and the advantages they bring possible again soon.
Beckman Coulter GmbH has been chosen as one of the finalists for its MET one 3400+, an air particle counter that automates the routine monitoring of GMP cleanrooms.

Josef Ortner, owner of Ortner Reinraumtechnik GmbH, offered his analysis: “By automating some data importation and employing modern visualisation technology directly with the measurement equipment, this innovation improves measurement processes while significantly increasing process security.”

Another favourite of the panel is the Fan-Filter-Module submitted by Colandis GmbH. Its compact construction allows for flexible utilisation, while its low energy consumption contributes to sustainability efforts.

Egon Buchta, Managing Director of Ingenieurbüro & Reinraumservice Egon Buchta GmbH: “The wide-ranging application possibilities in standard ceilings are a big advantage – it can be used in new cleanrooms or retrofitted to upgrade existing facilities.”

Contec’s ReFIBE wipes also made a real impression. Designed for applications where single-use is a necessity, these polyester wipes are made entirely from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

Prof. Andreas Schmid: “I believe that using recycled PET bottles to clean cleanrooms is an innovative contribution to increasing sustainability for disposable consumables.”

The concept submitted by Initial Textil Service GmbH & Co KG is ‘playful’ in the most literal sense of the word. The board game created by the CWS Group company uses game play to impart cleanroom knowledge with 600 questions in six categories.

Dr. Roy Fox, Editor-in-Chief of the ReinRaumTechnik trade journal: “The game helps test fundamental knowledge and what has been learnt. The company not only thought outside the box – they put their concept inside one.”

The panel was also impressed by the hood-goggles combination created by Dastex Reinraumzubehör. Two clicks and pulling two straps is all it takes for snugly-fitting goggles – and the circumference of the hood is automatically adjusted at the same time.

Prof. Andreas Schmid, Dean of the Life Sciences Faculty at Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, is certain: “The innovative hood-goggles combination will greatly simplify the process of properly donning goggles – a process that can otherwise be prone to contamination.”

Fraunhofer IPA submitted 2ndSCIN®, a breathable, textile protective cover that is suitable for use in cleanrooms. It also can be individually adapted to the requirements of dynamic automation components. The panel thought quite highly of its capabilities.

Anja Diete, Director of Cleanzone: “They have created a highly intelligent bionic protective sleeve whose sensors allow it to register the data of its environment and employ it using artificial intelligence.”

An innovative coating of textile surfaces with special paints also scored a nomination. The project submitted by the Textilforschungsinstitut Thüringen-Vogtland e.V. textile research institute and the Ortner company involves the application of a protective coating to textiles that is only 100 nanometres thick. This coating shields them against things such as cyanobacteria and moulds.

Dr. Roy Fox, Editor-in-Chief of the ReinRaumTechnik trade journal: “It is an excellent example of modern, interdisciplinary collaboration: innovative, creative and at the forefront of modern science and developments. Surface functionalisation for the 21st century!”

Cleanzone is taking place on 18 and 19 November 2020. The event is aimed at decision-makers from all industries that use or build cleanroom production facilities or that are considering their future use to ensure high product quality – from the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries to the food industry, the field of microtechnology and the automotive industry.