Pure seating pleasure

Referenz Bosch in Reutlingen / Caption: Reference project: Bosch in Reutlingen, Germany (Foto: © Interstuhl – Marke Bimos)

Referenz IDT, Dessau / Caption: Reference project: IDT in Dessau, Germany (Foto: © Interstuhl – Marke Bimos)

Very high demands are placed on every object used in a cleanroom. Even the smallest of parti-cle emissions represent a threat to the quality of the products manufactured and the process-es carried out in cleanrooms. It therefore goes without saying that you should only use work-place equipment that is proven to be free from emissions in cleanrooms. This applies particu-larly to workplace chairs. Given that they are objects made of different materials and which contain soft components that may therefore have an affect on the air quality, as well as the fact that they must also support people at work and move with them while they are seated, chairs are one of the more complex pieces of equipment found in a cleanroom.

Where are cleanroom chairs used? Not every laboratory is a cleanroom. However, virtually every cleanroom is a laboratory. "Clean" or "sterile" rooms are particularly indispensable in microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, micro-system production, optics, medical engineering and healthcare.

Workplace chairs used in cleanrooms should have sealed upholstery, smooth, closed surfaces and enclosed mechanisms. They must consist only of materials which are suitable for clean-rooms and are largely free of emissions.

To meet air purity class 3 according to DIN EN ISO 14644-1, a chair must only emit a maximum of 8 particles of ≥ 1.0 µm in size per cubic metre of air or a maximum of 1000 particles of ≥ 0.1 µm in size. This ratio would be comparable to having a cherry pit in Lake Constance in central Eu-rope. To meet these very strict requirements, Bimos – the leading manufacturer of laboratory chairs in Europe – has been working closely with industry and research for a number of years. This has enabled us to develop chairs which meet air purity class 3 according to DIN EN ISO 14644-1 and cleanroom class 1 according to the US Federal Standard 209E. In addition, all clean-room chairs from Bimos have electrostatic discharge capacities in accordance with EN 61340-5-1.

But what makes a workplace chair a cleanroom chair? The smooth, closed surfaces of the seat and backrest shell prevent any particle deposits collecting on the chair in working environ-ments where the air is constantly swirled by the filter system. Synthetic leather, upholstery and upholstery supports are sealed and firmly attached to each other so that any particle emis-sion is reliably avoided. The sealed design of the seat and backrest cover seals off all moving parts of the chair mechanism and this prevents an outward release of particles. These covers are manufactured from sheet steel and are therefore abrasion-resistant and robust. The syn-thetic leather covers used are non-slip and offer firm support even when you are wearing smooth cleanroom clothing. To protect sensitive components and to prevent dust from depos-iting, all of the parts of a cleanroom chair offer electrostatic discharge capacities and therefore provide reliable protection against electrostatic charge. All of the chairs are fitted with a pol-ished aluminium, abrasion-resistant base.

However, there are also special requirements for cleanroom chairs with respect to ergonom-ics. Cleanroom chairs from Bimos are GMP-compliant without compromise and meet the Eu-draLex guidelines formulated by the European Commission.

For over 50 years, Bimos has ensured that seating keeps people productive, healthy and happy at every workplace. This is why, in addition to its high-end range of chairs for cleanrooms, Bi-mos also offers flexible and affordable solutions which are fully suited to cleanrooms.