
Cleanrooms on the Cutting Edge
Every day things get a little bit faster. The chips that run our computers become smaller and more powerful. The quickness with which information travels increases exponentially. And medical and technical innovations change the landscape of what’s possible. The world of cleanrooms is no different. In fact, cleanrooms enable these technologies by offering spaces for the manufacturing of the parts and components of innovation. To be a part of the advancement of our society, we have to know how society is moving. And to stay relevant with the world of cleanrooms, it’s important to know what’s around the corner.
In this month’s blog post we look at 3 examples of cutting-edge ways cleanrooms are changing the face of technology and innovation, and how cleanroom supplies are vital to progress.
Clean Gardens
Food technology is one area where advances are constant. In fact, one Japanese company is producing the world’s cleanest lettuce out of its 2,000 square foot clean room. In an effort to utilize a previously vacant fab, Fujitsu, a company best known for supercomputers, has been turning engineers into gardeners. As with anything produced in a cleanroom, Fujitsu’s lettuce is tightly controlled. From the seedling to the compost every step in the plant’s production is made with precision.
The production of cleanroom food is catching on. But unlike producing integrated circuits or medical equipment, producing clean food requires a truly hands-on approach. So every green thumb requires a glove to match. That’s why at Hutchins & Hutchins we carry some of the most durable, effective gloves and garments to keep clean gardens clean, and ensuring the advancement of this exciting field of discovery.
Class 10 Innovation
Some of the cleanest cleanrooms are used to manufacture integrated circuits. These are the silicone-based technologies that enable some of the most powerful machines the world has ever seen. And at the forefront of integrated circuit technology is Intel. Their Fab 23 cleanroom is an incredible example of the size, scale and precision required to stay relevant in this ever-growing industry.
Fab 23 is a Class 10 facility. And it is the size of two football pitches. Technicians and scientists work 12-hour shifts in the cleanroom and closely monitor every step in the manufacturing process. It takes hundreds of steps to transform perfectly pure silicone into a circuit board that helps run supercomputers and other technologies. Across those hundreds of steps it takes people to keep a close eye on the process. They ensure no problems arise, and if they do they act fast to resolve the issue. To enable this monitoring system they use cleanroom computers. These are highly effective devices that meet cleanroom standards.
Enabling scientists like those who work at Fab 23 is part of the reason we at Hutchins & Hutchins do what we do. We carry the same type of cleanroom computers used by the best in the business. Helping scientists make breakthroughs in technology that enables the world around us. Fab 23 represents the epitome of the facilities that help move our society forward.
The Softer Side of Cleanrooms
Another cutting-edge way cleanrooms are used to advance our world is in space technology. In fact, as you read this blog post European scientists are preparing to send two orbiters to Mars to continue our push to understand the cosmos. But it takes a lot of hard work to prepare a mission to mars. The science is mind-boggling. Every instrument must be perfectly constructed and calibrated, every piece of the rocket precise in its functioning. And to ensure no earthly particles confuse things, the orbiters must be completely clean.
The trouble, however, is that every launching station isn’t equipped with cleanroom facilities. That’s why companies like Hutchins & Hutchins provide softwall cleanrooms. For the scientists in Europe a cleanroom tent is required to prepare the heavy-duty transporter plane for launch. It’s these sorts of mobile cleanroom units that enable discovery to continue and exploration of our universe possible.
Cleanrooms and cleanroom supplies are crucial our society moving forward, and at Hutchins & Hutchins we are proud to be a part of that advancement.