VALVE MAGAZINE Summer 2024

HIGH-PURITY LAB SET UP

Foot traffic should be kept to a minimum to avoid unnecessary dust and fibers from collecting in the area. The test equipment should be kept far away from metallur gical saws and machining tools. A regular dusting and cleaning routine for all surfaces is critical. When possible, the testing area should have a positive air pressure by forcing filtered air into the room and enabling the air to flow toward the floor and out beneath/ through the doorway or other exhaust vents on the floor. This is the ideal way to control excess dust and fibers from collecting on your test equipment. If you discover that you cannot pass a blank-value test because of fibers or small dust particles, consider the location of your equipment and the airflow in that space. Measurement equipment Most cleanliness requirements can be measured with the same types of equip ment. It is important to have the proper glassware (beakers, vacuum flask, filtration funnels, fritted-glass filter holder and so on) that fits the size and number of components you need to analyze. This also holds true for

There are several key points your quality team should consider before moving forward with requirements that might be impossible to reach with your current equipment.

Layout The layout and workflow of your test lab can impact your results (especially blank tests). Cleanliness testing results do not need to be an expression of how clean your entire lab room is (unless absolutely necessary). It is important that your test process is isolated from the open-air environment of the plant as much as possible. Test processes should be isolated from the open-air envi ronment of the facility as much as possible. Also, consider the layout and workflow of the test equipment,

any rinsing trays or cabinets; the component to be tested must fit easily and safely inside to capture the contami nants that are rinsed off. Large parts may require fixtures to hold the component at certain angles to rinse the necessary areas for analysis. You might also need a much larger flask to hold the amount of fluid necessary for each test. For the actual particle measurement process, you must confirm that your microscope is capable of reporting the particle size and count requirements for the new specifi cation. For example, if your lab has followed the ISO 4406 particle counting standard in the past, this does not neces sarily mean that your microscope is appropriate for the ISO 16232 standard. Contact your microscope manufacturer to discuss your specific needs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Feamster is the product management director for Jomesa North America Inc.,. a manufacturer of microscopic filter analysis equipment.

31

SUMMER 2024

VALVE-MEDIA.COM