Cleanroom Packaging is the method of using clean, certified packaging materials and sealing techniques to protect the cleanliness of precision cleaned surfaces and components. After hardware and components under go precision cleaning and cleanliness verification testing, the final step is most often the packaging. Precision cleaned parts can then be safely transported and stored outside of cleanroom environments without compromising cleanliness. The material must also be capable of protecting the part during transportation and handling, which means it must resist punctures and tearing. Additionally, the packaging material itself cannot be the source of contaminants. Particles resulting from friction between the material itself and the part inside or outgassing of plasticizers are commonly found in flexible materials in everyday commercial packaging.
TMPI uses specialized precision cleaning packaging options such as polyethylene film, nylon film, or aclar film. Polyethylene and nylon films are available in plain or antistatic varieties, which protect sensitive electronic components from damage induced by static electricity.
The plastic films that we employ undergo rigorous testing prior to use. The amount of particulate contamination and residue on the film surface is measured and then certified to a corresponding cleanliness level.
1 state of the art foil is a double layer foil (4 micro m) out of a combination of resins like poly ethylene and poly propylene of the highest cleanliness (residue and particles) provided by suppliers well versed in the requirements and specifically manufactured and cleaned for the industry with the highest demands; double foil is supposed to reduce the chances of “naturally” occurring pin holes in foils and decrease “natural” permeance of the foil material for gases incl. water vapor; double foil cannot eliminate permeance of the foil completely;
2 in the standard process, bags are evacuated twice with oil-free pumps and back-filled twice with filtered nitrogen from LN2 evaporator or generator;
3 the welding (temperature) is controlled so that foils do not disintegrate at welding;
Founded in 1958, Thermionics provides innovative Ultra-High Vacuum solutions to premier academic, scientific and research institutions around the world. TLI understands each customer’s unique requirements and designs equipment and processes that set new standards of precision and durability.