TechTalk-What Makes a Cleanroom Clean?
You’ve heard the term “cleanroom” used by DriveSavers, so you probably have a pretty good idea of what one is. But, do you know what makes a cleanroom clean?
A cleanroom is a static-controlled, dust-free environment where engineers wear special suits, masks and gloves to avoid contamination by airborne particles, chemical vapors and more. They are typically used in manufacturing and scientific research.
Air inside a cleanroom is circulated through industrial grade HEPA filters built into the walls or workbenches. The air is constantly recirculated and re-filtered to reduce contaminants, which are measured using a highly sophisticated particle counter.
The International Standards Organization (ISO) created rigid standards for cleanroom cleanliness. Cleanroom particles are noted in microns - millionths of a meter. The ISO 5 (formerly Class 100) cleanroom standard allows for up to 100,000 particles measuring just 0.1 microns in size per cubic meter of air.
Last year DriveSavers unveiled its $2 million cleanroom, used to prevent the contamination of hard drives by airborne debris when they are opened for data recovery. With over 2,000 square feet of working area, the ultra-modern cleanroom environment features an ISO 5 cleanroom and three separate mixed flow “Clean Zones”. Each static-free zone is dedicated to a specific data recovery task.
DriveSavers is the only data recovery company in the world with an ISO 5 cleanroom that has been audited and certified to meet ISO 14664-1 standards.
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