A new product, set to minimise the costs associated with manufacturing to GMP air standards, has received great interest since its launch at a UK trade event.
The HEPA-lite was unveiled at Interplas earlier this month and generated a significant number of enquiries from firms seeking a cost-effective solution to preventing product contamination during manufacture.
Created by modular cleanroom specialist Connect 2 Cleanrooms, HEPA-lite is a mobile, adjustable cleanroom unit which can be fitted at mission-critical elements of the manufacturing process line. It provides localised filtered air to protect processes from contamination, without the need to enclose the entire machine set-up within a cleanroom environment.
Managing director of Connect 2 Cleanrooms, Joe Govier, said he was delighted at how HEPA-lite had been received.
“We designed the HEPA-lite in order to overcome a specific problem and the visitors to our stand at Interplas were able to identify with that issue and realise the benefits of our product,” he said. “We wanted to help manufacturers to overcome the significant time and cost barriers associated with creating a Class 5-9 environment or ISO 14644-1 compliant production line, thereby creating opportunities to bid for a wider range of work. HEPA-lite can easily be fitted over mission-critical manufacturing processes to deliver the required air purity standards – removing the need for the entire production line to be contained within a cleanroom environment. The product can also help manufacturers gain greater competitive advantage through advanced process control.”
HEPA-lite has been through a strategic development process and is the result of solutions-focused research by Connect 2 Cleanrooms, which aims to create products that will solve real-life problems for customers.
The modular system is designed with flexibility in mind. Low, braked castors and angle-adjustable legs make the product easy to slide under machinery and the C-frame itself is built bespoke to requirements. Its minimal footprint makes it ideal for workspaces where space is at a premium.
HEPA-lite is ideal for use on injection moulding machines, for example protecting the mould area, and can be adapted for use on conveyor systems and process and flow lines. It is expected to be particularly attractive to manufactures in healthcare, pharmaceutical and food sectors, for both product and packaging.
Being mobile, HEPA-lite is easy to manoeuver, making it simple to perform cleaning, tool changes or to carry out maintenance on the machinery. The product features integrated LED lighting and a digital pressure differential transmitter with digital output. This enables the manufacturer to specify upper and lower thresholds for air pressure requirements and triggers an audible and visual warning alarm, should pressure vary outside these parameters.
HEPA-lite can also be customised to suit manufacturers’ individual needs. Side panel options are available, with either a softwall curtain or clear acrylic hardwall, and the product can be supplied with the customer’s branding.
