Halberstadt: More cleanroom space
At Novoplast Schlauchtechnik in Halberstadt, the expansion of the clean room has been completed. Jörg Pflaum, Technical Operations Manager, was the internal construction manager for the project - and answered our questions about it.
Hello Mr. Pflaum, a quick question: What exactly is a cleanroom?
A cleanroom is a room which, depending on the cleanroom class, may contain a defined, limited quantity of airborne particles. Airborne particles are all particles and substances that are suspended in the air and, for the most part, cannot even be seen with the naked eye.
And what exactly does Novoplast Schlauchtechnik produce in the clean room?
We produce technical hoses there for medical applications and for applications in the field of microelectronics.
The clean rooms have now been enlarged. Why was that necessary?
Novoplast Schlauchtechnik is pursuing ambitious growth targets that could no longer be met with the existing cleanroom capacities.
How much cleanroom space will Novoplast Schlauchtechnik have in total in the future and according to which classes are these certified?
The cleanroom area has been increased by 380 m² to now 1330 m² and corresponds to Class 7 (Editor's note: The classification of cleanrooms according to DIN EN ISO 14644-1 divides cleanrooms into Classes 1 to 9, with each class defining a maximum limit for the maximum number and size of airborne particles).
Which products will be manufactured in the new cleanroom in the future?
In the future, in addition to tubing and components for medical technology applications, we want to offer more secondary processes such as the molding of tips and the forming or printing of components. This also requires more production space.
What was the biggest challenge during the rebuild - and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge was to connect the new cleanroom to the existing plant without interrupting production. The fact that this was achieved outstandingly well was the result of close coordination between production and the construction companies. Much of the work was carried out over the weekend. In terms of its complexity (connecting the various media supply systems), the entire operation can be compared to open-heart surgery. Building on a greenfield site is simpler and easier to plan.
Surely more cleanroom capacity goes hand in hand with increased personnel requirements? Will new employees be hired or current employees retrained?
Yes, there is a need for additional personnel. Furthermore, our employees will also have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills with regard to the production processes.
Thank you very much for the interview, Mr. Pflaum!
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