Portable Clean Rooms: Compact ISO Class 5 Clean Air Solutions

Portable Clean Rooms are compact positive-pressure systems designed to create exceptionally clean laminar airflow within a contained workspace. These systems provide a highly controlled environment for applications that require low particulate contamination, while offering a more affordable and flexible alternative to constructing a full-scale cleanroom.

Unlike traditional cleanrooms that require converting an entire room into a HEPA-filtered controlled environment, portable cleanrooms deliver localized clean air protection in a compact and mobile design. This significantly reduces installation costs, saves valuable workspace and allows users to relocate or reconfigure the unit as needed.

Common applications include laboratory work, medical and pharmaceutical environments, electronics manufacturing, biological research, food and beverage processing and other scientific or industrial processes requiring contamination control.

How Portable Clean Rooms Work

Portable Clean Rooms operate using positive pressure airflow and advanced filtration technology to maintain a clean work environment inside the hood or enclosure. Air is drawn through a multi-stage filtration system and delivered as smooth laminar airflow, minimizing turbulence and reducing airborne contamination.

The system utilizes a dual-stage filtration process consisting of:

• A MERV 8 Pre-Filter for capturing larger particulates and extending HEPA filter life.

• A HEPA Filter rated up to 99.97% efficient on particles 0.3 micrometers and larger.

For applications requiring even greater filtration performance, ULPA filters are available with efficiency ratings up to 99.9995% on particles as small as 0.12 micrometers.

This filtered airflow creates an ISO Class 5 clean environment that helps protect sensitive processes and materials from airborne contaminants.

What Makes a Portable Clean Room Effective?

The effectiveness of a portable cleanroom depends primarily on its airflow design and filtration efficiency. Laminar airflow ensures a constant, non-turbulent stream of clean air across the work area, helping sweep contaminants away from critical processes.

HEPA filtration plays a central role in maintaining cleanliness by trapping microscopic particles before air enters the workspace. In more demanding applications, ULPA filtration provides an even higher level of particulate control for ultra-clean environments.

In addition to particulate reduction, portable cleanrooms can also help regulate:

• Airflow velocity

• Positive air pressure

• Environmental contamination

• Exposure to external particulates

Benefits of Portable Clean Rooms

Portable cleanrooms provide numerous advantages over traditional fixed cleanroom installations:

• ISO Class 5 clean environment

• Reduced airborne contamination

• Compact and space-saving design

• Portable and modular configuration

• Minimal maintenance requirements

• Lower installation and operating costs

• Customization and modification options available

• Improved compliance with industry and government standards

• Controlled workspace to minimize outside interference or tampering

Portable Clean Room Models

Generation I

Generation I Portable Clean Rooms provide dependable contamination control through a simple and economical design. These systems feature straightforward ON/OFF operation and are ideal for facilities seeking an affordable cleanroom solution without major infrastructure costs.

This original design delivers effective clean air protection while maintaining ease of use and minimal maintenance requirements.

Generation II

Generation II Portable Clean Rooms offer enhanced functionality, airflow performance and operator control. This upgraded design includes a front-facing variable speed controller that allows users to adjust fan speeds according to application requirements.

Additional Generation II features include:

• Improved fan and airflow system

• Increased operational efficiency

• Running indicator light

• Enhanced ergonomic design

• Capability for PAO filter leak testing

• Support for certification requirements such as USP 797

These improvements make Generation II systems well-suited for more demanding laboratory, pharmaceutical and controlled-environment applications requiring validation and performance testing.

Portable Cleanroom Safety Considerations

The safe operation of your cleanroom is critical to protecting your application, staff, and anyone around it. A portable cleanroom should only be considered if safety measures and protocols are implemented and will be enforced by a safety engineer, or manager on hand. A few safety measurements that should be considered are:

• They should be visually inspected frequently
• Pedestrian traffic in front of the cleanroom should be limited
• Any bulky equipment should be placed at the rear of the hood
• To allow for airflow, large equipment should be raised at least 2” off the surface
• If your cleanroom is used often, a regular cleaning schedule should be established

40" Wide Portable Clean Room Gen II

Hood Dimensions:
- O.D: 24"D x 42W" x 25"H
- I.D.: 23.5"D x 40"W x 24"H

Hood Material:
- Sides: .250" White Acrylic
- Base: .500" White High Density Polyethylene
- Top: .500" Clear Polycarbonate

Front Windows:
0.250" Clear Polycarbonate

Blower Dimensions:
13" L x 13" W x 14.5" H

Total Weight:
Approx. 115 lbs.

Motor:
Fractional Horsepower

Electrical:
115/1/60, 2 amps
220/1/50, .75 amps

Sound Level:
Approx. 55 dba @ 3' from hood inlet

Max Operating Temperature:
Not to exceed 170 degrees Fahrenheit

Warranty:
Limited two-year warranty from date of shipment on defects due to materials or workmanship.

Patented Design:
U.S. PATENT #5,843,197

What is the Classification of a Portable Cleanroom?

Cleanroom classifications are defined simply by how clean the air in the room is. Federal Standard (FS) 209 (A - E) classifies a cleanroom as dependent on the number of particles in a working environment's air. More accurately, 'Cleanroom classification standards FS 209E and ISO 14644-1' require a particle count measurement and calculation in order to fully classify the "cleanliness" of an environment.

ISO 14644-1 Cleanroom Standards

BS 5295 Cleanroom Standards

* At Sentry Air Systems, our portable cleanrooms operate at an ISO 5 classification.