SMC Corporation Expands Its Manufacturing Capacity with the Addition of a Clean Room

 

 

SMC Corporation of America located in Noblesville, Indiana, a subsidiary of SMC Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is near completion of its ISO 5 or Class 100 clean room designed in accordance with standard ISO14644-1.

The clean room footprint is approximately 25,000 sq ft, or half a football field, and is designed with a modular aluminum honeycomb wall system which allows for layout versatility and future expansion or modifications to the clean room. The modular construction also facilitates the progression of cleanliness as an operator will put on a cleanroom suit, covered from head to toe, in an ISO 7 room, and move through air locks to progressively arrive at the ISO 5 clean room work areas.

“After successful construction of our clean room, operating and maintaining the working conditions within it will be where SMC must apply extra care. An ISO 5 clean room must always meet minimum standards across the five fundamental parameters to be defined a proper facility for human comfort. These five are: temperature, humidity, airflow, filtration, and pressure. For example, the recommended temperature for ISO 5 is 68°F (+/- 2°) for operator comfort when wearing a cleanroom suit and PPE. Relative humidity must be set at a level higher than 30% and lower than 50%; an RH below 30% will create static electrostatic discharge which can damage components or attract particulate matter, and above 50% will promote biological contaminates such as mold or bacteria growth.” explains Vice President of Operations, Chad Bosler.

“Our ISO 5 clean room will be manufacturing and assembling high purity components essential to semiconductor chip manufacturing as well as food grade products for the food and beverage industries.

All our clean components are assembled and packaged in a work environment where HEPA filtration covers 70% of the ceiling areas with a downward airflow that circulates and changes the inside air 360 times per hour while maintaining an outward positive air pressure compare to the adjacent room.” says Senior Engineer, Garrett Flora.

SMC’s clean room construction is only one of many future capital investment projects on its corporate campus in its expansion pipeline. Over the next ten years, its plan is to increase current employment of 850 workers by 35% to about 1,157 employees and invest a total of $30.2 million in industrial facilities at its headquarters by 2032.

 

About SMC Corporation of America

SMC Corporation of America, a subsidiary of SMC Corporation in Japan headquartered in Noblesville, IN, is a comprehensive manufacturer of components for the Automation, Controls, and Process industries. With technical centers in Japan, the US, Europe, and China, our vision to be the global standard for sustainable automation is realized through partnering with our customers to discover opportunities for energy and resource savings by reducing overall compressed air and electrical consumption.

Visit www.smcusa.com for more information about SMC Corporation of America.