AEROSPACE

In the turbulent-flow, high-bay cleanrooms typically found in the aerospace industry, average airflow velocities are much lower than those used in unidirectional airflow systems. Large particles (e.g., foreign object debris, FOD; ≥ 10 µm) divert from slower-moving airflow streamlines more readily and deposit on surfaces and work environments. They remain there until removed by manual cleaning or are stirred up by normal personnel movements, placing critical products at risk. In these environments, traditional aerosol particle counters struggle to collect a representative sample of these larger particles. By adding surface particle monitoring, manufacturers can know when product is placed at risk due to particles that are randomly redistributed by personnel and equipment movements.

Robust solutions to these challenges include measurement of the Particle Deposition Rate (PDR) and real time alarm notification when PDR increases. SentrySciences has products that continuously and automatically monitor large particle deposition at your greatest points of risk. Particles on optical surfaces cause emittance changes and scatter light. Even on electrical surfaces, particles cause noise on electrical contacts, short circuits and even mechanical damage. These “killer” particles are typically greater than 5 µm in size, and in low airflow cleanrooms where critical manufacturing and assembly processes occur, they can directly impact product yield. Our solutions  include aerosol particle counters that monitor the effectiveness of air exchange, HEPA filter effectiveness and provide trending data to help you understand how movement in your room impacts small and large particle re-distribution. Finally, our solutions can automate your processes and trigger alarms in real-time, when PDR increases above a pre-defined limit, or when an ISO 14644-9 Surface Cleanliness Level is exceeded or when changes in the airflow system are outside of defined limits. Let us help you design a solution that protects your critical work and ensures your cleanroom infrastructure is delivering intended results. 

Our FOD solutions are at the forefront of real-time FOD monitoring and detection, large particle deposition and automated witness plate monitoring. Our innovative products can be integrated into continuous monitoring systems for FOD in compliance with ISO 14644-9 and ISO 14644-17. At SentrySciences we know that cleaning and validation is key to protecting your critical assembly areas. Our portfolio of solutions also includes portable inspection tools for cleaning verification to ensure that as your process needs change and move throughout the cleanroom, your procedures can be qualified before you put critical products at risk. Our experts can help design cleaning methods, monitoring and testing solutions, and train employees to ensure cleanroom practices are preventing the redistribution of large particles to unwanted areas or surfaces in manufacturing processes or pre-launch preparations.

Automated witness plate monitoring and particle deposition systems employ holographic imaging to detect particles >15µm and includes the ability to provide alarm notification in real-time when the PDR exceeds limits and meets the ISO 14644-17 particle deposition rate standard. 

SentrySciences’ OMT Surface Inspection products directly detect particles on technical surfaces, or witness wafers, settling plates, tape lift pads and particle trap strips to meet the ISO 14644-9 standard as an alternative to microscopic testing. 

Count on us – even after the sale! Calibration and maintenance of hardware components and monitoring system infrastructure is simple with SentrySciences. We provide rapid turnaround for calibration of aerosol particle counters and monitoring system components from our lab in Longmont, CO. Need to minimize disruption, or don’t have time to ship your instrument to us? We can calibrate on-site, and still deliver a fully traceable ISO 21501-4 compliant calibration. We are ISO 17025 accredited.