Rite-Hite Doors Help Keep Clean Rooms FDA Compliant

In the food and pharmaceutical industries, clean rooms are sensitive environments that require special attention in order to keep up with the standards and rules put forth by governing bodies like the FDA and USDA. One of the most important elements in meeting these standards is the optimization of the doorways that provide access to and seal off the surrounding environment from these rooms.

The entire concept of a clean room is based on limiting the concentration of particulates in the air inside the room. In order to limit the exchange of air between two environments, the doorway connecting them must both open and close quickly as well as effectively seal the passageway when not in use. This is where Rite-Hite’s line of high-speed clean room doors come in.

Clean Room Doors Must Open and Close Faster

Both of Rite-Hite’s roll up clean room doors, the FasTrax Clean and LiteSpeed Clean, set the industry standard for speed with the FasTrax Clean clocking in at speeds up to 100” per second (2.5m/sec) and the LiteSpeed Clean reaching speeds up to 65” per second (1.65 m/sec). The lightning-quick opening and closing action of these doors means that each passage will be as efficient as possible in terms of limiting air flow.

Clean Room Doors that Don't Compromise Seals

Clean room door seals must accomplish two things to help meet FDA standards:

• A door’s seal should keep particulates from the outside environment from trickling in through cracks while the door is closed.
• Proper seals should maintain the correct pressure gradient between two rooms. That way, when the door is opened, air is more likely to flow out rather than in. According to the FDA, “it is important to achieve a proper airflow from areas of higher cleanliness to adjacent less clean areas.” The standard for achieving this is to maintain “a positive pressure differential of at least 10-15 Pascals … between adjacent rooms of differing classification.”

In order to seal effectively, Rite-Hite’s clean room doors are constructed with non-porous materials and the door tracks are designed just the right way to allow ease of movement while also minimizing gaps that air can potentially flow through.

Clean Room Doors are Easy to Clean/Wash Down

As the name suggests, clean rooms must remain free (or as close to free as possible) from microbiological contaminants. The room for error when it comes to the room’s concentration of contaminants can vary depending on the classification of the room, but generally, all clean rooms should be very easy to clean.

Rite-Hite’s clean room doors were designed and built with the idea that nooks and crannies can make things difficult to clean. For example, there are no exposed fasteners on the door frames. This completely smooth surface means fewer crevices for dirt and contaminants to hide. Furthermore, the materials that make up the door - from the stainless steel frames to the polypropylene door fabric - are all easy to wash down as well as fully FDA compliant.

Sturdy Clean Room Doors Prevent Malfunctions

Often an afterthought when considering clean room equipment, the durability of Rite-Hite’s clean room doors should not be overlooked. Durability means less potential for malfunctions that lead to unexpected downtime. Imagine if during a routine passage the door failed mechanically, resulting in several minutes of uncontrolled air flow between two environments. Rite-Hite’s doors are at the cutting edge of the entire industry in terms of reliable design and durable material, so you can rest assured that downtime won’t be an issue.

Learn more about cleanroom and clean area usage by downloading our essential guide. This free download examines trends in the food and pharma sectors; discusses common concerns including current regulations, contamination risks, and managing the high cost of clean; and, summarizes best practices for safe, economical and compliant cleanroom implementation.

Find a Rep Contact Us