Products
Special solution for cleanroom shoes
HEUTE Maschinenfabrik offers individual customised solutions for special requirements. Find out everything about our machine for cleaning cleanroom shoes at the Austrian company Infineon Technologies Austria AG.
- Published: 03.09.2019
- Author: Rebekka Winkens
The initial situation
As a manufacturer of power electronics, e.g. chips for automotive, industrial and consumer electronics, Infineon Technologies in Villach / Austria has very high demands on hygiene and cleanliness. Even the smallest particles can make a chip unusable.
Therefore, the sensitive products are manufactured in clean rooms. As few particles as possible should be present in these areas. For this reason, employees at Infineon change their shoes before entering the highly sensitive areas. In special changing areas, the "normal" work shoes are exchanged for cleanroom shoes.
Cleanroom shoes have special properties such as a low static charge and a high slip resistance. They are also easier to clean and disinfect than other shoes.
At Infineon, employees work in three shifts, so there are always cleanroom shoes in constant use that require thorough cleaning to be ready for use in the cleanroom the next day. This cleaning is carried out by a service employee who cleans the shoes individually and makes them available for reuse.
The challenge
Therefore an inquiry was made to the company HEUTE. A cleaning machine for the soles of the cleanroom shoes was required. This should be mobile, since there are three access points to clean rooms in the company. In addition, it should function as self-sufficiently as possible, since no additional connections (e.g. water or compressed air) are available in the changing areas. Of course, the cleaning function should still be excellent in order to remove even the smallest particles and adhesions and thus guarantee the product safety of the chips produced. The machine should also clean and bind dust in the sole profiles and heel areas that cannot be removed with standard adhesive mats.
The solution
The custom-made product of HEUTE Maschinenfabrik is a mobile sole washer with integrated dryer. The machine is compact despite the various functions and can be moved on rollers. It is therefore easy for the employee to handle and can easily be driven from one changing area to the next.
It only needs a power connection, as a storage tank for water with a dirt remover is already integrated. This tank is filled at the beginning of the shift so that no further liquid needs to be added at the site of use. The principle works like a bird bath. The cleaning solution collects in a basin. The size of the basin is calculated exactly in such a way that in the event of a loss of liquid, exactly the right quantity is added from the storage tank. There is a brush in the basin which can be activated via a foot pedal. The employee has both hands free to press the sole of the cleanroom shoe onto the rotating bristles.
Special production of HEUTE Maschinenfabrik for the cleaning of clean room shoes soles.
The dryer can be started via a second foot pedal. This dryer is operated by a motor inside the machine. Compressed air is expelled via a hose from a narrow opening in the front area of the machine. The operator can now pull the shoe that has just been cleaned over the opening and the compressed air ensures fast and effective drying. The blown off liquid is led via the housing back into the water basin. Since the shoes may be put back only in dry condition into the shoe shelves.
The device has been in use since summer 2018 and has already cleaned and dried many thousands of cleanroom shoes in the meantime.
Similar challenges?
If you have similar hygiene or cleanliness requirements and are looking for a suitable solution, do not hesitate to contact us.
We will be happy to support you with our extensive experience in the field of cleaning solutions to solve your individual problems together.
Do you have any questions or suggestions?
We are looking forward to your message.
