Medical Device Cleaning and Passivating Equipment with a Cleanroom Space Constraint

Cleanroom Cleaning Equipment Background

Large medical device manufacturers have outsourced much of their manufacturing to contract manufacturers for a long time.  It’s always exciting to see small businesses succeed and grow.  But sometimes business growth can lead to growing pains.  Such was the case with a growing medical device manufacturer in Minneapolis recently.  Parts manufactured are medical device needles, cannula and other small, tight aspect ratio stainless steel instruments.

Customer demand was up, production was hitting record levels and the company was growing. New manufacturing processes and lines were needed to keep up with demand – including a new medical device cleaning and passivating line.  In their clean room….In their already tightly packed clean room.

Sure, an additional clean room could be built – or the current clean room expanded.  But customer turn around time and cost both argued for another approach.  Enter the E992 Automated Parts Washing and Passivation System.

How This Automatic Parts Washer is Different

Unlike every other parts washing and passivating system on the market, the E992 moves the solution not the parts. By moving the solutions and not the parts, only the processing tank is in the clean room and all four of the fluid storage tanks (alkaline wash, acid passivation and two DI rinse tanks) sit in the storage area next door to the clean room.

In a typical parts cleaning system, each stage requires a separate tank – one for washing, one for rinsing, etc.  The same is true with passivating lines.  With the E992 there is a single tank that the dirty parts are placed into.  Once secured with the lid closed, the E992 system draws alkali wash solution from a storage tank and floods the processing tank where the parts are.  After the cleaning cycle, the wash solution is filtered and pumped back into the storage tank and the processing tank is then flooded with a DI rinse.  After the first rinse, the rinse water is filtered and pumped back into it’s storage tank and a 2nd round of rinsing takes place with a DI rinse from a second storage tank.  Finally, the 2nd rinse is returned to its storage tank and the acid passivation fluid is pumped in.  Two more rounds of rinses and then the system turns into a dryer.  When the lid opens, fully cleaned, passivated, rinsed and dried parts are ready for final packaging and shipping to the customer.

Complete, Small Cleanroom Cleaning Equipment Footprint of Automated Passivation System Process Tank

Clean, 2 Rinse and Acid Passivation Solution Tanks In Storage Room Outside Clean Room

Oh, and that tightly packed clean room?

A simple header through the wall allows the lines carrying the liquid in and out of the processing tank to enter the clean room and keep it clean.  It seems that sometimes some growing pains don’t have to be quite so painful. This automatic parts washer system not only costs less than traditional multi-tank passivation equipment but also saved this customer 150 sq. ft. of clean room space.

Video: Medical Device Clean Room Space Saving Automated Part Cleaning and Passivation System

Video: Passivation Storage Tanks Outside Clean Room