What Is an Air Shower for Cleanroom?

In controlled environments like laboratories, pharmaceutical facilities, and electronics manufacturing, maintaining sterility and contamination control is critical. An air shower is a specialized self-contained chamber designed to remove dust, particles, and microorganisms from personnel or equipment before they enter a cleanroom.Air showers protect sensitive processes across industries like pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and medical devices.

Air showers are essential contamination control systems installed at cleanroom entry points. Air shower for cleanroom is a specialized enclosure that serves as a critical transition area between uncontrolled environments and cleanroom facilities. They remove up to 99.99% of airborne particles from personnel and equipment using high-velocity HEPA/ULPA filtered air.

Air showers represent the first line of defense in maintaining cleanroom integrity and are essential components in contamination control strategies across numerous industries.

How Does an Air Shower Work?

When a person or object enters the air shower:

High-Velocity HEPA/ULPA-Filtered Air is blasted from multiple nozzles, dislodging contaminants from clothing and surfaces.

Contaminated Air is Exhausted through floor vents, ensuring particles do not re-enter the cleanroom.

A Pre-Programmed Cycle (10-30 seconds) ensures thorough decontamination before granting access.

Key Features of an Air Shower

High-Efficiency Filtration – Uses HEPA or ULPA filters to remove 99.99% of particles ≥0.3 microns.

Stainless Steel or Powder-Coated Construction – Resists corrosion and allows easy cleaning.

Interlocking Doors – Prevents cross-contamination by ensuring only one side opens at a time.

Automated Sensors & Controls – Infrared or motion sensors activate the shower cycle without manual operation.

Customizable Size & Airflow – Available in single-person, double-person, or pass-through configurations.

Types of Air Showers

Personnel air shower are designed for individual use and typically accommodate one to three people at a time. These units feature vertical nozzles arranged along the walls to deliver air jets that cover the entire body surface.

Material air shower are larger units specifically engineered to clean equipment, carts, and supplies entering cleanrooms. These showers often have horizontal and vertical nozzle arrangements to ensure comprehensive coverage of irregularly shaped items.

Tunnel air shower function as passageways with continuous operation capabilities, allowing for higher throughput in busy facilities. These systems may feature conveyor belts for moving materials through the decontamination zone efficiently.

Cargo air showers are frequently put to use in a variety of manufacturing environments. Cargo air showers offer a convenient and automated solution to cleaning the surfaces of work in progress or finished goods, as well as provide a buffer area between two areas of different cleanliness. 

Customized air shower combine specific features to meet unique requirements. These might include L-shaped or U-shaped configurations, integrated RFID access control systems, or specialized filtration for particular contaminants. Some advanced models incorporate additional features such as automatic operation sensors, programmable cleaning cycles, and integrated garment storage compartments.

Why Are Air Showers Essential for Cleanrooms?

Reduces Particulate Contamination – Critical for ISO Class 5 (Class 100) or higher cleanrooms.

Protects Sensitive Processes – Prevents defects in semiconductor manufacturing, biotech research, and medical device production.

Complies with Industry Standards – Meets ISO 14644, GMP, and FDA regulations.

Applications of Air Showers

Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Labs

Electronics & Semiconductor Manufacturing

Aerospace & Nanotechnology Research

Hospital & Sterile Medical Facilities

MAX LAB Air Shower Solutions

At MAX LAB, we provide high-performance air showers tailored to your cleanroom requirements. Our systems ensure maximum contamination control, energy efficiency, and compliance with industry standards.