Highest ISO classification for new cleanroom laundry at CWS

Cleaning work clothes under the most hygienic conditions. CWS does it in Eindhoven. For this, Kuijpers built a large cleanroom laundry next to the already existing CWS cleanroom. The installations are well hidden above the ceiling. Except for the filter fan units. No less than 120 of them. Together they cover the complete ceiling and provide all the ventilation capacity needed for an ultra-clean environment.

'Ultra-clean' means a purity level in accordance with ISO classification 5. "That's the highest classification for cleanroom environments like ours," says Jan Swinkels. He is head of Technical Services at CWS. "We need that to serve our clients like ASML and clients from the pharmaceutical industry. We supply and clean the clothes their employees wear in their cleanrooms. Because our customers are growing rapidly, there is more and more clothing to be cleaned. And all under strict hygienic conditions. With our new cleanroom laundry, we can meet the increasing demand."

Energetic, good and committed

Kuijpers together with SRBA Group (formerly Brecon) provided the construction of the cleanroom. "We know each other from the PP4CE partnership," explains Jeroen Zeylmans. He is project leader Controlled Environments at Kuijpers and coordinated the project at CWS. The collaboration went as usual with our partner. Energetic and good. The customer has also always been closely involved."

Powerful ventilation for a clean area

Together they build a cleanroom laundry of 180 square meters in seven months. SRBA took care of the construction and Kuijpers made all the installations and building services. "The complete air treatment for the cleanroom. All the equipment for the rooms with dryers and incoming and outgoing goods. And all the control technology," Jeroen lists.

"Important: we had to make provisions here to 'flush' a huge space clean at the very highest level. You can only reach that with a lot of ventilation. That's why we opted for 120 filter fan units. These are devices measuring over one by one meter with a powerful fan and HEPA filters." With the 120 units, Kuijpers covered the complete ceiling.

Priorities in planning design

"So many required units was a little tense at first," Jan remembers. "It was summer 2022. We were in the middle of the materials shortage. I was glad that Kuijpers knew their way in the supplier market." Jeroen explains that it was about "prioritizing. "The design was not yet finished. Still, we decided together what we could order in advance. That was continuous scanning. 'What really has priority?' and 'What can wait?' It was also a lot of consultation. With CWS. With suppliers. The result: we were ultimately able to deliver the project without delay."

Also responsible for multi-year maintenance

Between September and December 2022, the hall transformed into a modern cleanroom laundry. Just before Christmas, Kuijpers finished testing. After that, CWS conducted its own validation tests. "We watched along," Jeroen explains. "Were adjustments needed? Then we implemented them on the spot. That worked quickly and efficiently." In February 2023, CWS commissioned the new laundry. Kuijpers now takes care of the long-term maintenance of the installations. And CWS can also turn to Kuijpers for breakdowns.

Saving energy smartly

'Hygiene' prevails in the new cleanroom laundry. "But because of the scale, ventilation is quite costly here," Jeroen explains. "That's why the systems don't run outside working hours. We are further developing that principle, to ventilate even more energy-efficiently. For example, by automatically reducing the ventilation volume and cooling capacity when a room is not in use. Of course without this leading to ISO declassification. We are now investigating all the possibilities."

On the international tour

For CWS, the Eindhoven cleanroom is a blueprint for locations abroad. Jan: "We are going to build a cleanroom laundry in Germany. We will do that just like in Eindhoven. With Kuijpers and with SRBA. We are not only impressed with their technical and structural solutions. It is also about the tight organization. The open communication. The excellent execution they showed." Jeroen is there in Germany. And maybe soon in Belgium as well. And in Ireland.

Because CWS also wants to build cleanrooms there. "Never thought I would work internationally," he says. "Whether it's something for me? No idea. For now, I think it's incredibly cool. We are in the middle of preparations and planning. We want to achieve the same process quality there. Both in project management and execution."

Teamwork deserves compliments

Looking back on "Eindhoven," teamwork is one of the project's success factors, he believes. "The cooperation with CWS, all construction partners and suppliers was tóp. And also my own Kuijpers colleagues ... they formed a great team. I saw how they helped each other. They were there for each other. Technicians are never so outspoken. They don't easily shout: 'this is fantastic'. But I believe that as a team we can be very satisfied. Both about the course and the result." Trainees and interns from Kuijpers also worked on the cleanroom project. Jeroen: "I consciously involved them. Because this project had everything to gain work experience. Under the supervision of experienced colleagues of course. This way they were introduced to the daily Kuijpers practice. And also contributed to the success of this project."

Translated from https://www.kuijpers.nl/referenties/hoogste-iso-classificatie-voor-nieuwe-cleanroomwasserij-van-cws/