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KNF Clean Room
Products Quality Control
KNF Clean Room Products has established a number of
standards and procedures to maintain and assure a repeatedly reliable clean
product, always manufactured to meet or exceed customer specification
requirements. The list of documents to which we comply follows at the end of
this discussion.
In brief, the KNF Clean Room Products, Long Island,
New York facility includes:
1. A working plant of more than 22,000 square feet, with temperature
stability of 70° – 75° F.
All floors have been chemically sealed and urethane coated to prevent
concrete dust from entering the clean room.
2. A 5,600 square foot critically controlled clean room (68° ± 2° F and 45% ±
5% RH).
The controlled area is entered through a pressurized garment change room and
Air Tunnel. The Tunnel is electric-eye activated and designed to remove
residual particulate from the garments.
Parts entry into the clean area is accomplished through a Cart Pass Thru
Air Shower and a wall-mounted, interlocked Pass Thru (2'x3'x2'). The Pass
Thru Air Shower works similarly to the personnel air shower by removing loose
particulate from raw product entering the clean room. A clean cart, captive
in the air shower and clean room, insures that the material transfer process
does not introduce particulate into the clean room. The exterior of all film
is thoroughly cleaned before it is brought into the clean area.
The controlled area has been designed so that walls, floor, furniture,
equipment, etc. meet maximum cleanliness standards
KNF Clean Room Products Quality Control Criteria
1. Film products for clean packaging are the highest quality, and comply with
various military and government specs.
2. All products are processed, cleaned, packaged, and shipped with adherence
to strict specifications.
3. The certification of all materials is documented, and this documentation
is maintained on file for 7 years.
A Comprehensive Set of Quality Assurance Procedures
Our Quality Assurance Procedures assure that a strong and viable monitoring
program is
maintained. These controls include Process Inspection; Materials
Certification and Lot Analysis; Clean Room Requirements and Maintenance; and
Test Equipment Calibration and Maintenance.
Applicable Documents
Federal Standard No. 209 Clean Room and Work Station Requirements, Controlled
Environment, latest revision.
ASTM No. F25-63T Sizing and Counting Airborne Particulate Contamination in
Clean Rooms and other Dust Controlled Areas Designed for Electronic and
Similar Applications.
CRS 25: General Facilities Document and Production/Quality Process for
Clean Film Production and Packaging.
NASA Specifications JPG 5322.1, JSCM-5322, JSC-C-25, MSC-C-25 and KSC-C-123F
Surface Cleanliness Levels for Precision Packaging Materials.
Military Specifications: B22191C Barrier Materials Transparent, Flexible,
Heat Sealable; 1246 Product Cleanliness Levels and Contamination Control
Program.
Federal Specification A-A-3174 Commercial Item Description, Plastic Sheet,
Polyolefin (supersedes Federal Specification L-P-378 Polyethylene Film Thin
Gauge).
SAE-ARP-743 Procedure for the Determination of Particulate Contamination of
Air in Dust Controlled Spaces by the Particulate Count Method.
Glossary of Significant Terms
This glossary is included to help you familiarize yourself with the key
terminology of Ultraclean Film™ materials and technology.
ANTI-STATIC AGENTS: Methods of minimizing static electricity
in plastic materials. Such agents are of two basic types: (1) Metallic
devices which come into contact with the plastics and conduct the static to
earth. (2) Chemical substances added to the polyethylene in minute quantities
which reduce the tendency of film to develop and retain static electric
charges. These give complete neutralization at the time; however, they do not
modify the material, therefore leaving it prone to further static during
subsequent handling.
COEXTRUSION: The coextrusion process combines the output of
two or more extruders. The finished product, in this case tube or sheet, is
distinguished by discrete layers of material. The number of component layers
theoretically is unlimited. Experience to date with the blown film process
has been predominantly in the two- or three-layer range; the number of layers
is limited by current equipment design technology.
DIELECTRIC STRENGTH: The electric voltage gradient at which
an insulating material is broken down or "arced through," in volts
per mil of thickness.
ELMENDORF TEAR STRENGTH: The resistance to propagation by
tearing from a precise slit through a specified length of material expressed
in grams-force (ASTM D-1922).
EXTRUSION: The process of liquefying a resin material and
forcing it through an orifice in more or less continuous fashion.
FLEXURAL STRENGTH: The strength of a material in bending,
expressed as the tensile stress of the outermost fibers of a bent test sample
at the instant of failure. With plastics, this value is usually higher than
the straight tensile strength.
FLUOROCARBONS: The family of plastics including
polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polychlorotrifluorethylene (PCTFE);
polyvinylidene and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP). They are
characterized by properties including good thermal and chemical resistance
and non-adhesiveness, and possess a low dissipation factor and low dielectric
constant.
HAZE: The measurement of the amount of scattered light that
does not transmit through the film.
HYGROSCOPIC: Tending to absorb moisture.
IRRADIATION (ATOMIC): As applied to plastics, refers to
bombardment with a variety of subatomic particles, generally alpha-, beta-,
or gamma-rays. Atomic irradiation has been used to initiate polymerization
and copolymerization of plastics and in some cases to bring about changes in
the physical properties of a plastic material.
NYLON: The generic name for all synthetic polyamides.
Characterized by great toughness, strength and elasticity, high melting
point, and good resistance to water and chemicals.
OPTICAL DENSITY: A measurement of the transmission of light
through the cross-hatch area (Densichron).
OXYGEN TRANSMISSION RATE: The time rate of oxygen flow
normal to the sample surfaces, under steady conditions. The test is run with
one side of the film exposed to nitrogen and the opposite side to oxygen,
both at 73° F.
PLASTICIZER: Plasticizers are used with polymer systems to
impart workability, flexibility, extensibility, and resilience. External
plasticizers maintain their molecular identity and are compatible with the
resin by virtue of hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals forces. Internal
plasticizers, on the other hand, are bonded chemically in the polymer system.
POLYETHYLENE: A thermoplastic material composed of polymers
of ethylene.
POLYPROPYLENE: A tough, lightweight rigid plastic made by
the polymerization of high purity propylene gas in the presence of an
organometallic catalyst at relatively low pressures and temperatures.
SEAL STRENGTH: The maximum force in pounds required to
rupture a one inch wide specimen having a pre-made heat seal extending across
the width of the specimen and positioned intermediate to the testing machine
grips.
TENSILE STRENGTH: The maximum force required to rupture a
one inch wide specimen. The force (breaking factor) is reported in pounds per
inch for laminated materials.
ULTIMATE ELONGATION: The increase in length of the specimen
at break expressed in percent (ASTM D-882).
WATER VAPOR TRANSMISSION RATE: The time rate of water vapor
flow normal to the sample surfaces under steady conditions, through a unit
area. The test is run with one side of film exposed to dry air at 100° F and
the opposite side, to 90% RH 100° F air (ASTM E-96).
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