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Technical Cleanliness Verification
Correlative particle analysis:
know more sooner
We combine various microscopy and spectroscopy methods to acquire harmful particles reliably. As such, along with reflected light microscopy, we use also SEM-EDX analysis and RAMAN & FTIR spectroscopy. In this way we can clearly identify organic and inorganic particles in relation to their material and the damage the particles can cause.
Your advantage: you receive detailed, comprehensive results for organic and inorganic particles.
In your test report you receive detailed information about:
- Quantity and size class: from 5 μm
- Material classes & composition: metals, minerals, salts, organics
- Damage behaviour: hardness class, conductivity, magnetism
Fast, reliable
cleanliness inspections
- Acquisition, extraction and analysis of particulate and filmic contamination
- Correlative particle analysis using light and electron microscopy, as well as RAMAN and FTIR spectroscopy
- Verifiable types of particles: metals, minerals, salts, organics, fibres
- Analyses according to VDA 19/19.1, ISO 16232 as well as customer standards and specifications
- Class 8 cleanroom
- Qualitative and quantitative investigation of filmic and ionic residues
- Particle monitoring and analysis of particle traps for environmental monitoring
- Detailed test report: Specification of number and size of particles, material class & composition as well as damage behaviour
Technical cleanliness: analysis, advice and optimization
Comprehensive technical cleanliness verification is crucial to ensure the quality and durability of your products. Our versatile analysis and consulting services provide you with precise insights into particulate and filmic contamination as well as ionic residues. In this way, we support you in optimising production processes, minimising risks and maintaining your quality standards at the highest level.
Particulate contamination
During particle analysis, we acquire contamination on the surface of the object inspected and determine the nature, quantity and size of the particles, as well as the damage they can cause; we also classify the particles as a material. For this purpose, we use the latest microscopes and spectroscopes, so that the quality of your products remains assured and consequential damage is avoided.
Filmic contamination
We identify manufacturing residues such as oils and greases and other filmic contamination with the aid of a wide variety of methods from the areas of spectroscopy, fluorescence measurement, gas chromatography, etc. Along with quality control, in this way the adhesion of adhesives, the wettability of materials and more can be analysed.
Ionic contamination
Ionic contaminants are residues of electrically charged particles that can be caused by soldering or electroplating processes, cleaning agents or environmental influences, for example. Even the smallest amounts can have a significant impact on the functionality and reliability of components - for example by promoting corrosion or triggering short circuits.
Particle monitoring
Irrespective of whether the issue is an unknown source of dirt in your production or a general check on assembly cleanliness: with our particle traps we check your manufacturing areas and subsequently analyse in our laboratory the particles found. In this way ambient contamination can be detected. Of course, we also offer this service for your cleanrooms and sterile rooms.
Training and consulting
Our training and consulting services provide practical knowledge on technical cleanliness verification and support the development of customised cleanliness concepts. Our experts also support you in integrating technical cleanliness into your quality management system.
Applications for technical cleanliness verification
Highly precise measurement and inspection methods
by application
Added value at quality analysis
Correlative particle analysis
We combine light and electron microscopy as well as Raman and FTIR spectroscopy to acquire particles reliably.
All standards
We normally undertake analyses in accordance with VDA 19/19.1 and ISO 16232, however we can adapt to all customer standards and specifications.
All types of contamination
For inorganic and organic particles and contamination on function-related parts, assembly, systems and fluids.
Accreditation
The accreditation of our inspection methods signifies for you certainty, dependability and objectivity.
Accredited test laboratory
for technical cleanliness verification
Determination of technical cleanliness (TecSa) of components, systems and fluids using fluid extraction and air extraction, and evaluation with use of optical microscopy, SEM-EDX, RAMAN and FT-lR spectroscopy are accredited by Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS) in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025. Furthermore, all our other specialist areas have also been accredited.
You can read more about the advantages our accreditation offers you here:
Quality advantage due to technical cleanliness verification
Technical cleanliness verification is an important quality feature these days, among others in the automotive industry, the supplier industry, medical technology, the electrical engineering industry and the new sector of e-mobility. Huge technical advances mean that consistent compliance with cleanliness requirements is no longer just a voluntary exercise, instead it has become mandatory. Our accredited laboratory and our multi-faceted cleanliness analyses help you as a manufacturer to guarantee the function, durability and quality, as well as the trouble-free manufacture of your products.
Applications for technical cleanliness verification
These days, no branch of modern industry can afford to fail to comply with cleanliness limits. Technical cleanliness verification guarantees both the checking of prototypes as well as the quality of ongoing production processes.
Automotive
Both conventionally powered vehicles and electric vehicles have function-related parts inside pipes, pumps, valves or similar components. Fluids can transport existing particles to susceptible areas and in this way cause the long-term impairment of functionality. During residual dirt analysis we detect these particles and analyse the damage they can cause.
Medical technology
Along with safeguarding cleanroom compatibility, technical cleanliness verification for medical technology is also used to make possible trouble-free operation. In practice, production-related particulate contamination represents an obstacle if, for example, material residue is left behind during milling. A thorough residual dirt analysis is the method of choice for verifying the removal of this residue in a subsequent washing process.
Electronics manufacturing
The assurance of technical cleanliness is of major importance during the manufacture of electronic assemblies. Even minor contamination can cause major economic damage. For this reason ensuring a clean assembly and production environment is extremely important. Foreign particles, if they are not embedded or fixed on printed circuit boards, can reduce the minimum electrical distance and drastically increase the risk of failure due to leakage currents, or even electrical breakdown. Solder pastes, flux residues or adhesives used during the manufacture of printed circuit boards can shorten leakage paths and hinder the wettability or solderability.
Frequently asked questions
What is the significance of iso 16232 and vda 19.1 for technical cleanliness verification?
ISO 16323 and VDA 19.1 (formerly VDA 19) are standards that specify the requirements on the use and documentation of the determination of particle contamination on components for the automotive industry. VDA 19.1 is a German standard for which ISO 16232 is the international counterpart.
Which components can be analysed at quality analysis?
In our laboratories we are able to analyse and determine the technical cleanliness of both very small function-related components with a size of a few millimetres, as well as entire assemblies and systems with a weight of up to 1,000 kilograms. We would be pleased to provide you with specific advice on this topic.
When is a component ‘technically clean’?
A component is considered technically clean if it is free of impurities that could impair its function or service life. The requirements for technical cleanliness vary depending on the industry, component and area of application. Limit values are often set for the size, number and type of particles that may be present on the surface or inside the component. Cleanliness verification play a decisive role here. Compliance with these cleanliness requirements is ensured by standardised test procedures, such as those specified in VDA 19.1 or ISO 16232.
How does contamination occur and how can it be prevented in technical cleanliness verification?
Contamination often occurs directly in the production or assembly process, for example through abrasion, milling or machining. They can also enter the process through purchased parts or from outside, for example via employees or through the air. Clear limit values and appropriate measures are required to ensure technical cleanliness. These include cleaning components, extracting particles, carefully selecting suppliers and using cleanrooms or clean zones. This prevents particles from being carried over into the downstream process steps.
What steps are necessary to carry out a correct particle analysis?
For a correct particle analysis, a representative sample of the component or material is first taken. The impurities are then removed from the surface using suitable methods such as liquid or air extraction and collected on a filter. This is followed by the actual analysis, in which methods such as light microscopy, SEM-EDX or FTIR spectroscopy are used to analyse the particles in terms of their number, size and material composition. The results obtained are then documented in detail in a test report. The result is a precise assessment of the technical cleanliness of a component.
What does the term Component Cleanliness Code (CCC) stand for?
The Component Cleanliness Code (CCC) is a standardised classification system for describing and evaluating the technical cleanliness of components. It specifies in coded form the degree to which a component is contaminated with particles or the maximum level of contamination permitted.
The particles are categorised into defined size classes according to their size. In addition, the number of particles within each size class is coded in concentration classes. The CCC summarises this information in a code that indicates the permissible or measured particle load in compact form.
QUALITY ANALYSIS
THE RIGHT PARTNER FOR
TECHNICAL CLEANLINESS VERIFICATION
Are you looking for a partner for technical cleanliness verification?
We would be pleased to advise you about the analysis options and assist you with the evaluation of particulate and filmic component cleanliness. The goal: the best, most cost-effective and most efficient analysis of your component.