How much a cleanroom costs can depend on many factors, which makes buying a cleanroom dependent on a certain amount of planning and preliminary discussions with cleanroom providers. In this article, you can find out which cost factors influence the price of a cleanroom construction and where you can find addresses of cleanroom construction companies.

Cleanroom cost factors

The reason for building a cleanroom is usually to keep the concentration of airborne particles as low as possible . This is achieved through the use of special materials in cleanroom construction, the installation of ventilation systems, filters and other installations and measures.

The question of what a cleanroom costs cannot be answered in general terms, which is why a cleanroom builder first needs various pieces of information before he can make a quotation or estimate for the construction of a cleanroom. This is because the cost of cleanroom production depends on several factors, some of which we list here:

  • Intended applications (e.g. production or laboratory)
  • Cleanroom class of the cleanroom
  • GMP specifications
  • Area size and room height
  • Suspended or self-supporting ceiling
  • Floor type (e.g. antistatic)
  • Cleanroom type (e.g. traditional or modular cleanroom)
  • Number of employees in the cleanroom
  • Room temperature, humidity, air conditioning
  • Heat loads
  • Lighting
  • Airlock system
  • Monitoring system
  • Environmental conditions for cleanroom construction
  • Other installations in the clean room

As can be seen from these parameters, cleanrooms generally require customized solutions that take into account, among other things, the cleanliness requirements and the needs of the particular application for which the cleanroom is to be used.

Roughly speaking, the cleanroom costs per m2 (square meter) are between CHF 100 and CHF 5,000, although there can also be downward and upward fluctuations. The total costs for a cleanroom therefore range from a few hundred to several million Swiss francs, although there can also be upward and downward fluctuations. For example, if you want to have a small cleanroom built for laboratory purposes, this will be cheaper than a large cleanroom for the production of microchips.

But size alone – as listed – is not the only cost factor. The difference between cleanroom class ISO 6 and cleanroom class ISO 8 alone results in an enormous difference in the permitted number of particles. In ISO 6 cleanrooms, the air must be one hundred times cleaner than in ISO 8 cleanrooms, which is associated with considerable additional costs.

Please also read our background article: “Suitable materials in the cleanroom, their testing and standardization“

Making cleanrooms cheaper

Costs can be saved in various areas of the cleanroom, for example by making its operation more cost-effective. For example, energy can be saved in the heating and ventilation system and in the air conditioning technology. If possible, humidification and dehumidification can be reduced during non-production times or the air exchange rate can be reduced. There is also potential for savings by avoiding simultaneous humidification and dehumidification and/or heating and cooling. In addition, the duct pressures in the supply air ducts and exhaust air ducts are sometimes far too high.

You should also consider whether you really need the maximum solution for the size of the cleanroom. Smaller cleanrooms also offer the advantage that the risk of cross-contamination is lower. Instead of thinking in terms of cleanrooms, you should think in terms of cleanroom technology; if possible, you should not build the cleanroom around the entire production area, but only create a cleanroom environment for the critical production process; perhaps even a mini-environment, i.e. a local cleanroom area, is sufficient without building an entire cleanroom.

Furthermore, space-saving solutions within the cleanroom can reduce its overall size, which must be taken into account when purchasing or planning a cleanroom – i.e. before it is built.

However, savings measures should be assessed by an expert to ensure that the necessary requirements are still met by the cleanroom.

You may also be interested in: “Is a cleanroom enough or do I need a cleanroom?“

Find a cleanroom builder

If you want to have a cleanroom built and want to estimate the costs before buying a cleanroom, you should consult a specialist cleanroom construction company. Such a specialist cleanroom construction company should be able to provide you with a customized offer or at least a cost estimate after obtaining the information required to calculate the costs.

The cleanroom experts at abovo will be happy to provide you with a few addresses of experienced cleanroom manufacturers. Abovo is an experienced Swiss specialist wholesaler for cleanroom and ESD products, which also operates an online store for these products.

You can easily reach the cleanroom experts at abovo by telephone on +41 32 552 44 44 or by e-mail at info@abovo.ch.