09,22,2026 16 views
Operators can find Helmke drum tests for particle shedding assessment, Gelboflex for cotton wool testing, particle filtration efficiency testing, microbial penetration testing, electrostatic performance testing, etc., while performance evaluation for cleanroom clothing includes hair coverings, workwear, workwear, etc. As part of cleanroom clothing cleanliness testing, the Helmke drum testing method is widely used in electronics, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, other industries, as well as clothing manufacturing or laundry.
In this article, we will discuss the reasons for using the Helmke drum tester and testing machine in the following content.
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What is a cleanroom environment in DIY?
What are the airborne particles in the cleanroom?
Part Three Cleanroom Clothing: Intended to Reduce the Number of Particles in the Air Part Four
The main methods for partially cleaning room clothing
What are the functions of the helmke drum test in Part 5? Why is it so important in testing?
What is a cleanroom environment?
A clean room environment is a space where the concentration of particles and airflow in the air are controlled through air filtration or other systems. The purpose is to provide a controllable particle level per cubic meter at a specific particle size, and to reduce the introduction, generation, and retention of indoor particles.
ISO 14644 is one of the standards that provides detailed requirements for the cleanliness of air classified by particles in cleanrooms and related controlled environments.
Running the helmke drum test is a supplementary method that canjiDachengdu reduces particle generation and maintains a clean room environment.
What are the air particles in the clean room?
The air particles in clean rooms are considered pollution, and pollution control is crucial for industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, semiconductors, and data storage.
As polluted air bone particles, they may come from people in the clean room, providing air for the clean room, room surfaces, production processes, and all other objects in the clean room. Among the sources of pollution, humans are the main source of pollution and produce 80% of particles. There are skin flakes, microorganisms, respiratory effects, old hair, hair regeneration, cosmetic particles, textile fibers, dust, etc.
These particles remain suspended in the air or only slowly fall under the action of gravity. Can travel long distances. They may physically or chemically damage the products in the cleanroom. As a threat to biomedical products, microorganisms are the main pollutants of harmful biological toxins and endotoxins in biomedical products.
Cleanroom clothing: aimed at reducing the number of particles in the air
The main functions of cleanroom clothing include:
- Protect the cleanroom environment and subsequently protect products from human contamination.
- Protect cleanroom personnel from solid or liquid harmful substances and biological hazards.
- Eliminate static charges.
- Prevent pollution from occurring.
Cleanroom clothing includes tight fitting clothing (coats, pants, work clothes), headwear (headscarves, face shields), gloves, and shoes (shoe covers, boots), designed to protect the cleanroom environment and products from human contamination. At the same time, clothing should comply with the requirement of producing low pollution when they become airborne particles.
Cleanroom clothing should have low shedding particles and high quality to prevent particles from penetrating textiles, clothing openings, or seams.
In addition to preventing personal and clothing contamination, cleanroom clothes also require comfortable wearing, easy cleaning, washability and sterilization resistance, basic strength and wear resistance, and even the required electrostatic performance.
The main methods of clean room clothing
The main purpose of the following testing methods is to reduce contamination of cleanroom clothing and evaluate the quality of cleanroom clothing.
Particle penetration test
One function of cleanroom clothing is to protect the cleanroom environment by preventing particles generated by cleanroom workers.
The test sample is clamped in a fixture, and controlled, particle challenged air passes through the fabric at a certain pressure drop. This test determines the ability of the fabric to filter particles produced by the wearer by using an automatic particle counter to test the air on both sides of the fabric. By counting the number of particles on both sides of the tested sample, the operator will compare the environmental particle concentration and size distribution to understand the filtration efficiency of the fabric and the anti permeability of the clothing.
The infiltration method is designed for fabrics with a certain porosity, but is not suitable for coated fabrics. Designed to evaluate the performance of fabric structures, not applicable to protective performance or seam product quality.
Particle dispersion test - body box test
Box testing is also a testing method to determine protective performance to prevent particles from being generated by people working in clean rooms.
But the body box test is to simulate the actual use of clothing. Volunteers wearing test uniforms engage in certain exercises in a controlled room. By measuring indoor particle concentration with or without volunteers, the particle dispersion rate of general particles or particles carrying microorganisms released from clothing can be tested.
The particle dispersion test of the body box is a method to determine the relative differences between various types of clothing. This is not an indication of the number of dispersed particles or particles carrying microorganisms, as different individuals produce and excrete particles at different rates.
Meanwhile, it is limited by the suppression efficiency of particle burden generated by the wearer and the reproducibility of its movement.
Helmke drum test
The Helmke drum tester is used to quantify particles detached from clothing by applying mechanical energy under dry conditions, as a method of simulating particles detached from the surface of clothing during use.
This test evaluates the performance of clothing in protecting the cleanroom environment by assessing the particles generated by the clothing itself. The difference between the helmke drum test and the human box test is that the helmke drum test is used to measure particles produced by clothing, but the particle concentration and quantity in the human box test may include particles produced by clothing and particles or microbial fabrics carried by volunteers.
However, both the Helmke drum testing method and the body box testing method are dynamic tests that can simulate the actual use of clothing in a clean room environment.
ASTM F51 test
The ASTM F51 test is used for sizing and counting particle contaminants inside and outside cleanroom clothing. Used to measure particles of 5 μ m or larger inside or on the surface of cleanroom clothing fabrics.
This method is also a non-destructive approach used to evaluate the cleanliness of new clothes and newly cleaned clothes. It can also be used to evaluate the degree of fiber and particle contamination on worn clothing.
The ASTM F51 test aims to use the microscopic counting protocol as the original protocol.
What is the function of the Helmke drum test? Why is it so important in testing?
The Helmke drum test is widely used by cleanroom laundry rooms or clothing processors to determine the efficiency of the cleaning process. Compared with traditional wet testing methods, Helmke drum testing can provide more realistic test data because it breaks the static charge that can fix particles on the surface of dry testing items.
Therefore, the Helmke drum test, as one of the dry tests, is widely used for micro pollution level testing of gloves, wipers, workwear, and others, and is certified before use in cleanrooms or other controlled environments. For those who are interested in the possibility of items causing pollution in dry environments, the results it provides are more realistic for them.
As a more user-friendly and convenient evaluation method for cleanrooms, the Helmke drum test is appropriate in most cases.
