The differences between hand-made sandwich panel and machine-made sandwich panel used in Cleanroom?
When it comes to cleanroom panel used in China, all insiders know that refers to sandwich panel, the panel can serve as wall partition and false ceiling of cleanroom, but do you know what it look like and how many types it has?
According to structural type, there are two types: one is machine-made sandwich panel and the other one is hand-made sandwich panel. Some customers we met often asked us same question? “Why do you quote higher price than other supplier?” Every time I explain the reasons behind it. Here this is the reason why I’d like to share you this post today.
Before this post, I’d like to clarify one fact that though the hand-made sandwich panel is more widely used in cleanrooms and I also strongly recommend our customers to use, machine-made panel is still used by some customers. In this post, I will also tell you why the hand-made panel prevails.
OUTLOOK
First, let me show you the finished products of machine-made panel and hand-made panel
All sandwich panels, not matter machine-made type or hand-made type, it’s made of two main parts: One is two 0.5 mm thick pre-coated steel plates as double skins, the another is the infill material (the above photo showing rock wool as infill)
As you can see from the above photo, the big difference is the edge, the other difference is that you can see what the infill is from machine-made sandwich panel and no plates cover the top and the bottom sides, however, you cannot from the hand-made panel, it’s fully-enclosed. Why? It’s related to next point, how’s the cleanroom panel made? In our previous blog I actually introduce you how a hand-made panel is made.
Manufacturing Process
The below is the photo of rock-wool machine-made sandwich panel production line
Let me explain how a machine-made sandwich panel is made. As the name suggests, the machine-made panel is made automatically in the whole process. Two-side pre-coated steel plates, two-side edge plate (close to 5cm high) and the rock wool block run ahead inside the machine at same speed, In the running process, the two-side steel plate is bended, as well as two-side edge plate. As some part of the two plates are overlapped and they are bended, contacted and finally connected with each other, meanwhile, the glue is applied to both internal surface of steel plate, make rock wool surface and internal double-skin steel plate are adhesive with each other.
If you saw my previous blog (how is a cleanroom panel made), you can see how the worker manually applies glue onto the double-skin steel plate, and how they put rock wool blocks onto the glue-applied steel plates. However, for machine-made panel, the glue application is done automatically, so comparatively speaking, hand-made panel is better than machine-made panel in terms of adhesive ability. According to our experience, the glue consumption for hand-made panel is more than machine-made panel. More glue application means more adhesive ability.
Two-Panel Connection
Let me show you one photo
As you can see from the above photo, the left two machine-made panels are connected by themselves, without other member involved. However, the right two hand-made panels are connected with each by a profiled aluminum.
As it looks like a Chinese character “中” (literally it means CENTER or MIDDLE), We Chinese call it “中”字铝 （”+”type aluminum)
Possibly, you don’t think the connection type mean too much. Actually it does mean too much for a modern cleanroom, a cleanroom can 100% conform to the requirements of GMP, WHO and related codes. As we all know, no matter it’s GMP, WHO or other related cleanroom codes, the cleanroom panel is required to be smooth, flush, good finish, no dust collection, etc. Actually the above-mentioned profiled aluminum plays a big role in cleanroom assembly, as it connects not only two panels, but also panel and window, panel and double-glazed window. It can make panel-to-panel, panel-to-door, window-to-window and panel-to-window 100% flush as a whole (50mm thick). Let me show you some photos for that.
What do we find from the above photos?
- Double-glazed window is 100% flush with hand-made sandwich wall panel
- The window-to-panel and window-to-window connection by a “+”type profiled aluminum
- The window width is the same width as wall panel
- The windows and the panels are prefabricated in factory and assembled on work site.
So, now can you image how to connect machine-made panel with window and door? Let’s look at the photo below.
What do we find from the above photo?
- Single-glazed window fixed in machine-made sandwich wall panel
- The window width is not the same width as wall panel
Disadvantages of Machine-made Sandwich Panel
- Since the window is not double-glazed, so it’s not impossible keep the wall panel and window flush, dust can be collected on the window frame.
- The process of installing wall panel and window is as follows:
- Install the wall panel
- Cut an opening in the wall panel for the window frame installation
- Install window frame. The window frame is double-clipped type, install the window by clipping window frame onto the cut-out and fix it with screws
Through above introduction, we know that with machine-made sandwich panel, it’s impossible to keep wall panel and window or door 100% flush, as there is no connector like “+” type profiled aluminum to fix them together as one part and keep them at same level, instead by cutting openings in wall panel on working site and fix double-clipped door or window frames, with door frame standing out of wall panel. It give possibility to door or window frame collecting particles or dusts. However, with hand-made sandwich panel, such bad situation can be prevented, in addition, another advantage is the panel is prefabricated in factory, so there is no cutting and manpower wasted on work site, thus improve construction efficiency, protect working environment and shorten construction period.
If you want to know more about our hand-made sandwich panels, please click here
