Clean Room Cranes and Hoists

Cleanrooms refer to manufacturing environments that must remain pollutant-free to protect the safety and integrity of products. Because of this, all equipment used in a cleanroom must comply with stringent regulatory standards. This includes material handling and lifting equipment such as cranes and hoists. 

At American Crane, we are capable of providing cleanroom cranes and hoists for a wide variety of industries, including food & beverage, semiconductor manufacturing, wastewater treatment, aerospace, ash handling, and more. Our expert team can deliver customized cleanroom solutions designed to meet the strict standards set forth by NASA.

Clean Room Basics

Products with sensitive production processes and components must often be manufactured in hygienic rooms free from environmental contaminants such as chemical vapors, airborne microbes, and dust. Depending on the particular application, a specific contamination threshold is set, which must be carefully maintained. 

Prior to the International Standards Organization (ISO) adopting cleanroom standards, nearly all cleanrooms were regulated by FS209E, which outlines cleanliness classification levels. ISO 14644-2 specifies the type and frequency of testing needed to meet particular standards. This is the most common standard used today and is expected to eventually completely replace FS209E.

Industry Applications for Cleanroom Cranes

Industries that make frequent use of cleanroom cranes and hoists include:

• Electronics & Semiconductors. Cleanroom cranes and hoists are used throughout the semiconductor industry to move substrates, wafers, and other materials during the manufacturing process. They can also be used to assemble and disassemble equipment. To avoid contaminating sensitive components, these cranes and hoists must meet strict cleanliness standards and be able to function in the precise conditions required by the industry. 
• Aerospace. Aircraft, satellite, and other aerospace manufacturing processes require safe and compliant material handling solutions. Cleanroom cranes and hoists can be used to lift and lower critical aerospace components without introducing contaminants into the area.
• Medical Technology. When manufacturing medical devices and other healthcare-related equipment, every aspect of the cleanroom environment must be hygienic and carefully controlled. Cleanroom cranes and hoists can lift and move sensitive medical components without risking contamination.
• Pharmaceutical. Similar to the food and beverage industry, the pharmaceutical industry utilizes cleanroom cranes to move raw materials and finished products. The cleanliness and purity of the pharmaceutical materials being handled are critical in ensuring the effectiveness and safety of finished products. As such, pharmaceutical cleanroom cranes must meet demanding standards to prevent contaminants from entering the environment.
• Food & Beverage. The food and beverage industry relies on cleanroom hoists and cranes to perform tasks such as moving finished products, raw ingredients, and packaging materials. Within this industry, hygiene and cleanliness of equipment are crucial in ensuring the quality, purity, and safety of products. Because of this, cleanroom cranes and hoists must meet stringent standards for sanitation and contamination control.

Crane Assortments & Custom Solutions from American Crane

At American Crane, we can build our material handling equipment to meet the strict requirements of your cleanroom environment. Our cranes include special features and components that protect the equipment from environmental pollutants, debris, and other contaminants. 

Our hoists and cranes are designed to operate safely and efficiently while maintaining an environment free from contaminants. We can manufacture equipment to meet various needs, including satellite manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, food and beverage applications, and more.

Key Industry Case Study: NASA Lift Crane

In a previous project, NASA contacted American Crane to work on the design and construction of a critical lift crane. Aerospace clients, such as NASA, require specialty cranes for various types of sensitive handling applications, including spacecraft maintenance and construction, lens movement, and telescope arrangement.

For this project, we created a custom 25-ton top-running double-girder crane that met NASA’s strict standards. All fasteners were made entirely of stainless steel and were self-locking to prevent bolts and debris from falling from the crane and compromising the cleanroom. We also equipped the crane’s walkway with continuous kick plates for capturing any stray debris or dirt.

Our team paid special attention to these types of protective features to deliver a top-quality lift crane that met all the necessary standards. The crane was installed at the Kennedy Space Center to work on the Orion spacecraft.

Other Sanitary Crane and Hoist Applications from American Crane

With in-house design and manufacturing capabilities, American Crane can provide a wide variety of cleanroom material handling solutions. We also offer industry-leading hoist brands, including Chester, Yale, Columbus McKinnon, Coffing, and Budgit.

We can provide:

• Electric Wire Rope Hoists. We offer electric wire rope hoists from trusted overhead lifting brands. We offer our own custom wire rope hoists as well as other brands, including Chester Hoist, Shaw-box, Yale, Munck, and Coffing.
• Air Wire Rope Hoists. These hoists allow for continual operation, with frequent start and stop cycles, while handling maximum loads up to 100 tons. With constant cooling capabilities, air-powered hoists are specifically designed for high-usage areas. Capacity and lifting performance are unaffected by high ambient temperatures, and feathering on the pendant enables unlimited speed control for operators. These hoists don’t require wires and can be easily relocated in plants with access to air.
• Electric Chain Hoists. Ideal for electronic, aerospace, pharmaceutical, and food applications, electric chain hoists provide high performance across various demanding conditions. They can withstand exposure to corrosive materials, high humidity, and aggressive sanitizers, making them great for a range of scenarios from basic wipe-down to complete wash-down environments.

Partner with American Crane

With their enhanced safety measures and features, cleanroom cranes and hoists are important in several industries that require reliable and precise handling of materials in controlled environments. They must adhere to strict standards and specifications to ensure the quality and purity of the materials being handled, and they must be carefully designed and constructed to prevent contaminating the cleanroom. 

With more than 45 years of material handling experience, the experts at American Crane can provide industry-leading cleanroom crane and hoist solutions, delivering design, fabrication, and in-house quality assurance from start to finish. 

For more information about our cleanroom cranes and other high-performance lifting solutions, or to learn more about our work with NASA, contact us or request a quote today.