An Overview of Standard Air Shower Operating Procedures

I. Pre-entry Preparation

Before entering the air shower, personnel must properly adjust their attire to minimize contaminants at the source—a fundamental requirement for effective purification. Staff must wear a complete set of cleanroom garments, including a cap, mask, and dust-free gloves, ensuring all hair, collars, and cuffs are fully enclosed with no skin or clothing exposed. Accessories that can trap dust or easily detach—such as watches, rings, and necklaces—must be removed. Personal belongings should be minimized; avoid carrying items that shed particles or accumulate dust to prevent introducing unnecessary contaminants.

II. Entry and Door Closure

Once properly attired, gently push the outer entrance door to enter the chamber and stand in the center of the air shower zone. Ensure the outer door is fully closed upon entry. The unit is equipped with a dual-door electronic interlock system; once the outer door closes, both the inner and outer doors lock automatically and cannot be opened during the cycle. This prevents airflow cross-contamination and the ingress of dirty outside air, establishing a sealed, purified environment for the air shower process.

III. Automatic Air Shower Cycle

After the door closes, the unit's infrared sensors automatically trigger the air shower cycle (no manual operation is required, though older models may have a manual start button). Upon activation, high-pressure fans operate, delivering a clean, high-speed airflow through the unit's multi-stage filtration system. Air is blasted from nozzles located at the top and on both sides—reaching speeds exceeding 25 m/s—to powerfully dislodge fine dust particles from the surface of the garments.

The standard air shower duration is 10–30 seconds, accompanied by synchronized voice prompts. Personnel must maintain a proper stance—feet shoulder-width apart and body upright—and slowly rotate 360 ​​degrees at a steady pace to ensure thorough air exposure on areas prone to dust accumulation, such as the head, shoulders, torso, cuffs, and trouser hems. Walking around, leaning against the unit walls, or touching switches is prohibited to ensure comprehensive dust removal without blind spots.

IV. Cycle Completion and Exit

Once the countdown concludes, the fans stop automatically, a voice prompt announces the completion of the cycle, and the inner door leading to the clean area unlocks. Once the cycle is complete, personnel can push open the inner door to enter the clean production or laboratory area. After personnel have fully exited and the inner door is closed, the equipment automatically resets to standby mode, awaiting the next use; the entire process operates as an automated, closed-loop system.

V. Handling Special Situations

In the event of an emergency during the air shower process, the emergency stop button may be pressed to immediately terminate the cycle and release the door locks. Once the issue is resolved, pressing the emergency stop button again resets the unit, returning it to normal standby mode. During routine use, forcibly pushing the door open before the air shower cycle finishes or the lock disengages is strictly prohibited to prevent damage to the electronic interlock and door frame structure.

VI. General Operational Precautions and Tips

1.  The air shower is solely a dust-removal buffer device; it lacks sterilization capabilities and cannot replace standard gowning, hand-washing, or disinfection procedures. Preliminary cleaning preparations must not be skipped.

2.  Bringing liquids, debris, or large materials into the air shower is prohibited to avoid clogging nozzles or damaging the filtration system, which would compromise purification efficiency.

3.  Only one person (or the specified number of personnel) is permitted inside at a time. Crowding multiple people into the unit disrupts airflow, resulting in incomplete dust removal and failure to meet purification standards.

4.  Manual power-cycling is unnecessary for daily use; the unit should remain in standby mode. If the unit will be idle for an extended period, disconnect the power and store it away from heat sources. Regularly replace the HEPA filter to ensure consistent purification performance.

Summary

The core operational logic of the air shower follows this sequence: proper gowning, door closure, comprehensive air shower treatment, and orderly exit. This standardized process effectively removes dust contaminants carried by personnel and prevents cross-contamination between clean and non-clean zones, serving as a critical foundation for maintaining cleanroom compliance and ensuring product quality.