1. Standard Operating Procedure
Prerequisite: The equipment is in standby status, both inlet and outlet roller shutters are closed, and power supply works normally.
- Goods entering the chamber A forklift carrying goods to be transferred slowly drives into the air shower chamber. Park the goods completely within the blowing zone, ensuring all goods are covered by nozzles. No part of the goods can stay outside the chamber. The geomagnetic coil / infrared radar detects the object, and the inlet roller shutter automatically descends and closes. Note: After the vehicle fully enters the chamber, personnel shall not stay inside the air shower cavity.
- Automatic air shower startup Once the inlet roller shutter is fully closed, the system automatically activates the air shower fan and starts blowing with clean airflow for preset duration. Multi-angle high-speed airflow strips loose dust attached to the surfaces of goods and pallets. 👉 During air shower operation: Forced door opening and movement of forklift or goods are prohibited. At this time, the double-door interlock takes effect and both doors remain locked.
- Air shower timing completes, outlet door unlocked When the set blowing time is reached, the fan stops automatically, and the outlet roller shutter is unlocked and rises automatically.
- Goods exiting the chamber The forklift smoothly drives out of the air shower into the clean area. After goods fully leave the chamber, the outlet roller shutter automatically falls and closes. The equipment resets to standby mode for the next batch of goods.
- Emergency handling In case of sudden equipment failure or vehicle/personnel hazard during operation, press the emergency stop button. The fan stops, and the door can be unlocked according to preset safety logic. After troubleshooting, reset the emergency stop button and restart the equipment. Do not resume operation until the interlock function is verified normal.
2. Daily Usage Specifications
2.1 Material Loading Specifications
- Goods shall be neatly stacked and shall not exceed the width and height of the chamber to avoid collision with nozzles and roller shutter fabric.
- Loose materials or debris-prone goods shall be properly packaged to prevent a large amount of dust from falling and accumulating at the bottom of the air shower chamber, which will cause secondary dust emission.
- Over-height and over-width goods are strictly forbidden to force into the air shower chamber to prevent damage to roller shutters and air shower components.
2.2 Door & Interlock Management
- It is forbidden to pry open the roller shutter by external force. The interlock protection is the core barrier preventing air exchange between two zones.
- No sundries shall be stacked within the descending path of roller shutters, which may block door closure and lead to poor chamber sealing.
- If both doors can be opened simultaneously, stop using the equipment immediately and notify maintenance personnel for inspection. Do not continue production operation.
2.3 Environment & Chamber Management
- Keep the inside of the chamber clean. Regularly clean settled dust at the bottom to prevent accumulated dust from being blown up when air shower starts.
- Tools, turnover boxes and idle materials shall not be stored inside the chamber. The chamber is only used for goods blowing and transfer.
- When cleaning and wiping the chamber, avoid a large amount of water seeping into fans, electric control boxes and roller shutter motors to prevent electrical short circuit.
2.4 Equipment Operation Inspection (Pre-shift Simple Check)
Perform simple checks before each operation:
- Roller shutters rise and fall smoothly; shutter fabric is intact; safety bottom edge and infrared anti-pinch function work normally.
- Fans have no abnormal noise or severe vibration.
- Double-door interlock function is normal.
- Pressure gauge (optional) reading is normal without abrupt pressure rise (rapid pressure rise indicates filter clogging).
3. Prohibited Actions List
❌ Force door opening or strike roller shutters during air blowing
❌ Personnel stay inside the air shower chamber for a long time (this equipment is for goods only and cannot replace personnel air shower)
❌ Force oversize goods into the chamber
❌ Unpack outer packages inside the chamber, causing massive dust dispersion
❌ Randomly modify PLC internal air shower time and sensing parameters. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to change control system
❌ Continue operation when equipment fails
4. Maintenance & Record Requirements
- Clean the chamber periodically, inspect nozzles for blockage; regularly check wear of roller shutter fabric and sealing strips, and replace wearing parts in a timely manner.
- Test air shower wind speed according to specifications periodically. For GMP projects, perform PAO leak detection of HEPA filters at regular intervals and keep test records.
- Establish equipment log books to record operation, failure, maintenance and filter replacement information for project verification review.
5. Supplementary Notes
High-speed airflow of air shower can only strip loosely attached particles and cannot kill microorganisms. If microbial contamination control is required for materials, a supporting chamber disinfection scheme shall be equipped. Air shower alone cannot achieve sterilization.
Conclusion
The management priority of automatic roller shutter air shower lies in standardized operation. The core requirements are full entry of goods into the chamber, no forced door opening during air shower and compliance with interlock mechanism. Standardized operation can ensure dust removal effect, reduce the risk of dust brought into clean areas by materials, extend service life of roller shutters, fans and filters, cut down equipment failures and stabilize pressure difference of clean workshops.
