ISO6 Packaging Hybrid Isopod

THE CLIENT

Oxford Packaging Solutions Ltd – packaging specialists based in Oxfordshire, built on a heritage of producing high-quality plastic containers for the Food & Drink, Personal Care, Household and Medical sectors. The company specialises in precision blow moulding and works in PET, RPET, PP and HDPE materials.

THE BRIEF

Guardtech were charged with providing a relatively small-sized modular cleanroom solution for use within a warehouse space. The controlled environment needed to be not just mobile, but easily moved. This led to the development of a bespoke Isopod Rapid Cleanroom on pump-action castors. The Isopod would be used mainly for the client’s injection moulding process, producing bottles to be used for liquid filling for food, medical use and beyond. The client required a rapid solution because of a spike in demand that they needed to capitalise on.

THE TECH SPECS

A Controlled Environment designed, installed, cleaned and commissioned by Guardtech built to the following specification:

Structural: GT Shell Plus PIR wall panels, GT Strip Lite PVC curtain, GT Lid Plus PIR suspended ceiling panel system, grade 304 stainless steel framework, 12 x jacking legs with castors, Melaphone speech panels.

Electrical: GT Lux Lite LED lighting panels, 13amp plug sockets flush mounted.

Mechanical: GT Flow Plus H14 HEPA Fan Filter Units with G4 pre-filters providing 200 air changes per hour.

Monitoring: GT Scan Lite magnehelic gauge environmental monitoring system (EMS).

THE CHALLENGES

Bridging a gap: The Design team were tasked with developing a Hybrid Isopod featuring both cleanroom panels and a softwall section as the client needed the cleanroom to incorporate a conveyor to bridge the outside of the room with the inside of the Isopod. With this bespoke design, the Isopod needed to be designed with careful consideration regarding the equipment it would be serving.

Level best: The entire structure was built on 12 levelling castors to ensure the Isopod could be jacked up and down to move it around effectively. The Isopod team therefore needed to consider the impact that the moving parts would have on the design of the room.

Working warehouse: The Install team had to build the Isopod within the confines of a busy working environment – an operational warehouse with all the rigorous staff and safety precautions and expectations of a highly professional outfit. The Guardtech team had to be professional, diligent and understanding of the clients’ process flow – with an extra consideration on being as tidy as possible in an operational production environment.

THE RESULT

Commercial Director Mark Wheeler said: “This was a challenging bespoke Isopod build which had to be put together in a busy facility for a client whose services were in high demand. We learned a lot about new effective practices with this project, which will certainly stand us in good stead for future bespoke Isopod projects.”