Clean room modular wall systems are essential to providing sterile, yet flexible environments to facilities like hospitals and laboratories.
Their costs are significantly more affordable, making modular clean rooms a great choice for growing manufacturing facilities or labs that may expand capacity down the road to keep up with demand.
Because the walls systems of modular clean rooms are flexible, thanks to their post, wall paneling and ceiling design, they are the perfect product when large-scale builds are out of the question.
To help you determine whether a portable clean room is right for you, here are some of the top benefits of clean room modular wall systems for laboratories and manufacturing facilities today.
Their Versatility Is Unmatched
The walls of a modular clean room can be assembled, disassembled and relocated at any time. This is 
especially important as businesses grow and change. This is not possible with hardwall, or permanent clean rooms.
They can even be reconfigured if needed, which allows laboratories and other types of facilities to adapt the space to their changing needs without a major construction overhaul.
This flexibility also impacts time and costs, as undergoing any new construction can cause significant downtime for employees.
Modular Wall Systems Can Be Customized
Almost any size clean room can be designed and manufactured for your particular needs. Inside that clean room, a variety of quality materials and framing options are available for custom solutions.
Some of the items you will want to consider include:
- The material of the walls
- Whether you may need workbenches, casework, chairs or cabinets
- Whether a fume hood is needed (ductless fume hoods are self-contained and work well in modular wall systems)
Keep in mind that if your application requires electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, you’ll want to look into materials like ESD laminate.
Our article, How To Customize A Portable Clean Room Design, offers more ideas on how you can customize your modular clean room.
More Affordable Costs
Budget is almost always a substantial concern when examining your choices in clean rooms. A modular wall 
system will cost anywhere from $100 to $150 per square foot. For a 10’ x 10’ clean room, that is $10,000 to $15,000. This type of clean room can be installed quickly - by the manufacturer, paid contractors or your own workers to save additional money.
A more permanent structure will feature a much larger price tag. Hardwall clean rooms can cost up to $1,500 square foot. For a 10’ by 10’ room, that’s $150,000.
And, that’s just the beginning of the story. Additional costs often incur with permanent clean room structures, from securing multiple contractors to inspections and design and construction permits. If a fume hood is required, a new duct system may need to be installed, and that will cause the price of a project to go up significantly.
A Quicker Timeline
If your lab or manufacturing space is in need of a clean room space quickly, a modular system can provide a solution in a shorter time frame.
Permanent hardwall rooms can take a significant amount of time to design, deliver the materials and build. If an HVAC system is required, installing ductwork and the system itself can add to your project’s timeline.
Modular clean rooms can be manufactured, delivered and installed before a conventional room is even designed. Because all modular clean room components, including the walls, have been manufactured in advance, construction consists of assembling the parts together.
On top of an easier installation process, delivery of prefab rooms are typically much quicker than a permanent structure. This helps you avoid costly downtime as you wait for your project to be completed.
Getting The Most Out Of These Benefits
As you grow as a company or laboratory facility, it is important to work with a modular clean room manufacturer that will help you realize these benefits outlined above.
Budget, your timeframe for installation and plans for growth are all critical items to keep in mind as you move forward. However, without the right manufacturing partner, your project could end up being more costly and frustrating in the long run.
When evaluating manufacturers that offer portable clean rooms, look for companies that:
- Ensure high product quality (American manufacturers are known for meeting higher standards of quality)
- Customize based on your needs and timeline
- Have experience implementing clean room standards for various particle count requirements
- Will provide references or examples of previous work
While it may be tempting to purchase a mass-produced design that will meet the basic needs of your lab, an experienced manufacturer can help you assess any future needs that will help keep long-term costs down. Customizable opportunities will also help your facility operate at peak efficiency and performance - a must for any successful operation.
