AFM35 Cleanroom Fogger for Airflow Visualization Studies

Description

AFM35 Cleanroom Fogger for Airflow Visualization Studies

AFM35 Cleanroom Fogger for airflow visualization studies and smoke studies produces 8-10 micron fog droplets to create about 1.4 cubic meters / minute of pure fog, which is directed through 50mm or 80mm fog hoses, connected to one 80mm fog outlet. This smoke generator is produced in a 316L brushed stainless-steel design and has two Carry Handles, and a 11.5 Liter Water fill. The AFM35 provides adjustable fog volume and adjustable fog velocity through the touch pad control, and also offers an optional wireless remote control of fog volume and fog velocity. This smoke machine is used in airflow visualization studies and smoke studies inside large Barrier Isolators and Bio-Safety Cabinets, BSC, and operated from outside the Isolator or BSC by the Lab Technicians and Metrology Engineers using optional Wireless Remote Control; or operated outside an Isolator or BSC by using direct touch pad control of the AFM35, Smoke Study Fogger.

Clean room Foggers are also referred to as smoke generators and smoke machines, and are used in airflow visualization of clean room airflow performance in semiconductor clean rooms, pharmaceutical process rooms and industrial clean rooms. We provide both ultrasonic foggers using water only, as well as LN2 Ultrapure foggers, which use LN2 and De-ionized water, WFI water or sterile water. Below is a selection of foggers and performance details for each fogger, which you can match to your requirements for your smoke studies in small clean rooms and medium to large barrier isolators.

Compare ultrasonic foggers and ultrapure foggers for fog output performance: Cleanroom Fogger Comparison

Why does the AFM35 use Touchpad Controls, instead of Touchscreen Controls?

Touchpad Controls on a product are superb in high humidity airflow environments, which makes a Touchpad Control especially valuable when used on a water based, cleanroom fogger used in high water condensation environments. The Touchpad is a single, water tight interface, that does not allow moisture to contact the electrical switches under the control surface. A Touchpad is used on the AFM35 Cleanroom Fogger to control fog velocity, fog volume and mode of operation. The touchpad prevents water condensation, which naturally builds up on the fogger surface during a smoke study, from leaking in and around the touchpad controls. It allows the fogger display to be viewed without concern of electrical mishap. The entire front control surface of the AFM35 is one pad with touchpad control of all AFM35 functions, keeping water condensation and moisture away from the internal AFM35 electronics. A secondary advantage to using a touchpad control is that a wireless remote receiving antenna can be integrated underneath the touchpad, allowing control of the AFM35 using a Wireless Remote FOB from a typical distance of 20+ feet. This feature allows the wireless receiver to be completely isolated from any humidity or water condensation during the smoke study, which is a common problem to a top mounted, wireless receiver used in various instruments for remote operation.

Touchscreens are colorful and digitally controlled; but touchscreens have two primary parts, an outer plastic bezel and the touchscreen itself, which is designed with a glass surface and underlying electronics. Many phones and tablets use a capacitive touchscreen. Under the glass surface is a transparent grid of conductive material carrying a tiny electrical charge. Your body also conducts electricity, so when your finger touches the glass surface of a touchscreen, it makes a slight change to the electrical field at that touchscreen location, which controls a function in the instrument. The Touchscreen is installed into physical opening of a fogger enclosure, and the bezel hides the metal hole and allows the touchscreen to look as if the touchscreen is integrated onto the metal surface.

Since the bezel is not actually part of the touchscreen, water condensation and water humidity could migrate under the bezel edges, since the edges are not water tight, possibly allowing water contact with internal circuitry of the electronic PC board under the touchscreen. Phones and tablets are not normally used in water condensation applications, so communication devices do not have the same water leaking concerns as a touchscreen on a cleanroom fogger. A touchscreen is based on a capacitive electrical transfer from the finger to the screen surface; and if too much humidity is on the screen surface when touching one touchscreen button, the humidity may also simultaneously activate a second touchscreen button in close proximity of the surface that was touched, causing false touches, missed touches or erratic input into the controls of the touchscreen, possibly causing the fogger to operate incorrectly. A capacitive touchscreen can also interpret water droplets or a water film as electrical changes similar to a finger contact. Lastly, touchscreens have a glass surface, which can be broken if any mechanical tools accidently strike the surface of the glass screen. For this reason, our AFM Cleanroom Foggers and our Apollo LN2 Foggers do not use Touchscreen Controls to control fog velocity, fog volume and Wireless Remote Control; but use TOUCHPad Controls for more reliable, long term operation of our Cleanroom and LN2 Foggers in your smoke studies airflow visualization tests.

Our AFM Cleanroom Fogger Quality and Design Excellence