13 Sep Types of Climate-Controlled Rooms for Industrial Uses

In manufacturing or industrial environments, extreme temperatures, airborne particles, and fluctuating humidity levels can cause harm to both products and workers. Without climate control in certain spaces, everything from electronics and pharmaceuticals to employee health is at risk. In this article, we’ll cover a few types of climate-controlled rooms that are commonly used in industrial operations.

Cleanrooms

Most people don’t realize that many products they use require cleanrooms to manufacture them. These days, TVs, phones, computers, and even medicines all require cleanrooms. Small particles, which are what cleanrooms try to minimize, can cause issues with many goods; specifically, they can cause malfunctions, and in the case of medicines, they can carry the microorganisms that end up contaminating drugs.

As a result, improving air quality is the primary purpose of them, and to do so, they must control the climate in a variety of ways. As we’ve already said, they need to reduce airborne particles, but they also need to control humidity (especially where ESD is a concern) and temperature, as these can affect both products and staff.

Cleanrooms are highly regulated spaces, and they are used in many industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, semiconductors, and medical device manufacturing.

Warm-Up Booths

Another common type of climate-controlled room, especially in very cold locations, is the warm-up booth. Businesses use warm-up booths to help workers who are exposed to extremely cold temperatures for long periods of time. These are very useful to people who may be at risk of hypothermia or frostbite.

They typically function as a temporary break room where people warm themselves up after exposure to the cold. These booths have insulated wall panels and HVAC units that keep up warm temperatures, and they also use exhaust fans to help with air circulation, avoiding stuffy or overbearing air. They are often used in the construction, warehousing, and oil and gas industries.

Cool-Down Booths

Cool-down booths, on the other hand, are the opposite of warm-up booths. They are instead made for hot locations where employees may need to cool off.

They are equipped with cooling systems that keep a comfortable temperature which allows workers to avoid the many risks of prolonged exposure to heat. Exhaust fans can also be installed to improve circulation.

Industries where heat is an issue, such as in hot and humid locations or high-temperature manufacturing areas like metalworking, rely on cool-down booths to protect workers. They are great for preventing heat-related injuries and illnesses, such as heath strokes and dehydration.

Dry Rooms

Further, dry rooms are climate-controlled rooms where humidity is the focus. In these spaces, humidity often needs to be kept extremely low, sometimes at below 1% relative humidity.

Since humidity is a form of moisture, they are often used in manufacturing industries where moisture-related damage must be avoided at all costs; specifically, they are often used in electronics manufacturing and even for certain pharmaceutical applications.

Dry rooms use advanced HVAC and dehumidification systems to achieve very low humidity levels.

Server Rooms

Server rooms are another type of room that needs climate control. These are of course used for housing IT infrastructure, and they require precise climate control to prevent overheating, humidity buildup, and may also need to limit certain particles.

Like the other spaces we’ve looked at so far, these rooms use cooling systems, such as HVAC and CRAC units, to keep temperature within the space at the right levels; otherwise, the equipment may fail.

Many server rooms also have cleanroom features, so you’ll often find HEPA filters and air pressure controls in them as well.

The Bottom Line

Climate-controlled rooms are important in many industrial projects and operations. Whether they are used to protect workers or employees, controlling temperatures and other environmental conditions is becoming increasingly essential. From cleanrooms that prevent airborne contamination to booths that help workers avoid prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures, these spaces keep operations running safely.

Interested in setting up climate-controlled rooms at your location? Reach out to the experts at Allied Cleanrooms to get a free quote on a new buildout.

FAQs About Climate-Controlled Rooms

1. What industries commonly use climate-controlled rooms?

The number of industries which use climate-controlled rooms is almost too many to name, but just to give you an idea, they are often used in pharmaceuticals, food processing, biotech, electronics and semiconductors, medical devices, and more.

2. How do cleanrooms keep air clean and free of particles?

Cleanrooms use special filters (HEPA and/or ULPA ones), HVAC systems, and air pressure controls, special kinds of air flow, and other design features to prevent contaminants from entering, reaching critical areas, or lingering too long within spaces.

3. Why do server rooms sometimes use cleanroom features?

Small particles can cause issues with electrical equipment. In server rooms, such particles could cause malfunctions or data loss.