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PCB opens $1M clean room facility for sensor manufacturing

Sensor manufacturer PCB Piezotronics, a subsidiary of MTS Systems Corporation, has completed construction of environmentally controlled clean rooms totalling 4,300 sq. ft. at its New York headquarters.

In 2019, PCB, which manufactures microphones, vibration, pressure, force, torque, load, and strain sensors for automotive, aerospace and other industrial applications, began assembly of all pressure and force products in the new $1-million facility.

Sensor elements and other critical assemblies are manufactured within a 1,200 square-foot room, which meets or exceeds ISO Class 7 cleanliness standard (less than 10,000 particles per cubic foot). This room is also humidity controlled within a tight specification. Particle counts are further reduced down to ISO Class 3-4 levels (less than 10 particles / cubic foot) due to usage of laminar flow benches, High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtered fume extractors and other state-of-the-art clean room equipment.

A second clean room area (3,100 sq. ft.) is designated for final product assembly and calibration processes. This space is under even stricter humidity controls to prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage to electrical components. Laminar flow benches for critical product assembly, and solder stations with HEPA filtered fume extractors are used throughout this space.

PCB expects that the environmentally controlled clean rooms will further enhance the company’s pressure and force sensor manufacturing and assembly processes. Higher efficiencies, increased throughput, and improved quality and delivery are just some of the expected benefits. PCB design engineers are already working on the next generation of high-performance sensors, whose design and manufacturing is dependent upon a clean room environment.