Equipment Reliability Institute

November 2009
Volume 37

November 2009 Equipment Reliability Institute Volume 37

In this issue...

Selecting Isolated Enclosures for COTS Electronics (part 1): Shock conditions,
enclosure types and equipment requirements - by Herb Lekuch

Building Vibration can Contaminate Clean Factories, Cleanrooms and Clean

Activities - by Wayne Tustin, Ray Schneider and Alvin Lieberman (page 6)
Meet Resonant Ruth - by Wayne Tustin (page 10)
Training in Spite of
Budget Cuts
Selecting Isolated Enclosures for COTS Electronics (part 1): 1. Some training budgets
Shock conditions, enclosure types and equipment requirements have shrunk. Others
by Herb Lekuch have disappeared. But
lack of training can be
Introduction Because many different COTS units may be very expensive. Let's
COTS electronic equipment in isolated installed in the same rack, it is not always focus on that point.
enclosures are often required to meet clear what the shock and vibration failure
Mil STD 810F or Mil S 901D shock test modes of the equipment are. Isolation that 2. Suppose your lab
specifications to be qualified as a part of is appropriate for one set of conditions may overtests prototypes,
US military systems. Hard mounting the be wrongly selected for another application triggering expensive
equipment within and isolating the rack is an resulting in degraded performance and design changes, increased
effective design and widely used. Directly physical damage of the equipment. production costs.
mounting the rack and ‘soft’ install of the Management learns,
equipment is another design. Isolation An isolated system that is mismatched to the painfully, that your company
works by limiting the amount of force that conditions, or the equipment, can amplify the underbid on the contract.
is transmitted across the isolator into the input loads, subjecting the electronics to higher
equipment. In many cases, the isolator has to peak g levels, possible contact of internal 3. Suppose your lab
reduce both shock and vibration sometimes components, as well as impact between undertests, doesn't find
simultaneously. chassis in a densely packaged enclosure. prototype weaknesses.
Commercial shock and vibration specifications Production and delivery
ERI’s November 2006 newsletter included an are often much less severe than military follow. Management
article, also by LeKuch, on High Deflection requirements, and there is no direct way of learns, painfully, that those
Elastomeric Mounts for Tests on the Navy’s 8 extrapolating where or at what level damage is weaknesses are showing
hz Floating Shock Platform. likely to occur in military tests.
up in service, triggering
huge warranty expense.
How effective does the isolated enclosure Design Criteria
have to be – that depends of the sensitivity Isolation criteria are discussed in this 4. I suggest that you
and complexity of the equipment to be article and photos show typical enclosure rewrite paragraphs 2 and
protected. Criteria for selecting the isolators installations. Shock response spectra (SRS) 3, inserting language
involve knowing the allowable shock and are reviewed. Factors that control isolation pertaining to your company's
vibration response, the response frequency performance include deflection, force ratios, products. Then a paragraph
range of the isolation, the expected effective velocities, content of the shock input
urging serious consideration
movement in shock and the type of mount. and critical frequencies of the equipment. The
of the ERI proposal (which

Equipment Reliability Institute tustin@equipment-reliability.com

1520 Santa Rosa Avenue Phone: (805) 564-1260 http://www.equipment-reliability.com
Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Fax: (805) 966-7875
 Equipment Reliability Institute
November 2009
Volume 37

you have wisely obtained

and are attaching) for
on-site training of your
company’s designers and
test people together, training
in design to avoid failure
+ training in how to detect
weaknesses. Get support
from design people and
from test people. Pass
the document upwards.
Will management accept your
idea? If not, ask that it be
refused in writing. Why? The
refuser can't help but think
Figure 1 B
ahead to the possibility of
Figure 1 A
those huge expenses being
many times larger than the
importance of enclosure dynamics on chassis sensitive electronic units are isolated within
response and peak g’s is noted. Examples of a hard mounted outer rack (Figure 3). Other immediate request for training
elastomer and cable mounts are reviewed. versions include modular designs where the funds. There is some chance
The effects of isolator stiffness non-linearity isolated compartment can be stacked directly that the needed training
and how that complicates mount selection to a hard rack. will happen, a far better
and orientation are also noted. chance than if you didn't try.
The Externally Isolated design has the rack on
Figures 1A and 1B - Photos of an Isolated a set of base isolators with stabilizer isolators at
Enclosures and Console (by permission of 901D the top rear to control pitch and sway. The base
LLC, and Shock Tech, Monsey New York). isolators are primarily used to control vertical
shock in the tension/compression direction. The
Personal Check for
Isolated Enclosures spread of the mounts (at or near the corners of Tuition?
There are mainly three types of isolated the rack) helps to resist pitch in the front/back Most tuitions for individuals
enclosures – external isolation for the entire and side/side directions and rotation about the attending ERI short courses
rack (Figures 1A and 1B), internal isolation vertical axis. have been paid by the
where all of the equipment is ‘floated’
participants’ employers.
within an inner frame (Figure 2), and a Fabricated of aluminum of steel, most racks
modification of this type where only the are open frame construction made up of But there have been notable
structural elements for the columns and exceptions, entrepreneurs
flying solo as consultants
or starting new vibration-
related businesses.
A very few have asked
for and received ERI’s
special “entrepreneurial
discount.” An entrepreneur,
in this context, is a person
who has started his/her
own business, preferably
in some field relating to
Figure 2 Figure 3 hardware reliability.

Equipment Reliability Institute tustin@equipment-reliability.com

1520 Santa Rosa Avenue Phone: (805) 564-1260 http://www.equipment-reliability.com
Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Fax: (805) 966-7875

stiffeners. Base and top panels may have
openings for air entry and cable penetrations.
Rear and side panels are removable and
may also have opening for cable penetrations
and air discharge. The front door is usually
full opening with air entry via louvered water
barrier sub-panels. EMI weather gaskets are
used at panel and door closure surfaces.
Construction can be from formed or extruded
components, assembly is welded or bolted.
Special gussets are sometimes used at
corner connections for strength where
bending moments are greatest and to carry
the reaction loads directly into the isolators.
Flexing and twisting of the frame is reduced
through deep sections of the columns and
stiffened top and bottom covers. The isolators
can be attached by means of a ‘sandwiched’
plate assembly for easy change out and
replacement. A typical rack is 22 inches wide.
The Internally Isolated enclosure takes
a different approach. The enclosure
becomes an adjunct to the foundation and
the electronics are installed in a stiffened
frame or platform that is supported and
isolated from the outer rack by means of
multiple mounts. In one design base and
side stabilizers are used. In newer designs,
the platform is suspended with isolators
only at the sides. Because the outer rack is
fixed in-place, the overall space is defined
and no sway space or movement of the
rack occurs. Shock isolation and relative
displacement is entirely inside the enclosure.
This design can actually ‘package’ more
electronics in the same overall space since
there is no upward movement or sway that
has to be accommodated. Also the air can be
distributed completely around the equipment
and cabling run in the side clearances.
Enclosures can be kept to only 24 inches
width. Outer rack construction is generally
strengthened with heavier column sections
and corner restraints, stainless steel is often
used for the platform.
Partially Isolated – Not all equipment has to
be isolated but because of its rugged design
and need for stability can be hard mounted.
That is, in normal use the equipment may
Equipment Reliability Institute
1520 Santa Rosa Avenue Phone: (805) 564-1260
Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Fax: (805) 966-7875
Equipment Reliability Institute
November 2009
Volume 37
have to remain fixed with respect to the 2010 “Open” Courses
motion of the vehicle and operator’s platform. Wayne Tustin will teach
This enables the operator to continue Fundamentals of Random
controlling and properly using the electronics.
Vibration and Shock
Military warfare displays are an example of
Testing, Measurement,
this - in some cases multiple displays can be
a part of console design and the operator has Analysis, Calibration,
to be attentive to each screen. However, if HALT, ESS and HASS at
vehicle vibration caused the isolated displays the following locations:
to jitter, image definition and resolution could February 23-25, 2010
be degraded and inspection or surveillance
Santa Barbara, California
capabilities significantly reduced. Enclosure
designs can include hard mounted outer April 5-7, 2010
shells and internal compartments for College Park, Maryland
equipment, some of which are isolated and
others directly attached. The more fragile
(or unknown) equipment such as COTS
would be isolated and the rugged equipment Steve Brenner will teach
hard mounted. Two levels of shock control Military Standard
would then be established and equipment 810G (MIL-STD-810G)
moved from one compartment to another as Testing - Understanding,
newer designs or next generation equipment Planning and Performing
became available. It is also possible to install Climatic and Dynamic
the equipment in modular compartments that Tests on the following
would then be installed into the console at a dates and locations:
later time. This can result in quicker assembly
and shorter maintenance cycles since November 16-19, 2009
equipment can be integrated and checked to Bohemia (Long Island, NY)
a relatively high level before final installation.
February 8-11, 2010
Construction features of certain class of Fullerton, California
consoles involve machined end plates for the March 15-18, 2010
structural frame and isolated compartments Montreal, Canada
in the lower space. Provisions are made for
dynamic balance and physical separation of
the compartments to avoid resonance of the
isolation sections. Otherwise amplification Kevin Howard will teach the
at the predominant modes can increase the new course in “Distribution,
dynamic loads transmitted into the hardened Packaging and Testing”
compartments during vibration and shock
test. Racks can also be configured with March 2-4, 2010
isolated and hard compartments. Relative Santa Barbara, California
deflection has to be checked between modular
compartments to avoid impact during shock or
at resonance dwell in vibration.
Larry J. Bogatz will teach
Why Each Type of Enclosure Requires The Fundamentals of
Different Isolation Sealing and Fastening
The shock performance of the isolation system February 16-18, 2010
is primarily a function of the mount stiffness Santa Barbara, California
to payload mass ratio and the duration of the
tustin@equipment-reliability.com
http://www.equipment-reliability.com
 Equipment Reliability Institute
November 2009
Volume 37

shock pulse. Amplification of 1.5 to 2.0 times Comparison of Test Specifications Take advantage of our
the input will occur for a moderately damped Comparing a commercial disk specification early-bird discounts and
system if they are closely coupled. These are versus military test shock levels shows how save up to $200 when
shown in the well known Mindlin curves for much more severe the specifications levels your enrollment and
response when subjected to velocity shock. are than the manufacturer’s ratings. Using payment reach ERI one
Close coupled frequency response of the rack the no loss data criteria, the disk limit is 15 month before the course
with the input can also amplify the measured g, half sine pulse, 5 ms duration. Mil Std 810 starts. Sign up now!
response of a COTS unit installed within the for ground equipment is 40 g’s, 6 to 9 ms, in
rack above the isolators. other words nearly 3 times the shock peak
and nearly twice the duration. Also the pulse Learned Vibration Testing
The stiffness k characteristics of mounts shapes are different. The barge is even more
by trial…
are axis dependent - generally stiffest in severe reaching 50-60 g’s, 30 to 35 ms for
compression/tension and more compliant in the 14 hz deck test. Isolation designed to The following is an exact
shear and roll. External quotation from a recent
isolated enclosures e-mail, commenting
usually have mounts at favorably upon Wayne's
the base in compression random vibration text.
and stabilizers in roll
or shear. Four to six “As I said before, I learned
base mounts and two vibration testing more or
stabilizers normally less by trial and error. This
handle up to 1200 gives me a more "academic"
lb payload which approach in talking to my
includes the 600 lb department here and to our
weight of the cabinet. customers. Now I have the
Example – 1200 lbs
accepted vocabulary and
and 4 mounts each at
theory to make my points
900 lbs/in stiffness in
compression, 300 lbs/ and discussions. I wish I
in in shear. The effective had gotten it sooner.”
shock response Those four sentences
frequency is: don’t surprise me. Many
shaker operators have
f (shock resp) = 3.13 (4 x
Figure 4 learned that way.
900 / 1200)^0.5 = 5.42 hz
Too bad about burning
In the internal isolation design, there may be reduce the Mil 810 level to 15 g’s might still out the shaker driver coil.
eight mounts at the sides (four each side) be inadequate to be effective at the 14 hz Too bad about some over-
and the isolated weight is only 600 lbs. Rack levels thus isolated equipment containing testing that led to product
weight is excluded. Although they are only these disks might satisfactorily operate to a
redesign. Too bad about
0.3 to 0.5 the compression stiffness, using ground test but fail the Navy test.
some under-testing, that
the same base mounts of type [1] would be
unsatisfactory in this case for the internally Figure 4 compares these in a bar chart led to some field failures
isolated rack in shear and an unacceptable form, the height of the vertical bar depicts and warranty expense.
amount of shock response g’s could occur the shock in g’s, the width of the same bar Unaware of what’s been
due to having a stiffer system. The frequency indicates the pulse duration. The impulse is a happening “down in the
with same mounts in shear is: finction of the force in g’s and pulse duration lab,” some company
thus its descriptive of how much more severe
executive will say, “No,
f (shock resp) = 3.13 (8 x 300 / 600)^0.5 = 6.26 hz the barge test conditions are. The disk drive
I don’t believe we need
limits in this example are below both Mil Std
810F and Mil S 901D levels. any vibration test training.
Bill is doing just fine.”
Equipment Reliability Institute tustin@equipment-reliability.com
1520 Santa Rosa Avenue Phone: (805) 564-1260 http://www.equipment-reliability.com
Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Fax: (805) 966-7875
 Equipment Reliability Institute
November 2009
Volume 37

Example of typical hard disk specification Three Saturdays at NTS

Santa Clarita
Operating shock
Ten NTS people (see pictures
No errors 5 G, 11 ms half-sine shock pulse online) gave up three August
No data loss, seek errors or permanent damage 10 G, 11 ms half-sine shock pulse Saturdays to attend a highly
No data loss or permanent damage 15 G, 5 ms half-sine shock pulse specialized school dealing
30 G, 4 ms half-sine shock pulse with vibration and shock
Non-operating shock testing, measurement,
analysis and calibration ....
No damage or degradation of performance 75 G, 11 ms half-sine shock pulse mostly vibration testing.
Most of the attendees have
Shocks applied in each direction of the drives' three mutually perpendicular axis, one axis at a
time, heads parked. been operating shaker
systems for some time,
Mil STD 810F doing what they were shown
This military standard applies well defined terminal peak sawtooth shock pulses to specify the and told to do. Now, thanks
test input. Tests are done with programmable land based machines. Shocks are applied in the to the course, and having
plus and minus direction in each of the three principal axes of the unit. asked numerous questions
of instructor Wayne Tustin
Functional - flight equipment 20 g’s 6-9 ms
of Equipment Reliability
Functional - ground equipment 40 g’s 6-9 ms
Institute, they are able to
Crash hazard - flight equipment 40 g’s 6-9 ms
answer "Why?" questions
Crash hazard - ground equipment 75 g’s 3.5-5 ms that customers sometime
ask. Such as: Why do we
Mil S 901D Barge Test
The input shock from the barge test is dependent on deck simulator (DSF) frequency, total do random vibration tests?
weight mounted on the deck, location of the equipment on the deck and other factors such as What was wrong with early
charge distance and explosive content. Shock levels can vary. The DSF and the fixturing to sine vibration testing?
mount the rack is intended to be representative of installation on board the ship.

Typical barge shock levels in the vertical direction are:

Herb Lekuch’s Isolating
Deck Frequency Shock Duration COTS Equipment aboard
8 hz 35-45 g’s 60-65 ms Military Vehicles and Steve
14 hz 55-65 g’s 30-35 ms Brenner’s Fundamentals
25 hz 110-130 g’s 10-15 ms of Random Vibration
and Shock Testing were
The duration is typical for the initial pulse and will tend to lengthen with successive cycles. It also successful courses
can be described as an impulse followed by a series of oscillations at the deck frequency then taught, respectively, in
a bubble pulse occurring at approximately 0.60 seconds followed by another series of cycles Singapore and Brazil.
decreasing in amplitude.
See pictures online.
Part 2 of this article will cover enclosure layout, shock mounts, barge shock test data and shock
response characteristics.
Which Test Is More
Herb Lekuch is a consultant to Shock Tech Corp and to 901D, LLC. He has extensive Important?
experience in mechanical design, shock and vibration isolation, test and analysis, sales and If you are testing a
marketing for military, space and industrial projects. Herb is also an ERI specialist. shipping container for its
ability to protect delicate

Equipment Reliability Institute tustin@equipment-reliability.com

1520 Santa Rosa Avenue Phone: (805) 564-1260 http://www.equipment-reliability.com
Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Fax: (805) 966-7875

Building Vibration can Contaminate Clean Factories, Cleanrooms and
Clean Activities
by Wayne Tustin, Ray Schneider and Alvin Lieberman
Introduction
In this article we focus on a serious problem
caused by building vibration: that is the
subtle problem of particulate contamination
of clean factories, cleanrooms, cleanroom
products, and cleanroom processes.
When someone walks past or rolls a heavy
object past your cleanroom, do you feel
vibration? Do you feel the vibration when
those activities occur on an overhead
level? If so, then product yield and process
tool performance are in danger of being
degraded. Remedial measures should be
taken as soon as possible to reduce the
vibration and its effects.
A potentially very expensive example:
building vibration can degrade
photolithography operations, especially
serious in microcircuit production. A
recent paper¹ presented at the Institute of
Environmental Sciences and Technology
47th annual technical meeting discusses
that problem from the viewpoint of possible
problems that may affect the newest
generation of photolithography tools.
That paper discusses current lithography
scanner support criteria in terms of
receptance (displacement/force) spectra,
and compares them with receptance
measurements carried out in several fabs
(microcircuit fabrication facilities). Design
philosophies are discussed for both floor
structures and tool support pedestals.
Natural Frequencies? Resonances?
What are these terms? Did you ever push
a child on a swing? You timed your forcing
frequency to match the swing's natural
frequency and thus used resonance to give
your child a much higher ride than would
have been possible (applying the same
dynamic force) at any other frequency.
Responses To Vibration
We normally give little thought to structural
Equipment Reliability Institute
1520 Santa Rosa Avenue Phone: (805) 564-1260
Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Fax: (805) 966-7875
Equipment Reliability Institute
November 2009
Volume 37
cargo, which test is more
important ..... the shock
test or the vibration test?
Wayne recently attended
the annual meeting of
natural frequencies at which a building or ISTA, the International Safe
other structure may respond strongly with Transit Association, and
relatively large motions to a seemingly- picked up this question
small input force. In 1940, the Tacoma and answer. Vibration. It
Narrows bridge was destroyed by wind- happens on every trip.
induced motion. In the 1950's, Bostonians
Shock only happens on
became aware of twisting of the John
occasion. If you’re getting
Hancock Building caused by certain wind
conditions. Nearing completion, severe consistent en route failures,
twisting of the structure broke nearly all of suspect that vibration is the
the windows in that office building, leaving cause. If you’re getting an
it uninhabitable for more than a year. It occasional failure, suspect
took that long to design and install active that shock is the cause.
vibration cancellation on an upper floor.
These reduced twisting to about 25% the
earlier amount. Then windows could be
replaced and the building could be tested
Simultaneous Multiaxis
to ensure that the problems were indeed Vibration Testing
solved correctly. When? Sooner than you may
think. All of us have known
Your present-day cleanrooms are more apt that in-service vibration is not
to be adversely affected by higher frequency X-axis and then Y-axis and
excitation in which the frequency of some
finally Z-axis. We performed
stimulus (external or internal) matches one
sequential axis testing
or more of the natural frequencies of your
facility and its support structure. because for a long time we
were only offered single-axis-
Vibration Stimuli at-a-time shakers. Builders
External building stimuli include high winds of EH or electrohydraulic
and wind gusts, aircraft flyovers, passage (servohydraulic) shakers
of railroad trains on nearby tracks, large caught on first, offering
motor trucks on nearby roads, and of simultaneous multiaxis testing
course, "seismic events" or earthquakes and to the automobile industry.
volcanic effects. Fortunately the latter are US military services also
few and far between. Internal building stimuli caught on, combining at
include building machinery such as cooling
several facilities three or more
fans, refrigerators, air conditioning systems,
existing ED or electrodynamic
hoists, elevators, production machinery
such as conveyor systems, nearby office shakers. Simultaneous is not
machines such as printers and copiers only faster than sequential,
(never allow these to be installed in a but it finds more of the
cleanroom), internal vehicles such as fork-lift possible failure modes.
trucks and, finally, pedestrian footfalls. All of
Finally, the late 2008 Military
those devices can create building vibration
Standard 810G included
as well as generating and releasing some
particles during their operation. a new Test Method 527
on Multi Exciter Testing.
tustin@equipment-reliability.com
http://www.equipment-reliability.com
 Equipment Reliability Institute
November 2009
Volume 37

Contamination Mechanism 1 of small particles may be very low When will one of the US
Agglomeration with regard to the air volume near that builders of electrodynamic
Aside from the problems due to movement tool, yet sufficient to reduce yield to an shakers factory assemble
of lithography components, building unacceptably low level. The small particles three or more ED shakers
vibrations can also cause airborne that are generated may deposit on a into a deliverable system?
particulate contamination that is difficult surface that vibrates. Vibration results in Overseas ED shaker firms
to detect with normal cleanroom particle agglomeration of the small particles to have shown the way.
measurement. Even low-level vibration can produce agglomerate particles that can
cause release into the air of particles that be as large as ten to one hundred times
have settled upon surfaces. These particles the size of the initial small particles. This
can be in the nanometer and larger size phenomenon was noted in a recent paper³ 80th Shock & Vibration
ranges and in small quantities. If the settled that examined the behavior of fine particles Symposium
particles are retained on a surface only by on a surface under ultrasonic vibration. Wayne tutored on fixture
the effects of gravity, then vibration can
design, fabrication and
cause the original particles to agglomerate, Contamination Mechanism 2
usage last October 26, at
forming particles that can be much larger Relative Motion Between Walls, Floor
than the particles originally deposited and Ceiling SAVIAC’s 80th Shock &
on the surface. Even so, many of the How was your cleanroom constructed? Vibration Symposium. The
discrete particle counters used to classify Quite possibly plasterboard panels were event met in San Diego,
cleanrooms in the low concentration levels screwed or nailed or stapled to a wood CA, October 25-29, 2009.
of the present US Federal Standard 209 or metal framework. Joints between
Wayne also spoke on
are close to the limits of their particle plasterboard panels were taped and the
“Simultaneous Multiaxis
detection sensitivity levels. Statistically room was painted. One of the unfortunate
valid data for the ISO 14644-1 cleanroom results of building vibration, however Shaking”, recently blessed
standard² are difficult to procure for ISO caused, is relative motion along the edges by a new Test Method
level 1. The particles that must be sized of those panels, releasing paper and 527 in the October
and counted for both documents at their plaster particles into the air. 2008 "G" revision to
lowest classification size level are defined Military Standard 810.
as being equal to and larger than 0.1 µm Contamination Mechanism 3
Wayne's SAVIAC
in diameter. The US Federal Standard 209 Relative Motion Between Clean Room
presentation (also shown
specifies that the cleanest classification And Equipment
level shall have no more than 350 particles What equipment? Let us commence with at the Aerospace Testing
per cubic meter or 9.9 particles per cubic air conditioners on the roof and work our Seminar at Manhattan
foot of air equal to and larger than 0.1 µm way downward between rooms, noting Beach, CA), have been
in diameter. ISO 14644-1 specifies that ductwork for heating and cooling, a posted at ERI's website.
the cleanest classification level shall have furnace, blowers, pumps. Inside the various
no more than 10 particles equal to and cleanrooms are wall-mounted and floor
larger than 0.1 µm in diameter per cubic supported cabinets, wall-mounted and
meter of air. Statistical requirements result ceiling-mounted light fixtures. Is Environmental Test Lab
in the need to count at least 20 particles Safety Training Needed?
per measurement in order to provide Another unfortunate result of building
an acceptable confidence level to in? vibration, however caused, is relative Do you recall any on-
reported data. These requirements result in motion between equipments, releasing the-job injuries to your
excessive instrument operating time for to particles into the air. folks who use climatic
acquire? acceptable data. test chambers? Shakers?
Contamination Mechanism 4 Shock test machines?
Unfortunately, many state-of-the-art high Loss Of Particulate Uniformity Any near misses? Please
technology devices are extremely sensitive In the pharmaceutical industry, many e-mail Wayne about what
to small particles that are generated at medical processes involve blending of you remember along with
locations that may be "upwind" of the particulate materials, each with specific your advice on need for
device processing tool. The quantity properties needed for a particular product laboratory safety training.

Equipment Reliability Institute tustin@equipment-reliability.com

1520 Santa Rosa Avenue Phone: (805) 564-1260 http://www.equipment-reliability.com
Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Fax: (805) 966-7875

to satisfy a medical need. Quite often, it is
necessary to blend particulate materials in
different size ranges to produce a product
with the desired properties. The mixing
process is designed to blend these materials
so that the batch of powder contains the
correct quantities of each of the initial
particulate materials. Vibration can cause
smaller particles to settle downward in
into? spaces between the larger particles.
Al - is this agglomeration? What had
been uniformly blended powder is no
longer uniform and the batch may require
additional mixing with a possible decrease
in uniformity. Maybe delete final 3 sentences
that don't seem to relate to vibration.
A Specific Stimulus, an Earthquake
Immediately after an earthquake or other
major stimulus, check for particles that
may have been generated and/or moved
into the cleanroom. Inspect the cleanroom
area and the tools operating in and about
that area. For large tools, inspect product
component entrance areas in particular,
but do not ignore any of the tool interiors
where in-process products may be exposed
to "fallout" from particles generated by tool
motion during the earthquake. Inspect all
cleanroom filters, especially those in ceiling
ducts. During that inspection, examine the
filter seals to ensure that the earthquake
has not caused filter movement sufficient
to cause an opening in the seal area. An
opening can permit significant quantities of
contaminated air to bypass the filter medium
and act as a local area contamination
source. During the cleanroom inspection,
make sure that small local contaminant
sources have been produced as an effect
of the movement caused by the motion of
the tool or storage where in-process product
components are stored.
Remember that many of the less-dramatic
vibration sources listed under "STIMULI"
may intermittently or continuously shake
your cleanroom structure. At certain of the
structure's natural frequencies, the resulting
magnified vibration can shake particles
loose into cleanroom air.
Equipment Reliability Institute
1520 Santa Rosa Avenue Phone: (805) 564-1260
Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Fax: (805) 966-7875
Equipment Reliability Institute
November 2009
Volume 37
Cleanup Procedures; Effect On Vibration with
Production
Minimal Math
Depending on the severity of vibration
that has previously occurred, some Yes, Wayne Tustin's
areas in the cleanroom may no longer vibration text (picture
be adequately clean to meet either the below) weighs 4+ pounds,
process cleanliness requirements or the but the math is less than 1
regulatory agency requirements as the ounce. In a 3-day course,
pharmaceutical industry is always required Wayne or Steve Brenner
to do. If a requirement is present that
or Herb LeKuch spends
specifies a cleanroom classification level
perhaps 15 minutes using
that must always be maintained, then
procedures are written out in detail in the any branch of mathematics.
ISO 14644-1 and ISO 14644-2 documents. Their emphasis is on the
ISO 14644-1 specifies procedures to verify practical aspects of vibration
the cleanroom classification level. These and shock measurement
procedures involve verifying the integrity of and testing, along with
the final filter system, ensuring that the air ESS, HALT and HASS.
flow rate is acceptable and that the integrity
of the cleanroom enclosure is verified by
leak testing.
For a large ballroom type cleanroom, this
operation may require that production be
stopped for as long as one or two weeks.
Profitability of a 300 mm wafer fab can be
severely affected if one or two weeks of
production is not carried on. ISO 14644-2
specifies procedures for continuous and/or
frequent monitoring in the cleanroom and
for ensuring compliance with ISO 14644- Who witnesses your Tests?
1 If continuous or frequent monitoring
is carried out, then reverification of the When your hardware goes
cleanroom class can be extended from to "the lab" for a vibration
a period of 6 months to a period of 24 test or a shock test, who
months. In a two year time, availability of observes the test? (This
three "extra" work weeks production is very applies to tests at your
important to the profit of the facility. own lab at your facility, and
also applies to tests at an
Consider monitoring your entire cleanroom "outside" or commercial
for atypically high particle concentrations. If testing laboratory).
production rates must remain high, monitor
several locations in your processing Does the test witness
area, especially where anomalous airflow understand what's
patterns may have been recorded in the happening?
past. If you find excessive contamination
Often he/she does not.
in those areas, trace the particle "plume"
to its generation source and take the At least that is what many
necessary actions to remedy the problem. shaker operators have
As cleanroom manager, you might also told us. That is why ERI
consider setting up a monitoring program developed Course No.
V&S 502 Witnessing
tustin@equipment-reliability.com
http://www.equipment-reliability.com
 Equipment Reliability Institute
November 2009
Volume 37

for particle count and for air flow patterns used to protect the product from effluents Vibration and Shock
at critical locations. Procedures for such generated by the environment or by the Tests. Would you like a
activities can be seen in the Institute of operating personnel. This is particularly copy? Just e-mail Wayne.
Environmental Science and Technology's true in areas where viable bacterial
Recommended Practices. IEST-RP 006.2, contamination is a potential problem.
"Testing Cleanrooms", is recommended
as a guide for characterizing the References Whom do you know?
cleanroom. IEST-RP-CC018.2, "Cleanroom ¹ Amick, H., & Bayat, A., "Meeting the Whom do you know that
Housekeeping-Operating and Monitoring Vibration Challenges of Next-Generation
needs a basic understanding
Procedures" recommends procedures for Photolithography Tools" Proc. 47th Annual
of vibration or shock testing,
monitoring cleanrooms. IEST can also Technical Meeting and Exposition of the
supply the ISO cleanroom documents Institute of Environmental Sciences and measurement, analysis,
referenced herein. Technology, Phoenix, AZ, April 22-25, calibration, isolation, etc?
(2001) Please tell him or her about
Cocoons ERI's website, newsletter,
When cleanrooms were smaller, their ² ISO14644-1 "Classification of Airborne short courses, etc.
natural frequencies were higher and the Particulate Cleanliness for Clean Rooms
ERI offers a commission
movements were smaller. At this time and Clean Air Devices"
some cleanrooms are ballroom-sized, or a course discount to
with relatively low natural frequencies ³ Matsusaka, S., Nakamura, S. and individuals who refer new
and relatively large motions, leading to an Masuda, H. "Behavior of Fine Particles on students or consulting
increase in particle contamination. One a Plate Under Ultrasonic Vibration" KONA, clients to us. Please contact
solution is a "cocoon" inside the large not- 18, 213-219, (2000) Wayne for more information.
so-clean room. Not only does the cocoon
have relatively high natural frequencies, but ISO14644-2 "Test Schedule to
it can "float" on soft springs or air cushions. Demonstrate Compliance with ISO14644-1"
There are a number of companies that Consider joining LinkedIn
produce such devices. These can be ISO14644-3 "Metrology and Test Methods" Sign up at LinkedIn
to exchange ideas,
opportunities and
This article has been published in the October 2001 issue of A²C² magazine (now
information with other many
Controlled Environments).
professionals. Search for
Wayne Tustin, ERI’s president, can be reached by e-mail or phone (805) 564-1260. ERI’s Vibration and Shock
Group. You can comment
Ray Schneider is the Chair of the Department of Construction Science and Management at on multiaxis vibration
Clemson University. He can be reached at www.practicaltechonline.com. testing, on hammers for
repetitive shock (as in
The late Alvin Lieberman wrote over 100 technical publications dealing with particulate ESS, HALT & HASS).
systems and contamination measurement and control, co-edited a 1997 book on liquid-
borne particle measurement and was sole author of a 1992 book on cleanrooms and
contamination control. He developed many standards for particle measurements,
instruments and cleanrooms, including Federal Standart 209. What are your Reliability
Problems?
ERI is vitally interested
Lock in 2009 fees for 2010 courses in the reliability problems
If we receive your course registration and payment by December 30th, 2009, you get you face. Will you, as an
to lock in the 2009 fee in addition to our usual early-bird discounts. It's savings up to individual, share those
$700! So don't delay and sign up now! problems with us and with
other readers? We won't

Equipment Reliability Institute tustin@equipment-reliability.com

1520 Santa Rosa Avenue Phone: (805) 564-1260 http://www.equipment-reliability.com
Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Fax: (805) 966-7875
 Equipment Reliability Institute
November 2009
Volume 37

publish your message

without your permission.
Quite likely, one of us at
ERI, or another reader,
will know of a solution.

Meet Resonant Ruth where L is the length of the pendulum

and g is the local acceleration of
This joyous, happy, exuberant little girl, gravity."
swinging, will identify future columns, in each
issue of ERI’s quarterly newsletter. We hope Resonant Ruth has been given an initial
she reminds you of your own childhood. few pushes by her mother or father,
or by another child, at a particular
In this picture, Ruth is the mass on frequency, the reciprocal of T. Very
a pendulum. One of Wayne’s lecture quickly, Ruth has learned to further
videos shows the oscillations of a increase displacement by repeatedly
pendulum along with the time-varying pulling on the ropes with a forcing
displacement, velocity and acceleration. frequency ff that matches the swing’s
Let Wayne know if you need that video. natural frequency fn. She has achieved
resonance, maximizing the response for
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ a given dynamic input.
Pendulum, from which comes the
following: Some of our future Resonant Ruth
"The period of swing of a simple gravity columns won’t be this happy. We’ve got
pendulum depends on its length, at least a dozen examples of resonance
the acceleration of gravity, and to a leading to hardware failures aboard
small extent on the maximum angle rockets, airplanes, land vehicles and
that the pendulum swings away from ships. Readers are invited to share their
vertical, θ0, called the amplitude. It is “resonance → damage” stories.
independent of the mass of the bob. If
the amplitude is limited to small swings,  Seeking New Specialists
the period T of a simple pendulum, the In these difficult times, some
time taken for a complete cycle, is: Wayne Tustin, ERI’s president, can be
who have been laid off have
reached by e-mail or phone (805) 564-
decided to consult for many
1260.
companies (rather than seek
another job). If that sentence
applies to you, please
Subscribe consider associating with
If you would like to subscribe to ERI News, go to our website, fill in the form “Free Newsletter” and ERI. May we hear from you?
hit the Submit button. Subscribe now!
Recommend
If you enjoy reading ERI News and want to recommend it to a friend, just hit “forward” on the menu of
your e-mail program to forward the message from us or tell your friend to subscribe at our website.
Previous issues Copyright © 2000-2009
Missed the previous issues? Just visit newsletter archives at our website. Equipment Reliability Institute.
Unsubscribe or Change subscriber options All rights reserved.
If you do not want to receive ERI’s quarterly newsletter or would like to change your subscriber
options, please refer to the link at the bottom of the newsletter e-mail message you received.

Equipment Reliability Institute tustin@equipment-reliability.com

1520 Santa Rosa Avenue Phone: (805) 564-1260 http://www.equipment-reliability.com
Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Fax: (805) 966-7875