Portable cleanrooms: what they are and how to move one

What a portable cleanroom is

A portable cleanroom, also called a modular cleanroom, is a cleanroom assembled inside an existing space without construction work. It has a metal frame, walls of clear PVC curtains or rigid panels, and fan filter units (FFUs) in the ceiling. Each FFU is a fan with a HEPA filter that captures at least 99.97% of particles at 0.3 µm. In a softwall room, filtered air is pushed in from the ceiling and leaves under the curtains, so unfiltered air stays out.

Softwall or hardwall

• Softwall: a frame with PVC curtains. Light, quick to set up, and it can stand on casters.
• Hardwall (modular): rigid panels instead of curtains, with a door and sometimes an airlock. It is more stable and holds pressure differences better, but moving it means taking it apart and rebuilding it.

If you only need a clean area on the workbench rather than a whole room, a laminar flow cabinet is usually enough. We cover it in a separate guide: Moving a laminar flow cabinet.

Which class it can reach

Portable cleanrooms typically reach between ISO 8 and ISO 5. The main factor is how many FFUs there are relative to the ceiling area: an ISO 8 room needs only a few, while in an ISO 5 room they cover a large part of the ceiling. What happens inside matters too: how many people work there, what they wear and what equipment is running. What each class means and how it is tested is explained in Cleanroom ISO classes.

Who it suits

• A lab or start-up in a rented building that does not want to build a permanent cleanroom.
• A clean assembly or packing area inside a factory.
• A temporary project, or a company that expects to move in a few years.
• Expanding an existing cleanroom without construction work.

Moving it within the same space

A softwall room on casters can be moved within the same space without taking it apart. Move it slowly, over a smooth, level floor, with one person at each post so the frame does not twist. If there is a threshold, ramp, lift or narrow opening on the way, take the room apart and move it in sections. After every move, check that the frame is square and the curtains are in place, and QA decides whether testing is needed.

Relocating it to a new site, step by step

1. 01Planning and measurements

   Photograph the room and keep the manufacturer's instructions. At the new site, check the ceiling height, that the floor is level and that there is suitable power for the FFUs.

2. 02Labelling and dismantling

   Label every frame and wall part so it goes back in exactly the same order. Dismantling and assembly follow the manufacturer's instructions, and complex rooms are done with the room's supplier.

3. 03The FFUs

   Disconnect the units from power; if they are hard-wired to the panel, an electrician disconnects them. Lift them out of the ceiling holding only the frame, without touching the filter, and pack each unit separately with padding.

4. 04Curtains and panels

   Clean them, wrap them in clean film and label them by side and position. Rigid panels travel upright with corner protection.

5. 05Transport

   Frame, panels and FFUs travel strapped and padded in a shock-absorbing truck, like any sensitive lab equipment.

6. 06Reassembly at the new site

   Assemble by the labels, make sure the frame is square and level, refit the FFUs and curtains and reconnect power.

7. 07Cleaning and testing

   Clean the room inside. A qualified tester working for the owner then checks particle counts, airflow and filter integrity, and work resumes only once the room meets its class again.

What the customer is responsible for

We handle packing, labelling, transport and positioning of the room's parts and the equipment inside it, and coordinate the schedule with the room supplier, the electrician and the tester. Disconnecting and reconnecting power, cleaning the room, testing and classification are done by the professionals working for the customer.

More on cleanrooms

• Cleanroom ISO classes: how to read ISO 14644ISO 14644 cleanroom classes explained: particle limits for each class, the old Class 100 names, EU GMP grades A–D, and when a cleanroom has to be tested again.
• Moving equipment into and out of a cleanroomHow to move equipment into a cleanroom: clean and double-bag, enter through the airlock, gown the crew correctly and run classification tests after.
• Moving a laminar flow cabinetHow to move a laminar flow cabinet (clean bench): protecting the HEPA filter, removing the stand, upright shock-free transport, and airflow and filter integrity testing before work resumes. Plus how it differs from a biosafety cabinet.

Lab moving by area

• Lab relocation in Rehovot, Ness Ziona and the Science Park
• Lab moving in Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Petah Tikva
• Lab and medical equipment moving in Jerusalem
• Lab and industrial moving in Haifa and the north
• Lab moving in Yokneam, Migdal HaEmek and the Galilee
• Lab moving in Beer Sheva and the south
• Lab and medical equipment moving in the Sharon
• Lab moving in Caesarea
• Sensitive equipment and industrial moving in Kiryat Gat and Ashkelon

More guides

• Moving a lab within the same building or campusMoving a lab to another floor or a nearby campus building: elevators, corridor protection, floor load, phased moves so the lab keeps working, and samples.
• Lab relocation checklist: 15 steps before, during and afterA practical lab relocation checklist: appoint an owner, map equipment, handle chemicals and samples separately, and verify everything after the move.
• Moving lab furniture and workbenchesHow to move lab furniture: workbenches with heavy worktops, base cabinets, reagent shelves and flammable cabinets. Disassembly, packing and levelling.
• Insurance when moving expensive equipment: what to checkWhat to check about insurance before moving expensive equipment: coverage amount, exclusions, documentation before the move and how to report damage.