Tablets have become a part of everyday life, both at home and in the business world. But are they the best hardware choice for bio-pharmaceutical, or other industries requiring cleanroom technology for a hygienic environment?
Here’s what to consider when selecting hardware for these unique environments:
- What applications do you need to access
- Are you doing manual data input
- Will you be moving around your space
- How long will you be working on each batch record
Visibility To Applications Is Critical In A Cleanroom
Tablets normally only have a 10-inch display and are not particularly suitable for the visualization of QMS or MES applications. Often, cleanroom operators need access to both the batch record in their MES application and simultaneously be looking at the SOP’s in their QMS system which houses critical work instructions. If associates are forced to switch back and forth between applications they are more apt to make errors which can lead to costly deviations.
Mobile Human Machine Interfaces (HMI’s) such as the DTG Cleanroom PowerStation provide multiple larger screens (up to 24” screen size) allowing better visibility into critical applications simultaneously. These HMI’s are equipped with a keyboard and mouse which allows for increased functionality and ability to enter data quickly and accurately.
Touch Screens In A Cleanroom Environment Are Not Ideal
Cleanroom associates wear gloves, often two sets. This is not an ideal environment for data input using touch screens. Data entry in an open field is difficult which is why companies are forced to optimize the batch record for a touch screen. Typing numbers and sentences with gloves adds risk of human error by clicking the wrong letter or number. Lost time means lost productivity.
Tablets also create increased workload on the IT team. They have limited capabilities compared to a PC which provides less flexibility for an IT team when choosing software and operating systems.
Mobility Within The Cleanroom
The mobility of a tablet is both an advantage and a drawback. It can be carried back and forth between different workstations but entering data with one hand while standing is not an ergonomic solution. Bringing technology to the point of task is a benefit and reduces motion waste, but is a tablet the right solution? In addition, if associates are using other equipment or performing steps in a manufacturing process at the same time, it becomes cumbersome to also be carrying around a tablet.
Battery Life, Safety, And Power
Tablets have a limited battery runtime and may not last for an entire batch manufacturing run or over multiple operational shifts and require time for charging between shifts. Companies will be forced to purchase more tablets or batteries than they need in order to manage the demands of their manufacturing process.
Tablets contain a metal battery chemistry that can and have caused runaway fires. DTG advanced battery systems use the safest chemistry available, lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) which cannot catch fire. The advanced DTG battery system housed within the DTG Cleanroom PowerStation acts as a failsafe to preserve data collection during the entire manufacturing run. This system has a backup internal battery that ensures you don’t lose your work when a battery dies.
Additionally, tablets have no ability to power other types of equipment like scanners, pH meters, centrifuges, environmental monitoring equipment, etc. DTG’s Cleanroom PowerStation can power and mobilize multiple devices within cleanrooms at the point of task.
Cleanroom hardware choices must be chosen carefully and must meet stringent regulations for sterility. However, other factors such as motion waste, battery life, application visibility and data entry must also be considered. Overall, tablets are not the best solution. DTG mobile Cleanroom PowerStations addresses all these factors and improves efficiency, productivity, and profit.
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