Customer experience in conversation with Faes

“The right combination of support, pricing, the power of custom work, and future potential proved the deciding factor.”

June, 2022

At ProCleanroom, we are proud of the products and services we offer – but we take even greater pride in our customer relationships. This series of blogs focusses on testimonials by customers from various sectors. What is important to entrepreneurs in these industries, and how to cleanroom solutions play a role in their business? In this edition, we interview Joseph Nijhof on the challenges for his company, Faes, to offer the best possible service to clients looking for cleanroom packaging. Thanks to a growing demand, Faes has outsourced the expansion of their cleanroom facilities to ProCleanroom.

The story of Faes began in 1987, when 22 years’ old Johan founded his company Faes Flightcases, initially focussing on the production of flight cases for the music industry. Thanks to rapid and expansive growth, the company was eventually rechristened Faes. These days, Faes is a company of international renown for their vast range of diverse packaging solutions.

Faes – The Packaging People – offer custom solutions based on client packaging requirements. Either as industrial custom packaging or through packaging services it offers. In addition, Faes have developed their own packaging management tool that supports the full supply chain. Faes’ focus is on the High Tech, Medical, Serve, and Safety & Security industries. Thanks to their 35 years of knowledge and experience, backed by full in-house expertise, Faes are able to support virtually any client in their packaging challenges.

Challenges
When asked about potential challenges for Faes, Joseph explains: “For Faes, the challenge is to offer the best level of service to clients looking for cleanroom packaging. Due to growing demand for this type of packaging, we had begun exploring the potential for expanding our cleanroom facilities. High Tech industry businesses are important clients for Faes, and in that industry, contamination can have detrimental effects of the effectiveness and performance of the end products – with disastrous financial consequences. The demand for clean production and assembly continues to grow, which inevitably results in an increased demand for clean packaging. This can be challenging, as it affects the full lengths of the supply chain”.

Faes approached ProCleanroom about an expansion of their cleanroom facilities, including but not limited to an ISO class 6 and 7 cleanroom environment, which would let them boost production capacity and allow them to service clients better and more quickly. Joseph continues: “For this specific order, we approach three different firms. We looked at their knowledge and experience in combination with their pricing and possibilities for offering custom work, as well as their future potential for expansion. Eventually, the right combination of support, pricing, the power of custom work, and future potential proved the deciding factor to choose ProCleanroom. All the better, because we like working with local businesses”.

Two different solutions
To offer the best possible support to Faes in their expansion of their cleanroom facilities, we discussed the issue at length to ensure our experience and Faes’ demands could be used as the basis for the best possible solutions – resulting in the decision to go with two different cleanroom options, each with its own ISO class and specifications.

Modular hard wall cleanroom
The first solution was a 70m² modular hard wall cleanroom specifically designed to be fully aligned with the required process of cleaning, assembling, and packaging made-to-measure packaging solutions. Products of various sizes can easily be transported into and out of the main cleanroom area via a transparent soft wall curtain at the front. A HEPA H14 filtration system combined with an innovative design meant that this cleanroom easily classified as ISO 6 (even having an ISO class 5 in its ‘as built’ status). The internal partitions use black-out soft wall strips for minimised exterior light penetration during UV inspections of the products.

Modular CleanShell® cleanroom
Joseph explains: “In addition to a fixed cleanroom, we were also looking for a second, flexible, movable ISO class 6 cleanroom solution. One that could be set up, disassembled, and transported to various locations in our building. A flexible cleanroom solution would give use to the possibility of responding rapidly to cleanroom capacity peaks without requiring permanent floorspace”.

This need for a flexible solution was solved through the implementation of a modular CleanShell® cleanroom solution. The Faes configuration has a surface area of around 33m², including a changing room. The modular system uses connectable floor and wall sections in a flexible material, that can be assembled in rapid time. Powerful fan filter units and HEPA H14 filtration mean that the CleanShell® easily achieves an ISO class rating of 6 or better. Transparent ceiling and wall sections ensure more than enough (ambient) light, and facilitate communication with personnel outside of the cleanroom.

The room can be upscaled or downscaled by intermediary sections added to or removed from the layout to meet future needs and requirements.

With an eye to safety in the event of a loss of overpressure, the entire CleanShell® is suspended from an external frame, with an airflow sensor coupled with an alarm to warn of a drop in the required level of fresh air. For more information on this innovative design, visit www.procleanroom.com.

A smooth collaboration
Faes involved ProCleanroom from the early stages of the process, which allowed us to support them in choosing and developing the best possible solutions. When asked about his experience of our collaboration, Joseph responds: “Our experience of working with Procleanroom has been a very pleasant one. Their ability to weigh in on addressing our specific demands with regard to cleanroom layout and adequate class rating for the different rooms has been invaluable”. Joseph expects that Faes will need to further upscale their cleanroom capacity in the near future, as the demand for cleanroom solutions will simply continue to grow.

An investment with a positive result
Joseph is positive that investing in multiple cleanroom solutions has been a definite help in addressing the challenge faced by Faes. The expansion of their cleanroom capacity and the resulting increase in flexibility mean that Faes will be able to continue to meet their high level of customer demand. They are able to provide more clients with faster access to customised cleanroom packaging solutions.

Satisfied?
Faes is a satisfied client. Joseph concludes: “We would definitely recommend partnering with Procleanroom. We enjoyed a pleasant and professional process, and are pleased with the end result”.

A satisfied customer: that is why we do it. ProCleanroom: build your expertise.

Are you curious about the possibilities, opportunities and cleanroom solutions for your company? Then contact us and allow us to inform you. Call +31 (0)40 400 28 74 or send an email to info@procleanroom.com.

Would you like to read more about the technical specifications of the cleanroom at Faes? View their case study on our website: https://procleanroom.com/portfolio/hardwall-cleanroom-cleaning-assembly-and-packaging-custom-made-packaging-solutions/

In the next blog, we will introduce to you: Driek Brouwer of RVS-Finish: A company from Bergeijk where the treatment of metal surfaces has been central since 1980.