Contamination Control – July 2025 Quality Topic

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture on contamination control, including its definition, core elements, monitoring tools, and common impacts on manufacturing quality.

Contamination

Any unwanted solid, liquid, or gas that interferes with product quality, process stability, or cleanliness.

Contamination Control

Systematic prevention, detection, and removal of unwanted materials to protect product performance, reliability, and yield.

Personnel Hygiene and Discipline

Practices such as proper gowning, glove changes, and limited skin or hair contact that reduce human-borne contaminants.

Material Control

Verification that all incoming materials are silicone-free, clean-room approved, inspected, and properly stored to avoid cross contamination.

Equipment and Tool Maintenance

Routine inspection, cleaning, and preventive maintenance of machinery and tools to eliminate contamination sources.

Contamination Monitoring and Detection

Regular airborne and surface particle checks—using tools like APC and FTIR—and visual inspections for early contaminant identification.

Cleaning Protocols

Standardized cleaning of workstations with clean-room approved agents and tools to prevent contaminant buildup.

Process and Handling Discipline

Touch-free handling and controlled product flow procedures that minimize cross contamination risk.

Documentation and Traceability

Detailed procedures, records, and audits that reveal gaps and drive continuous contamination-control improvement.

Environmental Control

Monitoring air pressure, temperature, and humidity to maintain stable clean-room conditions and control particle movement.

Cross Contamination

Transfer of unwanted substances from one material, tool, or area to another, jeopardizing product quality.

APC (Airborne Particle Counter)

Instrument that measures airborne particle levels for real-time contamination monitoring.

FTIR (Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy)

Analytical technique used to validate the presence of silicone and other contaminants on surfaces.

Yield Loss

Reduction in usable product output due to defects or contamination, leading to higher costs.

Reliability Failure

Product malfunction in the field—e.g., faulty automotive sensor—caused by contaminants introduced during manufacturing.