High containment screen allows greater movement

Published: 18-Jun-2010

Howorth Air Technology has developed a more flexible High Containment Screen for downflow booths

Howorth Air Technology has developed a cutting-edge High Containment Screen (HCS) that offers higher levels of operator protection and flexibility.

The company’s HCS' have long been a simple but effective way of boosting the containment capabilities of any downflow booth, it says. However, in a rapidly developing market, with an ever-increasing emphasis on operator safety coupled with the need to handle ever-more potent compounds, Howorth realised the need for something more advanced.

In consultation with clients and using the most advanced CFD software available, Howorth engineers designed the 4D Shield – its most flexible screen so far, offering four degrees of movement: Side to side, front to back, up and down and controlled rotation. This flexibility makes it ideal for a wide range of processes.

The screen can be installed within a new downflow booth or retrofitted into an existing booth, even one supplied by another manufacturer.

Independent testing of the Shield has confirmed that OELs as low as 1μg/m3 can be achieved when operated in conjunction with agreed SOPs. Processes considered to have a higher risk of exposure also benefit from a considerable reduction in OELs. The reduction in OELs also means that, for operations where previously an air suit or isolator was the only option, a downflow booth combined with a Howorth Shield is now a viable alternative.

Developed specifically to allow it to be fitted within existing booth facilities, Howorth offers a full prototyping service, giving clients the assurance of seeing and working with a full-size mock-up prior to manufacture of the final product.

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