How can you design edge seals for sandwich panels to reduce particle leakage and air infiltration?

Designing the edge sealing structure of the sandwich panel to reduce particle leakage and air infiltration is an important part of ensuring the stability of the cleanroom environment and reducing pollution sources. The edge sealing structure not only needs to provide effective sealing performance, but also ensure stability and durability in long-term use. The following are some key design considerations:

1. Selecting efficient sealing materials
The sealing material is the core element in the design of the edge sealing structure of the sandwich panel. Choosing the right sealing material can effectively reduce the leakage of air and particles. Commonly used sealing materials include:

Silicone sealing strips: have good flexibility and durability, suitable for use in cleanroom environments, and can provide long-term stable sealing effects.

EPDM sealing strips (ethylene propylene rubber): resistant to high temperature, aging, and chemical corrosion, suitable for use in high-demand clean environments.
Polyurethane foam sealing strips: have high sealing performance and can maintain good performance under large temperature differences.

2. Design appropriate sealing grooves and joints
The edges of the sandwich panels usually need to be designed with sealing grooves to accommodate the sealing strips to ensure that the sealing strips can be pressed tightly to form an effective sealing effect.

Sealing groove design: The depth and width of the sealing groove need to be precisely designed to ensure that the sealing strip can evenly contact the sealing surface and provide sufficient clamping force. The design of the notch should ensure that the sealing strip is not easy to fall off or be damaged.
Joint treatment: Ensure that the joints between the sandwich panels are tightly connected to avoid gaps. Edge joints should usually use special sealants or sealing strips for double sealing to enhance the sealing effect.

3. Adopt snap-fit design or sliding plug-in design
In the edge design of the sandwich panel, snap-fit or sliding plug-in can be used to make the panels fit better when connected to form a seamless sealing effect.

Snap-fit design: This design usually connects the two sandwich panels firmly through mechanical locks, which can avoid particle leakage and air infiltration caused by the gap between the panels.
Sliding plug-in design: With a plug-in structure, the edges of the panels are connected by inserting the notch to ensure that the sealing strip can be evenly stressed and reduce air flow and pollutant leakage at the connection point.

4. Optimize the compression force and pre-compression setting of the sealing strip
The design of the sealing strip should take into account the reasonable setting of the compression force. During the installation of the sandwich panel, the sealing effect of the sealing strip is ensured by applying appropriate pre-compression to the sealing strip. Too low compression force may lead to poor sealing, while too high compression force may cause damage to the sealing strip. Therefore, appropriate compression force and pre-compression design are crucial to ensure the sealing effect.

5. Preventing pollution accumulation at the edge
The design of the edge sealing structure should not only consider the sealing performance, but also avoid the accumulation of pollutants at the joints of the sandwich panels. This can be achieved by:

Edge protection design: For example, designing smooth edges where particles are difficult to accumulate to prevent pollutants from being retained at the joints.

Self-cleaning function: Some sealing materials have self-cleaning function, which can prevent the accumulation of pollutants to a certain extent and improve the overall hygiene of the clean room.

6. Enhance the accuracy of the installation process
No matter how good the design is, the accuracy of the installation process is also extremely important. When installing sandwich panels, it is necessary to ensure that the sealing strips at the joints of the panels are properly in place, and avoid damaging the sealing materials or causing uneven installation during the installation process. Accurate installation can avoid particle leakage and air infiltration caused by loose joints.

7. Consider adaptability to environmental changes
The edge sealing structure of the sandwich panel should have a certain adaptability to cope with changes in temperature and humidity. In a clean room environment, fluctuations in air temperature and humidity may cause the sealing material to expand or contract, thereby affecting the sealing effect. When designing, you should choose sealing materials with high temperature and humidity resistance, and ensure that the sealing strips can maintain sealing performance during long-term use.

8. Regular maintenance and inspection
Maintenance of sealing performance depends not only on good design, but also on regular inspection and maintenance. As the use time increases, the sealing strips may lose their effectiveness due to aging or damage. Therefore, when designing, it is necessary to consider the easy replacement of the sealing strips and regularly check the edge sealing of the sandwich panels to ensure that the clean room always maintains a stable sealing effect.