Stylin' In The Clean RoomStylin' In The Clean Room

A new type of floor panel that lets chipmakers save money when moving heavy clean-room equipment also offers an aesthetic plus: Its epoxy coating comes in a rainbow of colors. The panels, made by Maxcess Technologies, cut costs for such moves by eliminating the need to install support braces and reducing equipment downtime, Maxcess sales manager Mark Krauk says. The panels, about $38 a square foot, come in various hues not only to allow color-coding of process areas, Krauk says, but to let chipmakers spruce things up. "It helps break up the monotony of these nice, white clean rooms."