SY "Commercializing '2-Hour Fire-Resistant Cleanroom Panel' with Samsung ENG"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] SY, a comprehensive building materials company, announced on the 13th that a commercialization agreement ceremony for the ‘Advanced Factory Fire-Resistant Cleanroom Panel (hereinafter FRC Panel)’ jointly developed with Samsung Engineering was held on the 10th.

SY expects that once the FRC Panel is commercialized, it will simultaneously enhance cleanroom fire safety, reduce fire insurance premiums for equipment within advanced factories, and shorten cleanroom construction periods.

The FRC Panel (Fire Resistance Clean) is Korea’s first fire-resistant sandwich panel exclusively for cleanrooms, jointly patented by SY and Samsung Engineering. The insulation material is mineral wool, an inorganic component resistant to fire, and both sides are covered with 0.8mm thick fluorine-coated galvanized steel sheets. The insulation and steel sheets are bonded with an adhesive certified to meet the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s non-combustible material standards.

With the commercialization of the FRC Panel, an enhancement in cleanroom fire safety can be expected first. The mineral wool insulation has a combustion point of 650 degrees Celsius, which is about twice as high as glass wool’s 350 degrees Celsius, which is also fire-resistant. It does not generate dust that could be fatal to advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Existing cleanroom panels had to use urethane, a chemically mixed organic insulation material, to minimize dust generation. Urethane is relatively less fire-resistant.

A company official stated, "Fire insurance premiums for equipment within advanced factories can be saved," adding, "Due to the nature of the factory, it is essential to install and maintain ultra-high-value equipment, which previously required costs comparable to factory installation expenses." He further added, "Moreover, due to recent large-scale factory fires, awareness of fire accidents in panel structures has increased, causing insurance premiums to rise."

Additionally, through the ‘no-substructure construction method,’ construction periods can be shortened and construction methods improved. The no-substructure construction method is a new technology that omits the installation of substructure hardware such as angle pipes needed to fix panels. In general environments, only rails need to be installed on floors and walls without substructure work, speeding up construction progress. Furthermore, this method now allows ‘partial replacement work after construction completion,’ which was previously impossible.

Both companies have obtained fire resistance certifications for the FRC Panel for 1 hour, 1.5 hours, and 2 hours performance levels, respectively. They are currently preparing to acquire a 3-hour fire resistance certification. For future product expansion, they are also preparing to utilize the panels for partitions in general multi-use facilities and general interior and exterior walls beyond cleanroom construction.

An SY official said, “The idea for developing the FRC Panel product came from the desire to create more robust and faster wind barrier walls that prevent fire spread according to advanced factory design standards,” adding, “Prioritizing safety and functionality, this product will establish itself as essential for advanced factory construction, where construction speed is crucial to securing ultra-precision technology.”