WOM Ludwigsstadt uses state-of-the-art production processes to manufacture equipment and accessories for medical technology and exports them all over the world. The department with the most employees is at the Oberfranken location – the certified cleanroom facility with more than 80 employees, in which plastic parts are manufactured, assembled, and packaged under very special conditions.
Sandy Paschold, who has been working for WOM in the cleanroom area for over 7 years now, reports on what exactly a cleanroom is and what it is like to work in such a facility.
The most important question right at the start: What exactly is a cleanroom?
As the word already implies, this is a particularly “clean” space, i.e., the ambient air is specially filtered, cleaned, and processed. The cleanroom is a place where production takes place under controlled conditions so that as few germs and bacteria as possible can settle on the products. The temperature is constant throughout the year at around 20 °C – so you do not have to sweat or freeze. And for allergy sufferers this particularly pure air is also beneficial.
Do you need special prior knowledge to work in a cleanroom?
Basically, the job is not linked to any specific professional knowledge. Of course, it is an advantage if you have already worked with your hands or have production experience, but this is by no means a must.
I, too, came originally from a very different field. I am a trained optician and worked for 18 years in this profession. When I then decided to relaunch my career, WOM offered me an ideal opportunity. At the same time, I was able to become accustomed to the new tasks very quickly because of the structured training.
What is a typical day in the cleanroom like?
First of all, you should know that you cannot simply go into the cleanroom in everyday clothes. A pair of overalls are used for this and your hands must be disinfected several times in order to avoid contamination of the products. Afterwards, you pass through the lock to “ingress” into the cleanroom. This means your hands and clothing stay clean. 🙂
The cleanroom itself is divided into different areas. For example, there is the assembly area for tube sets. We manufacture over 100 different tubes for surgeries. This involves the manual assembly or gluing of various different parts.
There are also areas for machines for laser and ultrasonic welding as well as tampon printing. Here, parts must be inserted, which are then connected by machine. In general, work in the cleanroom is very diverse and versatile.
What is important when working in the cleanroom?
As you work with many colleagues, teamwork is very important. After all, we all want to do a good job and feel at ease at work. In addition, tube assembly especially requires a certain degree of dexterity and fine motor skills.
Top priority is also an awareness of excellent hygiene – regular hand disinfection is essential. Every employee is responsible for the fact that the manufactured products are as free of germs as possible. After all, these products are used later on inside of people’s bodies and therefore one should proceed very conscientiously here.
Would you recommend your job in the cleanroom to your friends?
Yes, certainly!
I have been at WOM for over 7 years working in the cleanroom – I believe that speaks for itself! In addition, the company offers its employees many benefits and tries to address the individual needs of each single worker.
Therefore, I like to work here and look forward to my further time at WOM!