Comparing Class 10 ISO 4 Cleanrooms with Other Standards

At Secure Data Recovery Services, we always take appropriate precautions to protect our clients’ data. For a number of years, we have invested in state-of-the-art technology, and we were the world’s first data recovery provider to earn a Class 10 ISO 4 Cleanroom certification. Our Cleanroom completely eliminates potentially harmful particles from our work environment, which allows our engineers to safely repair hard drives, RAID arrays, flash drives, solid-state drives and other devices.

Cleanroom classification is an important factor when evaluating data recovery providers. Many companies use Class 100 or ISO 5 standards; we use Class 10 ISO 4 standards in order to guarantee the best possible success rates for our clients. The table below compares different types of Cleanroom classifications according to standards established by US Federal Standard 209E and the International Standards Organization (ISO).

	Class 10
Number of 0.3 Micron Particles/Meter³	1,020
ISO Equivalent	ISO 4
Maintains Positive Pressure?	Yes
Requires Particle Count Test?	Yes
Requires Air Pressure Testing?	Yes
Testing Schedule	6 Months
Air Change Rate^*	300 - 540
Airflow Velocity in Meters/Second^**	0.254 - 0.457
Air Flows in Single Direction	Yes
Free from "Pockets" of Contamination?	Yes

	Class 100
Number of 0.3 Micron Particles/Meter³	10,200
ISO Equivalent	ISO 5
Maintains Positive Pressure?	Yes
Requires Particle Count Test?	Yes
Requires Air Pressure Testing?	Yes
Testing Schedule	6 Months
Air Change Rate^*	240 - 480
Airflow Velocity in Meters/Second^**	0.203 - 0.406
Air Flows in Single Direction	Yes
Free from "Pockets" of Contamination?	Yes

	Class 1000
Number of 0.3 Micron Particles/Meter³	102,000
ISO Equivalent	ISO 6
Maintains Positive Pressure?	Yes
Requires Particle Count Test?	Yes
Requires Air Pressure Testing?	Yes
Testing Schedule	12 Months
Air Change Rate^*	150 - 240
Airflow Velocity in Meters/Second^**	0.124 - 0.203
Air Flows in Single Direction	No
Free from "Pockets" of Contamination?	Yes

	Untreated
Number of 0.3 Micron Particles/Meter³	102,000,000
ISO Equivalent	ISO 9
Maintains Positive Pressure?	No
Requires Particle Count Test?	N/A
Requires Air Pressure Testing?	N/A
Testing Schedule	N/A
Air Change Rate^*	0.5 - 2.5
Airflow Velocity in Meters/Second^**	N/A
Air Flows in Single Direction	No
Free from "Pockets" of Mixed Contamination?	no

*The number of times that the Cleanroom completely replaces its air from external sources.

**An important factor in controlling Cleanroom cleanliness. A higher velocity allows for more control over contamination.

Secure Data Recovery Services maintains a Class 10 ISO 4 Certified Cleanroom through regular audits and tests. We feel that the strict controls established in Class 10 / ISO 4 standards are much more appropriate for newer devices than Class 100 / ISO 5 standards, particularly in relation to airflow control. Our Cleanroom prevents pockets of contaminated air from affecting your chances of a successful recovery, and we test our Cleanroom regularly to ensure full compliance.

We proudly provide proof of our Cleanroom credentials for the benefit of our clients.Visit our Cleanroom page to view audit documents or call our customer service team at 1-800-388-1266 for more information regarding our cutting-edge data recovery technology.