CONTROL & DESIGN STANDARDS: SURFACE CONTAMINANTS

The lowest or "dirtiest" level of the three categories of surface cleanliness is the ‘Generally Clean’ designation. This means the equipment is free from manufacturing residue, such as dirt and oil.

At the next higher level is ‘Visibly Clean’, meaning no particulate and non-particulate matter is visible to the naked eye. And the cleanest of the three is the 'Visibly Clean -inspected with Ultra-Violet Light' category, which means just that. When visibly checked under ultra-violet lighting, no contaminants are seen. The UV lighting tends to highlight surface contaminants.

Photo of a worker checking a surface with a UV light.
24 of 39
Florida Space Research Institute ©2002