Understanding contamination is the first step to controlling it. Here’s what technical cleanliness means — and why it matters for your components.
Technical cleanliness refers to the quantitative evaluation of particulate contamination present on or inside an industrial component — and its compliance with the cleanliness specifications defined by the customer or applicable standard.
It is not a visual assessment. It is a structured analytical process that extracts, collects, and classifies particles by size, quantity, and material category: metallic, non-metallic, and fiber. — producing objective, traceable data that can be compared against defined acceptance criteria.
In the automotive supply chain and other precision manufacturing industries, technical cleanliness is a formal quality requirement. Components are evaluated before reaching the assembly line to confirm they are within acceptable contamination limits.
Particulate contamination in precision components is one of the leading causes of assembly failures, premature wear, and warranty claims in manufacturing — particularly in hydraulic systems, fuel systems, transmissions, and electronic assemblies.
The consequences of non-compliance are concrete: rejected parts, halted production, costly rework, and damaged relationships with OEM customers. In many cases, the contamination was present throughout the entire process — it simply was never measured.
Technical cleanliness analysis gives you the evidence to prove compliance, identify contamination sources, and make informed decisions before problems reach your customer.
Results are expressed in particle counts, size classifications, and mass — not subjective observations. Every analysis produces traceable, documented data.
Reliable results depend on performing extraction and analysis under controlled conditions — clean room, documented procedures, and calibrated equipment — to avoid external contamination.
Evaluations are performed according to established international standards — ISO 16232, VDA 19.1 and VDA 19.2 — ensuring comparability and acceptance across the global supply chain.
Technical cleanliness is evaluated at multiple stages — new part validation, production monitoring, customer compliance confirmation, and contamination investigations.
Every technical cleanliness inspection follows a structured, documented sequence.
Each stage is critical to ensure the integrity of the results.
Our analyses and processes are aligned with the primary international standards governing technical cleanliness in industrial components. These standards define extraction methods, analytical procedures, and reporting requirements.
The international standard for cleanliness of components and systems for road vehicles. Defines the full methodology for extraction, filtration, and particle analysis in automotive components.
Addresses contamination control in assembly processes — including environment, personnel, logistics, and manufacturing conditions, with methods such as particle trap analysis (Illig value).
The German automotive standard (equivalent to ISO 16232) governing technical cleanliness inspection of functional components. Widely required by OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
We also work with OEM-specific cleanliness requirements from Ford, Cummins, BMW, Mercedes Benz, ZF, Hella, Daimler, Navistar,Caterpillar, and other customers when applicable.
Technical cleanliness analysis is required at different points in the product lifecycle.
These are the situations where our clients typically engage us:
Confirm that new component numbers meet cleanliness requirements before entering production.
Demonstrate compliance with customer-specified cleanliness limits as part of PPAP or delivery approval processes.
Identify the source and nature of contamination when a component fails to meet specifications or an assembly issue is detected.
Generate the technical evidence required to support quality audits and customer reviews related to cleanliness control.
