Washing workwear under the most hygienic conditions. CWS does it in Eindhoven. For this, Kuijpers built a large cleanroom laundry next to the existing CWS cleanroom. The installations are well hidden above the ceiling—except for the filter fan units. No fewer than 120 of them. Together, they form the entire ceiling and provide all the ventilation capacity needed for an ultra-clean environment.
‘Ultra-clean’ here means a cleanliness level in accordance with ISO classification 5. “That’s the highest classification for cleanroom environments like ours,” says Jan Swinkels, Head of Technical Services at CWS. “We need that to serve our clients. Think of clients like ASML and those in the pharmaceutical industry. We supply and clean the clothing their employees wear in their cleanrooms. As our clients are growing rapidly, there’s more and more clothing to clean—and all under strict hygienic conditions. With our new cleanroom laundry, we can meet the increasing demand.”
Kuijpers, together with SRBA Group (formerly Brecon), handled the construction of the cleanroom laundry. “We know each other from the PP4CE partnership,” says Jeroen Zeylmans, Project Leader Controlled Environments at Kuijpers. In that role, he coordinated the project at CWS. “The design was done by Kuijpers colleagues in Leiden. Then we took on the project as a design and build assignment. The collaboration went as we’re used to: efficient and high-quality. The client was also closely involved throughout.”
Together, they completed a 180-square-meter cleanroom laundry in seven months. SRBA handled the construction side, and Kuijpers took care of the technical installations. “All air treatment for the cleanroom. All equipment for the rooms with dryers and incoming and outgoing goods. And all control systems,” Jeroen lists.
“Important: we had to provide for cleaning a huge space to the highest level. That’s only possible with a lot of ventilation. That’s why we chose 120 filter fan units. These are devices over one by one meter with a powerful fan and HEPA filters.” Kuijpers used the 120 units to construct the entire ceiling.
“Needing that many units was a bit tense at first,” Jan recalls. “It was summer 2022. We were in the middle of a material shortage. I was glad Kuijpers knew how to handle that.” Jeroen explains it was about setting priorities. “The design wasn’t finished yet. Still, we decided together what we could already order. It was a constant balancing act. ‘What really has priority?’ and ‘What can wait a bit?’ It also meant a lot of consultation—with CWS, with suppliers. The result: we were able to deliver the project on time.”
Between September and December 2022, the hall was transformed into a modern cleanroom laundry. Just before Christmas, Kuijpers completed testing. Then CWS conducted the validation tests themselves. “We observed,” says Jeroen. “Were adjustments needed? Then we made them on the spot. That worked quickly and efficiently.” In February 2023, CWS put the new laundry into operation. Kuijpers is now responsible for long-term maintenance of the installations. And CWS can also turn to Kuijpers for malfunctions.
‘Hygiene’ is the top priority in the new cleanroom laundry. “But due to the scale, ventilation is quite costly,” Jeroen explains. “That’s why the systems don’t run outside working hours. To ventilate even more energy-efficiently, we’re refining that principle further. For example, by automatically reducing ventilation volume and cooling capacity when a room is not in use. Of course, without compromising the ISO classification. We’re currently exploring all possibilities.”
For CWS, the Eindhoven cleanroom is a blueprint for locations abroad. Jan: “We’re going to build a cleanroom laundry in Germany. Just like in Eindhoven. With Kuijpers and SRBA. It’s not just about their technical and construction solutions. It’s also about the tight organization. The open communication. The excellent execution they’ve demonstrated.
.” Jeroen will be involved in Germany. And maybe soon in Belgium. And in Ireland. Because CWS wants to build cleanrooms there too. “I never thought I’d work internationally,” he says. “Is it for me? No idea. For now, I think it’s incredibly exciting. We’re in the middle of preparations. We want to achieve the same process quality there—in both project management and execution.”
Looking back on ‘Eindhoven’, he sees teamwork as one of the project’s success factors. “The collaboration with CWS, all construction partners, and suppliers was top-notch. And my own Kuijpers colleagues… they formed a fantastic team. I saw how they helped each other. Were there for one another. Technicians aren’t usually very outspoken. They don’t quickly say: ‘this is fantastic’. But I believe we can be very proud as a team—both of the process and the result.” Trainees and interns from Kuijpers also contributed to the cleanroom laundry. Jeroen: “I involved them on purpose. Because this project had everything to offer in terms of gaining work experience. Under the supervision of experienced colleagues, they did calculations, conducted inspection rounds, and compiled handover files. That’s how they got to know the daily Kuijpers practice—and contributed to the success of this project.”
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