A single unplanned production stoppage or contamination event is often enough to trigger substantial downstream costs across a range of industries. Frequently, the cause doesn’t lie in the system itself but in one often-overlooked component: the terminal housing. In life sciences, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and healthcare sectors, cleanrooms typically rely on an RTM (Replaceable Terminal Module). This interchangeable terminal module is the last line of defense against airborne threats: the filters installed here provide the final definition of air quality, and any failure at this stage cannot be compensated for downstream.

That makes it all the more important to have RTMs that are tool-free to service, purpose-built for sensitive areas, and equipped with the latest HEPA and ULPA filters to protect people, machinery, and processes. At MANN+HUMMEL, we offer a new generation of terminal modules with the Nanoclass EF and Select, engineered for cleanrooms and controlled environments where precision is the standard.

They are available in different grid sizes and various depth:

With a hanging clip for fully interchangeable diffuser plates:

Both are compatible with MANN+HUMMEL filters:

• Nanoclass Square EF TC: Minipleat technology for laminar flow with ultra-low pressure drop and a self-healing, fluid gel gasket, no added PFAS
• Nanoclass Square EF FC: Minipleat technology for laminar flow with low pressure drop and a continuous polyurethane foam gasket

The RTM EF is aimed at operators who need high quality operations, fast maintenance, and maximum process reliability – without disproportionate capital outlay. The eccentric quick-clamp mechanism enables tool-free, continuously adjustable clamping for different filter heights in a matter of seconds. The fully welded housing combined with a high-quality coating provides outstanding corrosion resistance, even under aggressive cleaning regimes. The terminal housing comes with integrity and differential pressure measurement ports as standard. RTM EF thereby significantly simplifies qualification against regulatory requirements.

• Premium cleanroom features that pay off: highest cleanroom standards at a standard TCO
• Straightforward eccentric filter clamping system: filter changes in seconds, tool-free, and continuously adjustable for different filter heights
• Compact and flexible cleanroom platform: adaptable to different filter heights and grid sizes, with a minimal footprint

The RTM Select is the qualification-ready cleanroom terminal housing for operators who want a robust, well-documented system. Multiple user-friendly clamping brackets accommodate filters of varying heights – no special solutions, no modifications required. The clamping mechanism allows secured filter changes, while fully interchangeable diffuser plates (available as perforated panels, four-way outlets, or swirl diffusers) can be swapped to design airflow patterns suited to different requirements for maximum operational flexibility. An integrated safety wire prevents components from dropping accidentally.

• High corrosion resistance due to enhanced coating and product finish
• Straightforward to document and verify: built for healthcare qualification processes
• Maximum serviceability and flexibility: compatible with filters of varying heights, minimal maintenance effort, reduced inventory requirements

The Nanoclass RTM range is the right choice wherever controlled environmental conditions and regulatory documentation requirements come together:

• Pharmaceutical industry: GMP-compliant manufacturing, sterile filling, active ingredient production – anywhere that particle-free conditions and comprehensive qualification documentation are mandatory
• Life sciences and healthcare: Laboratory environments, clinical manufacturing, hospitals with cleanroom requirements
• Food and beverage: Hygiene-critical production areas requiring food-grade, corrosion-resistant air filters and filter housings
• Other controlled environments: Wherever ceiling filters are to be deployed as cleanroom solutions with documentable HEPA separation efficiency in accordance with EN 1822

Changing a filter in a GxP-regulated cleanroom carries inherent risk every time the housing is opened. On top of that, conventional cleanroom terminal housings often require specialised tools, multiple personnel, and complex requalification steps after each change. This ties up human resources, extends downtime, and increases the risk of error, particularly when time is short but GMP or GLP requirements still have to be met.

There is also a structural challenge: many cleanrooms use filters of different heights, which has traditionally meant either accepting compromises on the housing side or maintaining a separate system for each variant. The consequences are fragmented spare parts management, higher inventory costs, and increased training demands on maintenance staff.

Nanoclass RTM EF makes maintenance and replacement simple – tool-free, in next to no time, and regardless of filter height or grid size.

As with HVAC filters in the building sector, the same principle applies in cleanrooms: the purchase price is only a fraction of the true total operating costs. The real cost drivers lie elsewhere:

• Maintenance effort: How much time, staff, and documentation does a filter change require?

• Production downtime: How long is the production line offline during maintenance?

• Qualification costs: What requalification work arises after each intervention? 

• Energy consumption: What pressure drop does the filter housing generate in ventilation operation and what does that cost over its entire service life?

• Flexibility costs: How well can the system adapt to changing requirements or filter specifications?

A corrosion-resistant cleanroom filter housing such as the Nanoclass RTM EF – serviceable without tools – addresses virtually all of these cost drivers simultaneously. The investment decision should therefore be made consistently on the basis of a TCO assessment, not solely on the acquisition price of the RTM itself.

The Nanoclass RTM Select and EF from MANN+HUMMEL Air Filtration bring together three requirements that must be met simultaneously in regulated environments: the highest filtration performance in accordance with EN 1822 / ISO 29463, minimal maintenance effort through tool-free mechanisms, and a structural basis for efficient qualification processes. Those who understand the final filtration stage in a cleanroom as a strategic lever for process reliability and operating costs will find that Nanoclass RTM is a decision that pays off across the entire product lifecycle.

Planning a new cleanroom installation or an upgrade to your terminal filtration? Our experts are happy to advise you on product selection, qualification support, and your individual requirements.