Draft standard DIN 4878-1 Component cleanliness published
The new draft standard DIN 4878-1 is the first structured basis for deriving cleanliness specifications for components in a comprehensible, testable and process-oriented manner, thus reducing uncertainties in production and supply chains. Fraunhofer Reinigung is now calling for comments.
The draft standard DIN 4878-1 "Component cleanliness - Part 1: Procedure for the derivation and preparation of a cleanliness specification" was published on January 23, 2026. The aim of the draft is to replace vague requirements such as "grease-free", "stain-free" or "dry" with clearly defined, technically justified and verifiable cleanliness criteria. In industrial practice, such blanket terms often lead to excessive requirements, unnecessary cleaning effort and increased costs. The draft standard describes a systematic procedure for determining, categorizing and documenting contaminants along the entire process chain and shows how their influence on the required component cleanliness can be assessed. This is intended to limit the effort to what is actually necessary and establish a standardized, reliable procedure.
Draft publication of component cleanliness for comment
Frank-Holm Rögner was involved in the development of the draft standard as a member of the Fraunhofer Cleaning division in the responsible DIN working committee. The draft is currently in the commenting phase so that users from industry and research can actively contribute to the further development of the standard. The DIN draft standard portal offers the opportunity to submit comments and remarks and thus contribute practical feedback to the further standardization process. An accompanying guide supports interested parties in commenting on the draft in a structured manner.