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VDA 19 -
Quality requirements for the automotive industry

VDA 19 is the Association of the Automotive Industry's standard work on technical cleanliness and provides precise specifications for cleaning, testing and packaging components. It helps to avoid particle contamination that could endanger the quality and service life of vehicle components. With clearly defined cleanliness levels and guidelines for clean rooms, VDA 19 ensures that manufacturers in the automotive industry meet the highest quality requirements. This not only improves product quality and reduces returns, but also increases customer satisfaction and competitiveness.

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Definition and objectives of VDA 19

VDA 19 is a series of publications from the Association of the Automotive Industry and provides precise specifications on how components should be cleaned, tested and packaged to prevent contamination by particles or liquids. This comprehensive set of rules defines the requirements for the technical cleanliness of functionally relevant components in the automotive industry. This guideline serves as a basis for assessing technical cleanliness in various areas, such as initial sampling, evaluation, incoming and outgoing inspection, quality control of manufacturing processes and monitoring of specific process steps. It promotes the meaningfulness and comparability of test results and ensures a uniform presentation of cleanliness specifications. VDA 19 is therefore a central basis for cleanliness tests and offers a standardized basis that can also be used for customer-specific standards.

Origin and development of the VDA 19

VDA 19 was created in response to the increasing problems caused by residual dirt on vehicle components in the early 1990s. Diesel vehicles and systems such as ABS and direct injection in particular proved to be sensitive to the smallest dirt particles, which led to malfunctions and expensive breakdowns. These challenges led to demands for uniform standards for technical cleanliness in the automotive industry. In order to create these standards, the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) founded the TecSa (Technical Cleanliness) industry association in 2001, which developed a set of rules that was first published as VDA 19 in 2004.

The first version of VDA 19 specified how particle contamination should be analyzed and documented in order to ensure the quality and functionality of the components. Due to increasing requirements and technical developments, VDA 19 was fundamentally revised from 2012 onwards. The revised standard, VDA 19.1, was finally published in 2015 and incorporated new techniques and stricter requirements to improve the comparability of cleanliness tests. Today, VDA 19, together with ISO 16232, forms the global standard for technical cleanliness in the automotive industry and sets standards for particle analysis and clean production in many industries.

Clean rooms and cleanliness levels
according to VDA 19

An important component for ensuring technical cleanliness according to VDA 19 is the establishment of clean rooms in which particles on surfaces are measured and monitored. 

VDA 19 defines four cleanliness levels:

  1. SaS0 - Non-regulated area: Normal industrial conditions, no specific measures to avoid particles.
  2. SaS1 - Clean zone: Access controls and measures to minimize particles.
  3. SaS2 - Clean room: Additional ventilation and filter systems to further reduce particles.
  4. SaS3 - Clean room: Highest cleanliness requirements according to EN ISO 14644 with access via airlocks.

The choice of cleanliness level is made individually depending on the component requirements. Most assembly processes require clean room conditions (SaS2), which is a more cost-effective alternative to a clean room because less complex filter and ventilation technology is required. VDA 19 does not specify fixed particle limits, but emphasizes adaptation to the respective process and cleanliness specification.

Layout and structure: VDA 19.2

VDA 19 was divided into two parts: VDA 19.1 on "Testing technical cleanliness" and VDA 19.2 on "Technical cleanliness in assembly".

VDA 19.2 deals with ensuring technical cleanliness specifically in assembly and was developed by the MontSa industry association. This standard is aimed at planners and quality managers and offers a comprehensive guide for replanning and optimizing cleanliness-sensitive assembly processes as well as related areas such as logistics and personnel management. VDA 19.2 aims to minimize critical particle contamination at the source and to remove unavoidable particles from sensitive areas. A uniform approach is intended to reduce particle entry and increase the quality of the end products. The numbering of VDA 19.2 has been adapted to VDA 19.1 in order to consistently cover the various aspects of technical cleanliness.

Advantages of VDA 19

Compliance with the VDA 19 standard offers companies significant advantages, especially in the automotive industry and other demanding industries. By applying the specified cleanliness standards, product quality can be significantly improved, which in turn reduces the number of returns and complaints.

In the long term, this not only leads to significant cost savings, but also increases customer satisfaction as the reliability and durability of the products are increased. In addition, compliance with high cleanliness standards gives companies an important competitive advantage by establishing themselves as quality leaders and meeting the increasing demands for technical cleanliness.

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CasoCleanCheck – Quality Improvement GbR
Am Gewerbepark 43
D-64823 Groß-Umstadt
DeutschlandGermany