Program Speakers

Forget shiplap. Never mind mid mod. What people really want in their homes is to feel safe and secure. And what makes them feel safe and secure? A home that is free of chemicals and allergens. Americans have become concerned about indoor air quality like never before, and that opens an opportunity for the filtration industry to tell a story that engages consumers AND sells them products. Now, this new interest in IAQ sits alongside an ever-increasing expectation about sustainability – especially around waste. Suzanne Shelton, founder of Shelton Group and Senior Partner with ERM, will share her firm’s latest surveying of Americans around health, safety, people and the planet and help you understand the opportunities – and the watch outs – for your communications efforts.

 The decision to implement automation into the industrial process is essential and often guided on the principles of lean manufacturing: safety, quality, delivery, and cost. We must take each principle and use them to consider if it is the appropriate time to automate manufacturing processes.

Safety is paramount and we must identify tasks prone to repetitive motion and fatigue. Automation can help prevent injuries caused by distracted workers.

Quality is maintained through craftsmanship however technology can enhance consistency. Robotic precision can automate tasks such as glue bead placement, reducing manual labor.

Delivery expectation and labor shortages impeded timelines. Automation offers a solution. Machines do not need sick days or are concerned about the weather, which can ensure predictable production cycles.

Cost extends beyond wages. While machine costs may be daunting, the concept of lights out manufacturing can significantly reduce human related expenses.

As machine designers, engineers and builders, our collaboration with our customers and their workforce is essential. Addressing bottlenecks, enhancing quality, reducing costs, and improving job satisfaction guide the creation of our machinery.

Nonwoven filter media are indispensable materials that keep both life and economy running. Think of face masks, think of tea bags and coffee pads, think of air conditioning systems in the car or at home. But also think of hot gas filtration in cement kiln and waste incineration plants or cooling lubricant filtration in grinding processes.

Every filtration application is different and relies on a specific manufacturing process. In this presentation we’ll focus on needle-punched, through-air bonded high-loft and hydroentangled filter media. We’ll give an overview of the machinery required and solutions offered by Trützschler Nonwovens. Our focus is on the first steps of the process chain and explain why fiber preparation, carding and web forming are crucial for manufacturing top-quality, fiber-based filter media.

Industrial supply chains are complex and this complexity makes adoption of new materials difficult. By showing return on investment ("ROI") for end users, membrane makers can make it easier for supply chains to adopt new products.

Even in high growth markets with high societal need for innovation, demonstrating ROI makes it easier for supply chains to switch materials. The authors walk through examples of ROI for new microfiltration membranes in several use cases, including:

1/ The Kitchen

2/ Wineries

3/ Breweries

4/ Bioprocessing Sites

Melt blowing is a technology that has been commercially used for the past three decades to produce microfibers. Because of their extremely high specific surface area, meltblown fabrics are used as high efficiency filter media for aerosols and liquids, scaffolds, sorbents, artificial blood vessels, wound dressing materials etc. Using melt blowing process, it is also possible to produce nanofiber fabrics without use of any solvent at very high production rates. That is why meltblown fabrics have been extensively used in Personal Protective Fabrics. Charged melt blown fabrics are also part of the N95 masks and this was a topic of major concern during the current pandemic. Recently University of Georgia (UGA) has established a laboratory with multiple melt blown pilot lines, Corona charging, mask production pilot line as well as needed characterization facilities. Addressing the issues of sustainability is one of the major focus. Ongoing efforts in UGA in this direction, current research in filter media, as well as the future plans will be presented.

With increasing awareness of indoor air quality, air filtration and ventilation may be effective strategies in reducing exposure to air pollutants including bioaerosols. Exposure to bioaerosols is associated with a wide range of potential health effects including infectious diseases, allergies and others. The indoor concentration of bioaerosols can be reduced by properly designed and operated filtration system, such as residential HVAC and portable air cleaners, as well as natural and mechanical ventilation.

In this presentation, the results of an in-situ experimental evaluation of residential furnace filters and portable air cleaners are presented. Filters with filtration efficiency ranging from MERV8 to MERV 13 were selected for this experiment. Results are presented as a particle concentration decay for particle sizes representing typical indoor bioaerosols. The new ASHRAE 241 standard and its potential impact on residential filtration is discussed

This presentation will review supply and demand of filter media in a post-COVID world with an eye towards pending regulatory driven impacts.

Included will be consideration of ASHRAE 241, PFAS elimination efforts, and PFAS targeted drinking water standards on filtration/separation media and processes.

 In this presentation we will uncover emerging market trends in using biomaterials to not only provide more sustainable material choices but to also improve filter performance. Various technologies and how they fit into a circular economy model will be discussed.

This presentation will describe the development of a safe, "Non Zinc" Antimicrobial Nylon 6,6 spun bond nonwoven fabric for use in multiple applications where cleaning and sterilization are desired.

It will define and outline the antibacterial activity, antifungal resistance and antiviral activity, and support with test data. Value propositions associated with reusable/cleanable applications, antimicrobial capabilities and nanofiber-based technologies will be introduced.

Wetlaid technology has played a major role in the production of filtration media for many years. Due to its versatility, this technology has sometimes been challenged with competition. However, it continues to evolve and improve, therefore allowing the production of unique and more sustainable products.

Capitalizing on the latest asset investments coupled with new and more sustainable raw materials, Wetlaid will continue to play a prominent role into the future, continuing to serve the needs of the global filtration industry. The advances in the wetlaid will enhance the capability to create new innovations and products which purify and protect.   

AeroSolfd is an EU-co-funded project that addresses quick wins in the reduction of the overall footprint of the existing fleets by developing retrofit filtration devices for tailpipe, brake, and (semi-)closed environments. The focus is on reducing a) particle/NOx for tailpipe emissions of present gasoline engines, b) filtering brake emissions of (municipal) busses and c) reducing overall exposure level at metro stations by delivering cleaner air at (semi-)closed environments. For an immediate impact on cleaner urban mobility, the solutions will be retrofit filtration devices replacing existing a) exhaust treatment, b) adding filtration to brake systems or c) installing air purifiers at metro stations. As retrofit devices they do not depend on current legislation like the upcoming EURO 7. Nevertheless, there is a need for public awareness, incentives, regulations, and policies to support the implementation of filtration devices and for a market ramp-up.

A key element for successful implementation is innovative filter media. Building-up on existing filter media technology, the applications are special. It's a different aerosol than the typical engine or indoor air environment. To ensure optimal performance we are aiming for certifying best available technology.

We will present the overall project setup and scope of the Horizon Europe Innovation Action AeroSolfd. First results on how to assess the status quo of brake emission on city bus routes and exposure at metro stations will be discussed in detail. This provides the starting point for advanced filter media optimization. An outlook will be given on the next steps.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought increased awareness to airborne infections and ways we can reduce transmission risk. We have also seen wildfire events cause air quality alerts across the US, drawing even more attention to the need for clean air. These are conversations that are being had more frequently and will not be going away soon. ASHRAE developed a new standard, 241, in record time to help guide building managers to best practices for controlling infectious aerosols. With this standard comes new guidelines for recommended filtration efficiencies and the use of mechanical vs. electret filter media. Changes in standards and development of new standards opens the industry to innovation for development of new materials that provide high performance. This talk will discuss the trends that are leading to the changes in air filtration standards, the changes to standards that are happening, and how the industry needs adapt to accommodate these changes.

Automated filter testers are designed for both the certification of respiratory protective devices (RPD) (respirators, masks, barrier face coverings, etc.) and quality control (QC) in the production of such devices. To certify respiratory protective devices, regional standards and regulations specify an aerosol particle size distribution (PSD) range and device classification based on the filtration performance tested in the mandated PSD range. For example, NIOSH 42 CFR Part 84 prescribes a polydisperse aerosol for testing with a count median diameter (CMD) of 185 � 20 nm and a geometric standard deviation of 1.60 or less, and define filter grades at 95%, 99% and 99.97% filtration efficiency. QC testing generally follows the practice. Using experimental test data using aerosols at three CMD’s (165 nm, 187 nm, and 197 nm) within the aerosol PSD range specified in NIOSH, this presentation demonstrates that efficiency results at one CMD differed significantly from those at another. We argue that rigorous QC testing of RPD and medias call for a more stringent requirement on the aerosol PSD range, and automated filter testers employed maintain consistent PSD throughout their service life. 

Changes in the efficiency or loading capacity of air filters may occur due to the influence of the carrier gas flow, especially rel. Humidity and Temperature. Taking this into account ISO Standards focus more on real conditions than in the past. As an example, the ISO 16890 contain a discharge cabinet for filters to simulate the possible degradation of filter efficiency due to ambient influences as e.g., moisture, Temperature or influences from separated particle. But still, most of the standards still require a 50% rel. Humidity and Temperatures between 20� C and 25� C regarding comparable results.

In reality, these filters are used in cars (Cabin air filters, Motor inlet filters), general ventilation systems of buildings or gas turbines or processes where the climatic conditions vary from 10% up to 100% Humidity and Temperatures between -20� C up to 50� C. Influences to the test result caused by different test conditions are thus not evaluated.

This is the reason why Palas® has developed the flat sheet media test bench MFP 3000 HF. With the new MFP 3000 HF, it is possible to set the relative humidity from 10 to 80 % and the temperature from -10 to 50� C. The inflow velocity has been extended as compared with standard models to a range of 4 cm/s – 2 m/s.

Test duct and sample taking:

Based on the internationally well-known MFP 3000, the HF Version is equipped with a new designed cooling and heating system which covers the whole test channel section including sample taking for particle detection to avoid condensation inside the test section and provide isothermal conditions. From the technical and operational point of view, the challenge was to get a wide range of air flow combined with a quick setting of rel. Humidity and Temperature at a high stability.

From the economical point of view, it is beneficial to operate such a test bench with a media test at low volume air flows to reduce energy cost for heating / cooling as well as humidification.

Aerosol measurement from 5 nm up to 40 �m:

A change in the climatic conditions during particle measurement of fractional efficiency may change the particle size distribution of the test Aerosol or cause condensation in the optics of the Aerosol Sensor. With the Promo® 3000 H Aerosol spectrometer it is possible to control Temperature even inside the Aerosol Sensors and thus ensure isothermal conditions for a reliable particle detection in the range of 200nm up to 40�m.

Additionally, the MPPS may be detected with the Palas® U-SMPS in a range of 5nm up to 1 �m.

Aerosol Generation:

The MFP 3000 HF is equipped with all necessary Aerosol generators to cover loading and fractional efficiency requirements as mentioned in e.g.

•     ISO 5011, dust loading ISO A2 Fine at 1000 mg/m� ,

•     ISO TS 11155-1, KCl low concentration for fractional efficiency and dust loading of ISO A2Fine at 75 m/m�

•     ISO 16890 KCl and DEHS in low concentrations for fractional efficiency and ISO A2 Fine at 140 mg/m� .

•     Other powders from practice at variable concentrations

This presentation outlines the technical set-up and climatization characteristics of the new test bench. We will show the possible changes of fractional efficiency and dust loading characteristics of the test sample due to the influence of rel. Humidity and Temperature.

Changes in the efficiency or loading capacity of air filters may occur due to the influence of the carrier gas flow, especially rel. Humidity and Temperature. Taking this into account ISO Standards focus more on real conditions than in the past. As an example, the ISO 16890 contain a discharge cabinet for filters to simulate the possible degradation of filter efficiency due to ambient influences as e.g., moisture, Temperature or influences from separated particle. But still, most of the standards still require a 50% rel. Humidity and Temperatures between 20�C and 25�C regarding comparable results.

In reality, these filters are used in cars (Cabin air filters, Motor inlet filters), general ventilation systems of buildings or gas turbines or processes where the climatic conditions vary from 10% up to 100% Humidity and Temperatures between -20�C up to 50�C. Influences to the test result caused by different test conditions are thus not evaluated.

This is the reason why Palas® has developed the flat sheet media test bench MFP 3000 HF. With the new MFP 3000 HF, it is possible to set the relative humidity from 10 to 80 % and the temperature from -10 to 50 �C. The inflow velocity has been extended as compared with standard models to a range of 4 cm/s – 2 m/s.

Test duct and sample taking:

Based on the internationally well-known MFP 3000, the HF Version is equipped with a new designed cooling and heating system which covers the whole test channel section including sample taking for particle detection to avoid condensation inside the test section and provide isothermal conditions. From the technical and operational point of view, the challenge was to get a wide range of air flow combined with a quick setting of rel. Humidity and Temperature at a high stability.

From the economical point of view, it is beneficial to operate such a test bench with a media test at low volume air flows to reduce energy cost for heating / cooling as well as humidification.

Aerosol measurement from 5 nm up to 40 �m:

A change in the climatic conditions during particle measurement of fractional efficiency may change the particle size distribution of the test Aerosol or cause condensation in the optics of the Aerosol Sensor. With the Promo® 3000 H Aerosol spectrometer it is possible to control Temperature even inside the Aerosol Sensors and thus ensure isothermal conditions for a reliable particle detection in the range of 200nm up to 40�m.

Additionally, the MPPS may be detected with the Palas® U-SMPS in a range of 5nm up to 1 �m.

Aerosol Generation:

The MFP 3000 HF is equipped with all necessary Aerosol generators to cover loading and fractional efficiency requirements as mentioned in e.g.

•     ISO 5011, dust loading ISO A2 Fine at 1000 mg/m�,

•     ISO TS 11155-1, KCl low concentration for fractional efficiency and dust loading of ISO A2Fine at 75 m/m�

•     ISO 16890 KCl and DEHS in low concentrations for fractional efficiency and ISO A2 Fine at 140 mg/m�.

•     Other powders from practice at variable concentrations

This presentation outlines the technical set-up and climatization characteristics of the new test bench. We will show the possible changes of fractional efficiency and dust loading characteristics of the test sample due to the influence of rel. Humidity and Temperature.

This seminar promises to demonstrate a new technology that has the potential to radically change the way you view air filtration.  With the ability to capture nanometer size particles it opens the door for offering a new level of air filtration – Pure Air – Free of all NOx and SOx level particles.  But, it works so well that it can filter the exhaust of any size diesel engine and allow it to run at zero emissions.  Or consider, rather than flare off gasses, filter it and caption the carbon.  We believe this technology could have a huge impact on the reduction of greenhouse gasses. Come join us.