AAF’s NELIOR Filtration Technology wins CLEAN! 2013 award
for best innovation in cleanliness technology

Emmen, 12 February 2013. Only five months after the successful market launch in September 2012, AAF’s NELIOR Filtration Technology has won its first major prize: the »CLEAN! 2013« award. The annual »CLEAN!« prize is organized by the renowned German »Fraunhofer IPA« institute and is awarded to the best innovation in cleanliness technology, selected by a professional jury. The »CLEAN! 2013« award ceremony took place on 6 February at the »Reinraum Lounge« cleanroom exhibition in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Big step into the cleanroom future

Out of in total thirteen contestants, three technologies were nominated for the »CLEAN! 2013« award. The three technologies were presented to the public on 6 February during the »Reinraum Lounge« cleanroom exhibition in Karlsruhe, Germany. After the presentations, the jury, consisting of cleanroom experts and chaired by Dr.-Ing. Udo Gommel from Fraunhofer IPA, awarded AAF with the first prize for its new NELIOR Filtration Technology. The award was officially handed over to Johan Langius, Chief Operating Officer for AAF Europe & Middle East, by jury member Dr.-Ing. Arnold Brunner from the »Hochschule Luzern« (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts).

The jury verdict by Dr.-Ing. Arnold Brunner: “With its NELIOR air filtration media for HEPA and ULPA filters, AAF has taken a big and innovative step into the cleanroom future. The filtration performance, as defined by the EN1822:2009 standard, is improved through the shift of the MPPS (Most Penetration Particle Size) into the area of < 0,1 µm particles as a result of the specific media characteristics. Particularly impressive features of the new air filters are the very high mechanical strength, as well as the halved energy consumption at nominal airflow in comparison to traditional HEPA filters.”

For AAF, winning the »CLEAN! 2013« award is a new confirmation of the value potential of its proprietary NELIOR Filtration Technology. Johan Langius, Chief Operating Officer for AAF Europe & Middle East: “NELIOR Filtration Technology is the result of our dedicated R&D and our drive to thoroughly understand customer needs. It offers a real solution to those customers that heavily rely on controlled air cleanliness conditions, such as in the pharmaceutical and microelectronic industries. With NELIOR Filtration Technology, the right ingredients are in place to lower the Total Cost of Ownership whilst maintaining a best-in-class filtration performance. Winning the »CLEAN! 2013« award is an important acknowledgement of our efforts and it makes us very proud.”

About NELIOR Filtration Technology

NELIOR Filtration Technology is based on a patented membrane air filtration media, which is developed by AAF’s engineers and is produced in one of AAF’s own manufacturing facilities. It features a superior composition and mechanical strength that give unique performance characteristics to HEPA and ULPA filtration, unmatched by any other air filtration media currently available on the market.

NELIOR membrane media is composed of an evenly distributed layer of fibers with nanometer-scale diameters. It provides for an up to fifty percent lower operating resistance in combination with an excellent overall particulate collection efficiency. Furthermore, a conducted research study by the renowned ÖP textile testing laboratories in Germany has shown a superior mechanical strength performance of NELIOR membrane media versus traditional air filtration media. The test cycle included different comparative tests on the tensile strength, burst pressure and abrasion resistance of both media types. One of the clear observations was the fact that traditional media suffers from a loss in strength after pleated into media packs, whereas NELIOR membrane media retains its integrity. The research also showed that NELIOR membrane media has a high resistance to any potential damage due to errors in handling and installation, in contrast to fragile traditional media. In daily practice this means that filter media failure risk is limited and that fiber shedding, which could increase contamination risk when entering the airstream, is eliminated. For critical cleanroom environments these results put a new perspective on perceived air filtration reliability and risk management. Through the high mechanical strength, HEPA and ULPA filters with NELIOR Filtration Technology offer a significant improvement opportunity for reliable process conditions and reducing failure and recovery costs. A such, they represent a vital link in the overall chain of the process installation.

The superior composition and mechanical strength are complemented by a chemical inert and hydrophobic media structure, that together result in a unique blend of benefits for the most sensitive processing areas. AAF’s HEPA and ULPA filters with NELIOR Filtration Technology provide value added through consistent air quality, improved process performance, environmental savings and beneficial Total Cost of Ownership.

Full information about NELIOR Filtration Technology can be obtained from the NELIOR website: www.nelior.com