What differentiates ‘Earth’ from the other planets in the solar system is the presence of life (at least until we find and contact life on other planets). Breathable air, as we know, is one of the fundamental element that supports life. However, at the same time as you read this article, pollutants are being added to the atmosphere by developed, developing and under-developed nations at an alarming rate.
People and governments are completely aware of the hazardous effects of pollution on health and the environment. With incidences of respiratory diseases rising and ‘Save the planet’ becoming a global slogan, a lot needs to be done at both individual and societal level. However, a large portion of the population and industries in India and some other parts of the world do not implement the laid down norms either due to ignorance or lack of finances. The Government and the industries, both need to work together to bring about greater awareness about the hazards of poor indoor air quality and how it can be improved.
Awareness is just one part. We need measurable action and helping the awakened in translating awareness to action is American Air Filter International (AAF), the world’s largest manufacturer of air filtration solutions.
Founded in 1921, AAF is a name recognized globally for quality, expertise and innovation in Air Filtration. It is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, USA with operations in 23 countries and 6 R&D centres worldwide. It is a Daikin group company which is a diversified international manufacturing company and a global leader in air-conditioning.
The Turning Point
The idea that incepted the journey of AAF commenced nearly a century ago in the USA. The automobile industry was facing a major problem in keeping dust from spoiling the freshly painted cars. Bill Reed, a skilled engineer and entrepreneur, developed the Reed Air Filter in 1921 for the automobile industry to keep off the dust. The concept was so successful that this laid the foundation for the company which is today a global leader in air filtration. To grow the business, Reed joined forces with seven other firms to create American Air Filter Co. in 1929.
AAF International entered India in 2006 recognising the fact that clean air is critical in developing countries like India. The growing number of centrally air-conditioned buildings allowed the company to invest and set up its first manufacturing facility in Bengaluru. After three years of successful operations, AAF started another unit in Noida. Recently, AAF has opened its regional office in Electronic City Bengaluru which will also serve as the centre of excellence of EEMEA, SAARC and CIS countries.
Solutions that Help you Breathe
AAF is a company with an outstanding industry record. Superior industry knowledge and an outstanding team of air filtration professionals mean that the customers receive top quality products and services at a competitive price. From inexpensive disposable panel filters to high efficiency, extended surface filters with antimicrobial coating, AAF markets the widest range of air filters available. AAF has developed and introduced most of the filter designs throughout the industryincluding the mini-pleats, extended surface bag filters and Perfect pleat.
AAF-Daikin offers comprehensive, innovative air filtration solutions designed to remove and control airborne particulates and gaseous contaminants in residential, commercial, industrial, cleanroom, automotive, railways, power generation and nuclear power applications.
AAF has a Clean Air Innovation & Research Centre (Clean AIR Center) in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The $5.4 million Clean Air Centre represents a significant advancement in research and development efforts for both AAF Flanders and the global air filtration industry. A new centre of excellence for EEMEA, SAARC and CIS countries has also been established at Bengaluru.
Some major achievements of AAF include installation of India’s First Auto Scan test facility for HEPA and ULPA filters. AAF has also introduced BIBO (Bag In Bag Out) filters which have significantly improved the air quality in hospitals. By 2014, AAF International became the preferred partner for the pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry and other industries where clean air is crucial like Microelectronics, Data Centres and Control Rooms.
A Dedicated Leader
Rahul Uppal is the Chief Operating Officer of American Air Filters, a member of Daikin Group, for EEMEA (Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa), CIS and SAARC countries; a total of 90 countries. A mechanical engineer by qualification, Rahul has attended many specialization and management programs in various parts of the world. He has held numerous leadership positions including Managing Director of a Swedish company also dealing in filtration.
Rahul’s in-depth knowledge about the industry, flair for people management and passion for environmental protection led to his meteoric rise by becoming the youngest COO of AAF-Daikin. He has contributed significantly to improving the quality of life of the people by providing the next generation of high-performance air filtration products and equipment to the market for all applications. Dedicated people like him make a difference to the world environment and the health of the people in general.
Combating Pollution
It can now be established that AAF is potentially the world leader in clean air solutions and always ahead of the competition courtesy its professional team with some of the best talent available in the world.
Indian cities dominate the ‘world’s most polluted’ charts. People and governments are increasingly becoming aware of the hazardous effects of pollution on health and the environment.
AAF understands the vital importance of clean air. AAF has been helping people across the globe by providing safe indoor air solutions. Its latest invention, Sensor360 measures both indoor and outdoor particulate concentration (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 levels). This eliminates the need to manually audit and collect filter data from the facility’s air handling systems, giving the user the ability to resolve potential IAQ issues before they negatively affect building occupants by receiving an alert from the Sensor360 app that particulate levels are at an unacceptable concentration. It is the first IoT (Internet of Things) patented technology platform that demonstrates the effectiveness of a building’s filtration system by monitoring particulate levels.
AAF also organizes seminars in various countries/regions where it invites leaders from industry and government to bring about greater awareness on the hazards of poor indoor air quality and the latest innovations available to mitigate these hazards. It also supports various universities so that this subject gets the importance it deserves. AAF is not just a filter manufacturing company but provides complete cost-effective end-to-end solutions to ensure high quality IAQ.
The Future looks Clean
As mentioned earlier, American Air Filter has been a pioneer in clean air innovation for nearly 100 years now. It is committed to improve quality of life, increase productivity, protect critical processes and equipment and create products that advance the human condition.
The coming years will see AAF develop solutions that are the need of the hour while always adhering to the following points:
- Sustainability is always a top priority in its R&D efforts.
- Provide sustainable and ‘green thinking’ solutions.
- Reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint for itself, and it’s customers alike.
- Improvements in environmental management system.
With its evident expertise, the company will continue to lead global initiatives that increase productivity, improve processes and protect public health for the next 100 years.
