100 anni sono una vita straordinariamente lunga, per una persona o per un'azienda. Pochissime persone vivono fino al loro centesimo compleanno e la maggior parte delle aziende non supera i 100 giorni di attività. Qui, nel 2021, festeggiamo con orgoglio il 100° anniversario di AAF.
Nel 1921, la prima guerra mondiale era ancora fresca nella mente della gente e la rivoluzione industriale aveva trasformato gran parte del mondo da un'economia basata sull'agricoltura a una basata sulla produzione. L'ingegnere e imprenditore Bill Reed dipingeva automobili nella sua officina di Louisville, KY. Poiché la polvere che sporcava il suo lavoro lo irritava, Reed inserì della lana d'acciaio tra due strati di filo di ferro e in un telaio di legno, inventando quello che sarebbe diventato un filtro dell'aria rivoluzionario.
Scoprendo che la sua invenzione era apprezzata non solo nell'industria automobilistica ma anche in altri settori, Reed fondò la Reed Air Filter Company. Nel 1924 l'azienda aprì i primi uffici e lo stabilimento di produzione sulla Central Avenue. Cinque anni dopo, Reed fonde la sua azienda con altri sette produttori per formare l'American Air Filter Company, o AAF.
1921 | Bill Reed founds Reed Air Filter Company and manufactures the first commercial air filter in Louisville, KY USA, the Reed Air Filter. |
1924 | Akira Yamada founds Osaka Kinzoku Kogyosho Limited Partnership, the company that would later become Daikin, in Osaka; company begins production of aircraft radiator tubes and other products. |
1929 | Reed Air Filter Company merges with seven leading air filter manufacturers to form American Air Filter Company Inc. |
1932 | Introduced the Type D RotoClone, a revolutionary breakthrough in dust control. |
1935 | Daikin succeeds in fluorocarbon synthesis, begins mass production in 1942. – how to make this clear? |
1936 | American Air Filter (AAF) introduces the first high-efficiency box‐style filter. |
1941-1942 | AAF expands production in Louisville, KY by opening 2 more plants. |
1950 | AAF introduces fiberglass replacement filters to the residential market. |
1950 | Flanders Filters founded by A.R. Allan, Jr. to supply filters to the Atomic Energy Commission. |
1951 | Daikin begins production of packaged air conditioners. |
1950s | American Air Filter expands into Canada and Europe. |
1953 | AAF introduces Roll‐O‐Mat®, the first automatic self‐renewable media filter. |
1954 | First reverse-jet dry fabric dust collector introduced. |
1961 | AAF introduces DriPak®, the first bag‐style filter. |
1963 | AAF introduces VariCel®, the first modern high‐efficiency box‐style filter. |
1964 | AAF introduces the AstroCel® HEPA filter. |
1964 | Flanders becomes the first filtration company to also make their own HEPA media, leading to the first separator – less HEPA filter in 1968. |
1965 | AAF’s first gas turbine filtration installation. |
1966-1968 | AAF opens plants and begins manufacturing filters in Europe, Asian headquarters established later in 1970. |
1969 | NASA lunar module uses AAF filters in Apollo 11 mission to moon. |
1969 | Flanders develops the first fluid seal for HEPA filters and later developed the first silicone-based seal in 1986. |
1970 | AmerKleen line of diesel engine intake filters and housings developed. |
1978 | AAF introduces first V‐Bank HEPA filter. |
1978 | Flanders makes the first ULPA filter. |
1979 | Filtration systems provided for nuclear reactor accident at Three Mile Island. |
1982 | Daikin develops Japan’s first Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) system. |
1988 | AAF pioneers HEPA technology in gas turbines. |
1989 | AAF introduces VariCel® II, the first high‐efficiency mini‐pleat 4″ deep filter. |
1991 | Daikin establishes Daikin America, Inc. |
1993 | Flanders supplies HEPA filters to the International Space Station. |
1996 | Flanders Filters expands into the retail market. |
1997 | First modular expandable baghouse. – P&I |
1999 | AAF begins development of PTFE filters with Daikin Industries. |
2000 | AAF introduces PerfectPleat®, the first self‐supported pleated filter. |
2002 | AAF expands production in China. |
2005 | Expanded Gas-Phase product line. |
2006 | AAF becomes member of Daikin Group. |
2009 | AAF introduces MEGAcel® I, first HEPA filter with ePTFE filtration technology. |
2013 | AAF introduces MEGApleat® filter. |
2014 | AAF introduces VariCel® 2+ filter with Impress® Technology. |
2015 | AAF acquires and opens a network of service operations and warehouses across the US. |
2016 | AAF merges with Flanders to form AAF Flanders in U.S. |
2016-2020 | AAF introduces software and technology packages such as TCO Diagnostic® , Sensor360®, and VisionAir™ Clean – check on all technologies |
2016 | AAF opens Clean Air Innovation & Research Center in Jeffersonville, IN. |
2016 | AAF introduces REDClean Media®, the advanced filtration technology product range that optimizes dust collector’s performance |
2016 | AAF Acquires Dinair Group AB to form one of the strongest networks within Europe’s filtration industry |
2017 | AAF introduces N-hance® the world’s first E12 high velocity filter for gas turbines offshore |
2017 | AAF acquires RIS Facility Management GmbH, a leading provider of Indoor Air Quality services in Germany |
2019 | AAF expands its dust collection portfolio by launching new Plug&Play filtration units to meet the needs of different key industrial markets |
2020 | AAF develops study at CAC that demonstrates AAF filters are effective against coronavirus surrogate viruses. |