AAF inaugurates new cleanroom for the production of HEPA filters

Inauguration of the new cleanroom by Johan Langius (Chief Operating Officer AAF Europe and Middle East) and Bouke Arends (Executive Councilor of Economic Affairs of the Municipality of Emmen)

AAF Cleanroom Tour

• Official inauguration of the new, fully operational cleanroom on June 13, 2013
• Developed to meet customer requirements for purity and high product quality
• A new milestone in the pursuit of continuous improvement for Europe and the Middle East
• Successful customer audits demonstrate reliable process design of the cleanroom facility
• Launch of European manufacturing for HEPA/ULPA filters with NELIOR® Filtration Technology

On June 13, AAF inaugurated its new cleanroom for the production of HEPA and ULPA filters at its most important European manufacturing site in Emmen, Netherlands. In the presence of the AAF Air Filter Europe management team, delegates from the city of Emmen, and invited regional press, AAF’s COO Johan Langius led the opening ceremony. The official opening of the cleanroom marks a new milestone in the company's ongoing efforts to improve productivity, product quality, and thereby maximize customer satisfaction.

Cleanroom tailored to customer needs
It is generally assumed that the quality of HEPA filters directly impacts process performance and output quality of critical cleanroom environments, such as those found in the pharmaceutical and microelectronics industries. Even the smallest contamination can mean the difference between success and failure, especially when considering the latest developments in nanotechnology. This means not only that the filtration efficiency of the HEPA filters must meet functional specifications, but also that contaminants introduced by the HEPA filters themselves must be eliminated. This context requires the manufacturing of HEPA filters under clean conditions to meet the strictest customer requirements. The company recognized this significance and built a completely new cleanroom for its European HEPA/ULPA manufacturing facilities.

The new cleanroom was constructed within the company's largest European manufacturing plant in Emmen, Netherlands, as a separate area. Its total area covers 900 square meters and includes four core process steps: media folding, filter assembly, testing, and packaging. An ISO 7 controlled environment was designed for media folding, assembly of HEPA filters, and testing according to EN1822:2009 standards. HEPA filters are packaged in an ISO 6 controlled environment to minimize the risk of contamination from the filter itself once it arrives at the customer’s cleanroom. Both cleanroom areas are designed, built, and validated according to the principles defined in ISO 14644 standards.

A new milestone in continuous improvement
As a member of Daikin Industries Ltd, the global leader in air conditioning technology, the company pursues the ambitious goal of being “Number One” among preferred suppliers for clean air solutions. The construction of the new cleanroom represents the latest milestone in the continuous improvement of its manufacturing and economic development in Europe and the Middle East. Johan Langius, Chief Operating Officer (COO) for AAF Europe and Middle East: "Our company has upgraded its production facilities in recent years with the aim of better meeting customer expectations while improving operational excellence. The new cleanroom illustrates the positive development of our organization and strengthens our leading position in the high-end air filtration market."

The cleanroom has been operational since March. Even before the official opening, several customers from the pharmaceutical industry tested the new cleanroom for compliance with their internal quality procedures. The new cleanroom convincingly passed these tests with very positive results and demonstrates a solid process design that fully meets the strict requirements of customers for clean manufacturing.

In addition to the plant in Emmen, Netherlands, the company has also implemented various innovations at its European manufacturing sites in France, the UK, and Slovakia. Each plant follows the Six Sigma principle and is certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001. AAF believes that only with this combination can the highest quality standards for process, product, and environmental impact be guaranteed.

European manufacturing begins NELIOR® Filtration Technology
Alongside the official opening of the cleanroom, the company has started manufacturing HEPA and ULPA filters with NELIOR® Filtration Technology in Europe. The award-winning NELIOR® Filtration Technology is a patented membrane filter medium developed by AAF and offered exclusively. HEPA and ULPA filters with NELIOR® Filtration Technology offer significant advantages over conventional HEPA filters, such as higher stability and lower energy consumption.

These filters are used in critical cleanroom applications such as pharmaceutical, food/beverage, and microelectronics industries.  

Until now, HEPA and ULPA filters with NELIOR® Filtration Technology intended for Europe were produced at the company's manufacturing facilities in Asia. With the transfer of filter manufacturing from Asia to the new cleanroom in Emmen, both flexibility and availability can now be drastically improved.