Camfil
Encyclopedia
The Camfil Farr Group is a producer and developer of air filter
s and clean air products.
Camfil Farr is also a global air filtration specialist with 24 production units and R&D centres in four countries in the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The Group, headquartered in Stockholm
, Sweden
, has approximately 3,000 employees and sales in the range of SEK 4.3 billion. International markets account for more than 90 percent of sales. The company’s business is to provide customers with air filtration products and services within four main segments: Comfort Air, Clean Processes, Power Systems and Safety & Protection.
, Sweden, located about 70 km (43.5 mi) south of Stockholm. Camfil was founded in Trosa in 1963 by the Larson family, still one of the company’s principal owners, as a joint venture with Cambridge Filtration Corporation in the United States. In 1983, the family bought Cambridge’s shares. Camfil was wholly owned by the family until 2000, when Ratos AB, a Swedish private equity company, received 29.7 percent of the shares in connection with the acquisition of Farr in the United States. Camfil has always been profitable since the start of operations more than four decades ago. Today, the company is the global leader in clean air technology and air filter production with operations in more than 50 countries.
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Since the Comfort Air market consists mainly of replacement filters, operations in this segment are relatively insensitive to fluctuations in the economy. Customers include real estate management companies, local government agencies and buildings, as well as companies providing ventilation service to offices, hotels, restaurants, airports and similar public facilities.
In Europe, bag filters are dominant, with Hi-Flo being the most common product. In the U.S., compact filters with pleated filter media are more common. The best known is Camfil Farr’s 30/30 pleated panel filter.
and beverages have to be produced in strictly controlled environments, where very small and undesirable particles can be devastating and lead to biocontamination, spoilage and high costs. Paint spraying facilities for the automotive industry
and hospital
operating theatres are other applications in this business sector. Camfil Farr supplies complete ceiling systems for hospital surgery and has also pioneered a range of supply and exhaust housings specifically for the biopharmaceutical industry, including high-temperature filters and bag-in, bag-out systems for containing contaminants.
In clean manufacturing processes, filtration often takes place in several stages, where pre-filtration is first carried out to protect the high-efficiency filters, which are much more complex and consequently more expensive. Pre-filters here are similar to those used in the Comfort Air sector. High-efficiency filters often cover the entire ceiling in a cleanroom environment. Megalam is a typical final stage filter for clean processes. The need for gas filtration is steadily increasing. Camfil Farr has developed the Gigapleat for this purpose, among other molecular filters.
Air filtration for air intakes, enclosures, silencers and cooling systems for gas turbines are one of the cornerstones of Camfil Farr’s expanding international business.
Today, Camfil Farr products are being used around the world to protect gas turbines from erosion and fouling. Land-based, offshore, and marine systems are supplied, as well as retrofits and upgrades.
generation, mining
, laboratory
research and chemical factories, can harm human beings and nature. Camfil Farr's filter solution
s are designed to prevent emissions of foul-smelling and unhealthy substances that constitute a direct threat to people and the environment.
The high-tech end of this market consists of biocontainment systems – a Camfil Farr specialty – which include everything from systems for sterile
and particle-free air in mini-environments, to special high-security housings for high-risk laboratories, buildings and environments, biosafety cabinets for hazardous materials, high-temperature filters for sterilisation processes, bag in-bag out systems for handling contaminants and specially designed terminal and exhaust housings. Biopharma facilities, highsecurity research labs, nuclear power plants and chemical factories use these systems, among other customers. Dust collection for pollution control and product recovery is another fast-growing area in this segment. The main markets are currently North America and Europe, where saving energy and increasing production efficiency, while controlling indoor air quality, is a challenging aspect of plant management. The metalworking, pharmaceutical and mining industries are typical customers.
Air filter
A particulate air filter is a device composed of fibrous materials which removes solid particulates such as dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria from the air. A chemical air filter consists of an absorbent or catalyst for the removal of airborne molecular contaminants such as volatile organic compounds...
s and clean air products.
Camfil Farr is also a global air filtration specialist with 24 production units and R&D centres in four countries in the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The Group, headquartered in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, has approximately 3,000 employees and sales in the range of SEK 4.3 billion. International markets account for more than 90 percent of sales. The company’s business is to provide customers with air filtration products and services within four main segments: Comfort Air, Clean Processes, Power Systems and Safety & Protection.
History
The global Camfil Farr Group started out as a family business in the town of TrosaTrosa
Trosa is a locality and the seat of Trosa Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 4,633 inhabitants in 2005 and 11,417 in 2010 ....
, Sweden, located about 70 km (43.5 mi) south of Stockholm. Camfil was founded in Trosa in 1963 by the Larson family, still one of the company’s principal owners, as a joint venture with Cambridge Filtration Corporation in the United States. In 1983, the family bought Cambridge’s shares. Camfil was wholly owned by the family until 2000, when Ratos AB, a Swedish private equity company, received 29.7 percent of the shares in connection with the acquisition of Farr in the United States. Camfil has always been profitable since the start of operations more than four decades ago. Today, the company is the global leader in clean air technology and air filter production with operations in more than 50 countries.
1963 – Joint venture
Founding of Camfil AB in Sweden as a joint venture with Cambridge (U.S./1966-1982 – Start of international expansion
Start of Camfil GmbH, Germany (1966); Camfil AG, Switzerland (1969); Camfil A/S, Denmark (1972); Camfil BV, the Netherlands (1973); Camfil S.A., Belgium (1974); Camfil S.P.A., Italy (1975); Camfil S.A., France (1976); Camfil Oy, Finland (1979) and Camfil Ltd., England (1982).1983 – Wholly owned family business
Camfil becomes independent after the family acquires Cambridge’s stake.1985-1999 – Acquisitions and more start-ups
Acquisition of Allied Filters and Pumps, Ireland (1985), and Solfiltra, France, and Filtra, U.S. (1989); Start of Camfil Component AB, Sweden, and Camfil España, S.A., Spain (1995); Acquisition of Automet Filtration Ltd., U.K., and start of Camfil Air Filter SDN BHD, Malaysia (1997); Acquisition of Industrifilter, Sweden (1998) and Delcon Filtration Group, Inc., Canada (1999).2000 – Entrance into the North American and Chinese markets
Acquisition of Farr Co., United States; Start of Camfil Pty Ltd, Australia, Camfil Polska Sp.z.o.o., Poland, and opening of a Representative Office, Shanghai, China.2001-2005 – Additional expansion
Start of Camfil New Zealand and acquisition of Nordfilter, Sweden (2001); Plant opened, Shanghai (2002); Two plants merged, Malaysia (2003); New sales company, Thailand, and opening of Representative Office, Russia (2004); New production units started in Mexico and Brazil (2005).88
2006 – Formation of Power Systems organization
Acquisition of IF Luftfilter in Sweden, Denmark and Finland, Australian Air Filters, Australia, and Kaefer Raco Engineering GmbH, Germany (integrated with Camfil Industrifilter, Sweden, and Camfil’s GT business in Canada, to form the new Power Systems unit); New production unit, U.K., and opening of a new sales office, Singapore (serving as regional HQ for Asia).2007 – Production expansion and new pan-Nordic organization
New production units in Slovakia and Shanghai; new sales subsidiaries in Japan and Taiwan for Clean Processes segment; complete integration of Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Norwegian units in a new pan-Nordic organization.2008 – New Asian production hub, joint venture in India and New Zealand acquisitions
Four facilities combined in a single large plant in Malaysia to form new Asian manufacturing hub; Joint venture established in India: Camfil Far Air Filtration India Ltd.; Opening of new sales and logistics centre in southern Germany; Acquisition of Air Care Technology Ltd and Total Air Care Ltd. in New Zealand, now incorporated in Camfil NZ Ltd.Comfort Air
The Comfort Air business area accounts for almost half of Group sales. Most air filters for this segment are installed in ventilation systems in schools, offices, homes, hospitals and airports, among other facilities.Since the Comfort Air market consists mainly of replacement filters, operations in this segment are relatively insensitive to fluctuations in the economy. Customers include real estate management companies, local government agencies and buildings, as well as companies providing ventilation service to offices, hotels, restaurants, airports and similar public facilities.
In Europe, bag filters are dominant, with Hi-Flo being the most common product. In the U.S., compact filters with pleated filter media are more common. The best known is Camfil Farr’s 30/30 pleated panel filter.
Clean Processes
Clean air is an important requirement in many production processes. There are stringent requirements for ultra-clean air in cleanroom applications. Semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, foodFood
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
and beverages have to be produced in strictly controlled environments, where very small and undesirable particles can be devastating and lead to biocontamination, spoilage and high costs. Paint spraying facilities for the automotive industry
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
and hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
operating theatres are other applications in this business sector. Camfil Farr supplies complete ceiling systems for hospital surgery and has also pioneered a range of supply and exhaust housings specifically for the biopharmaceutical industry, including high-temperature filters and bag-in, bag-out systems for containing contaminants.
In clean manufacturing processes, filtration often takes place in several stages, where pre-filtration is first carried out to protect the high-efficiency filters, which are much more complex and consequently more expensive. Pre-filters here are similar to those used in the Comfort Air sector. High-efficiency filters often cover the entire ceiling in a cleanroom environment. Megalam is a typical final stage filter for clean processes. The need for gas filtration is steadily increasing. Camfil Farr has developed the Gigapleat for this purpose, among other molecular filters.
Power Systems
Protecting equipment such as gas turbines, compressors and diesel engines is a key Camfil Farr segment. Air filtration and noise control equipment has been supplied to thousands of installations all over the globe.Air filtration for air intakes, enclosures, silencers and cooling systems for gas turbines are one of the cornerstones of Camfil Farr’s expanding international business.
Today, Camfil Farr products are being used around the world to protect gas turbines from erosion and fouling. Land-based, offshore, and marine systems are supplied, as well as retrofits and upgrades.
Safety & Protection
Emissions from dirty and potentially dangerous processes, such as nuclear powerNuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
generation, mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
research and chemical factories, can harm human beings and nature. Camfil Farr's filter solution
Solution
In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of only one phase. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. The solvent does the dissolving.- Types of solutions :...
s are designed to prevent emissions of foul-smelling and unhealthy substances that constitute a direct threat to people and the environment.
The high-tech end of this market consists of biocontainment systems – a Camfil Farr specialty – which include everything from systems for sterile
Sterilization (microbiology)
Sterilization is a term referring to any process that eliminates or kills all forms of microbial life, including transmissible agents present on a surface, contained in a fluid, in medication, or in a compound such as biological culture media...
and particle-free air in mini-environments, to special high-security housings for high-risk laboratories, buildings and environments, biosafety cabinets for hazardous materials, high-temperature filters for sterilisation processes, bag in-bag out systems for handling contaminants and specially designed terminal and exhaust housings. Biopharma facilities, highsecurity research labs, nuclear power plants and chemical factories use these systems, among other customers. Dust collection for pollution control and product recovery is another fast-growing area in this segment. The main markets are currently North America and Europe, where saving energy and increasing production efficiency, while controlling indoor air quality, is a challenging aspect of plant management. The metalworking, pharmaceutical and mining industries are typical customers.