The Reason For The Decline In US Manufacturing

In 2006, almost all of the US based companies that made the majority of the components used in the line of Pure Air Systems fan powered, HEPA based air filtration systems, closed up their R&D and Manufacturing centers and moved them overseas. Many went to China. They only left the sales and management operations in the US. There are a number reasons for this departure.

China and other countries in the far east started to compete with US manufactured goods and they were less expensive and just as good as those made here. Since most of the larger manufacturing companies are publicly held their shareholders were concerned that trying to compete head-to-head on price was not feasible and they did not want to lose any of their profit margins. Secondly, it is very, very, very expensive to build and operate a manufacturing operation. It requires a lot of equipment and experienced, well-trained technicians and engineers. Over the years those people entering the engineering field of study dropped off precipitously. So they decided to minimize their losses and have their products made overseas.

Over time the public came to accept products made in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, etc. and the advent of Amazon changed the way everyone purchased everything without caring about the manufacturing origin. This coupled with the fact that the new generation of workers are primarily involved in the digital world and have little or no interest in working with their hands and see no future in that arena. Their future belongs to AI, Additive Manufacturing, Robotics and VR and AR technologies.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing commercial grade, high performance HEPA based air filtration systems since 1985 and now one of only three companies in the world that currently manufacture this type of equipment. 

For more information regarding the complete line of PAS systems please go to our website at: http://www.pureairsystems.com   or call us on our toll-free number at:  800-869-8025.

Pure Air Filtration Product Grouping
HEPA Systems For Every Application

 

 

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Pure Air Systems. Staying the course after 37 years.

In today’s global, fast-paced, ever changing business world, companies that last longer than 10 years is unusual. Typically newly formed successful companies are either acquired shortly after they become public or they merge with some similar technology firm to expand their customer base quickly.

Pure Air Systems began its journey in 1985 with one HEPA filtration system that was large and difficult to use or install. HEPA systems were just beginning to be accepted in the residential and commercial markets and the cost of making the systems was steep due to the fact that the housings had to be all metal and the HEPA filters, motors and fans were all commercial grade components that required large quantity purchases to obtain any type of cost reduction. Even at that, the first unit, Model 600H cost over $600.00 in components and another $50.00 in assembly time.

Marketing the systems was somewhat difficult in that the use of computers to promote products was somewhat limited so mail and direct marketing in the form of door-to-door selling was incorporated. It wasn’t until a year later that Pure Air Systems set up it’s first and only URL. www.pureairsystems.com . The ability to use the internet to promote the systems allowed for quick introduction of a unique and highly sought after HEPA air filtration system.

By 1992 PAS had set up a series of distributors and added two more systems to its portfolio and began to outsource its production and assembly to a company in northern Indiana. By 1995 PAS had enough business to start looking for a place of its own to produce the systems and have enough space to store all the replacement filters necessary to feed the hundreds of units now in place across the U.S. In 1998 PAS broke ground on a new 9,000 sq.ft. building. In 1999 the move into the new building allowed for more R&D which produced 4 more HEPA unit designs along with a brand new HEPA portable that was one of the best on the market. 

By 2001 PAS was selling seven different models of its fan powered, HEPA based, ECM motor driven air filtration systems. The use of the new GE ECM motors allowed for use with 120/240 50/60Hz power. Thus allowing for the use in overseas markets which expanded the companies footprint out the U.S. for the first time. 

Today, Pure Air Systems is one of only three companies in the world that make this high performance, commercial grade HEPA air filtration system. The units now range in volume from 50 CFM to 2000 CFM and use programable ECM motors with high end digital controllers.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems offered by PAS please go to our website at:  http://www.pureairsystems.com   or call us on our toll free number at: 800-869-8925,

Residential Industrial and Commercial Applications
HEPA Systems For All Applications

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Training The New Manufacturing Generation

It is no secret that the men and women under 35 are much less likely to enter the field of “making things” including the millennials and generation Z population. Unlike the WWII generation that helped build the US into one of the best manufacturing countries in the world, the new generation is all about the digital world and working from anywhere using the latest in AI and Virtual Reality technology.

There are still some manufacturing done in the US, but the vast majority of small parts, motors, appliances, etc, are now made overseas. Those remaining manufacturing companies are finding that the public school systems, community colleges and four year universities are no longer providing any type of hands-on training in the use of tools or machining equipment.

Many companies have decided to put their own training programs in place and create new manufacturing specialists organically. It seems to be the only answer to keeping their companies up to speed and competitive in a market that is constantly changing and creating new technologies. With the new generation of men and women moving faster into the digital world it is obvious the manufacturing companies in the US are going to have a more difficult time in staying relevant in their fields without some major changes in the way manufacturing is done.

Pure Air Systems manufactures a line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems and as a 37 year old company they are one of only three companies in the world making their type of systems. For more information on the complete line of their air filtration units please go to their website at:  http://www.pureairsystems.com   or call them on their toll-free number at: 800-869-8025.

600HS Annotated Diagram
600HS Annotated Diagram

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Artificial Intelligence Now Ubiquitous

In less than one year, the adaption of AI is not used in almost every facet of our lives. There is no industry or service business that is not using one or more of the AI programs that are being added to and updated daily. In fact, if your business is not incorporating AI into its operational profile it will fall behind its competitors very quickly.

For many people the use of AI has created visions of a massive take-over of our lives by some super intelligent machines. ( In truth that has already started). This belief is held mostly by older Americans who have a minimal understanding of technology and the vast knowledge base held in the Cloud. Change is always difficult for some people but the younger generation adapts quickly and they are using AI almost daily.

But AI is also being used in the engineering, design and product development arenas and this is where the real advantages are taking place. The use of engineering AI programs has tripled in the last year and the benefits have been amazing. Companies now know that they can use AI programs to accelerate their prototyping and product to market development process.

Pure Air Systems opened its doors in 1985. The use of any type of digital technology was limited to crude computer systems and reams of paper tape. All of the information gathered came from human sources and books. Designing a new filtration system took months and a fair amount of trial and error. All in all, it took 8 months to a year to develop a new product or modification to an existing system.

Today, adding a new product or modification can take as little as 1 to 3 months to complete, and the information is derived from the digital world. This adaption of digital information and/or AI is a necessary part of using technology to make us more productive and better our lives. It is important to realize that everything changes and change is constant. 

For more information on our complete product line please go to our website at;  http:/www.pureairsystems.com or call us on our toll free number at:  800-869-8025.

600 HS PLUS Plus Diagram - Components with Descriptions
600 HS PLUS – Split Housing Design

 

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Airborne Viruses And Your Health

It has been repeated many times online and in articles in every type of publication that we tend to not become fearful of things we can not see. And yet, the biggest challenge we have as humans is the transmission of airborne viruses that affect everyone multiple times in their lives. From the yearly Flu bug to Covid 19 and the Common Cold, all of these airborne viruses are constantly searching for a warm host to stay alive and grow.

For many of the airborne viruses there are anti-viral shots available to either eliminate your chances of getting it or minimizing the symptoms if you do get sick. For some reason, there are a number of groups ( all non-medical ) that constantly provide warnings about the various bad side affects of getting injections for all types of viruses. This has created a huge problem for the medical industry as more people are getting sick and in many cases requires them to be hospitalized. In many cases these anti-immunization groups even target mumps, measles and now polio. 

Yes, viruses are extremely small and not visible with the naked eye, but they can be and are significantly reduced or eliminated using filters such as HEPA and SULPA filters. These filters capture airborne viruses and are used in medical facilities around the world. Some of these HEPA systems are available to homeowners and small businesses here in the U.S. Since Covid, the increase use of these type of systems in commercial and institutional environments has doubled. However, with the public continuing to deny the value of anti-virual serems, the challenge to the public will continue to grow.

Pure Air Systems manufactures a line of HEPA and Carbon based, fan powered air filtration systems. These range in capacity from 50 CFM to 2000 CFM. These all metal units utilize the latest in variable speed motor and digital controllers to meet any application. For more information please go to our website;  http://www.pureairsystems.com  or call us on our toll free number; 800-869-8025.

Residential Industrial and Commercial Applications
The world we live in.

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Designing Your House With Air Filtration In Mind

People that are either building their first home or third home are always concerned with the interior room sizes, placement of rooms, wall treatments and appliances needed to make their home comfortable and livable. Unless they have had heating or cooling issues with an existing home, people rely on their contractor to put in the adequate cooling and heating systems and seldom think about the air filters or air filtration systems installed in a new home.

Most new homes are much tighter ( in regards to air leakage ) and a positive pressure door test is usually done to ensure that when the HVAC system is operational the home is slightly positive. Meaning air is being pushed out rather than being sucked in. Air filters are normally placed in the air returns that are normally located in most rooms, except the bathrooms. These general duty pleated filters are designed to keep most large airborne dust from entering the HVAC system and have very little resistance so they don’t put a strain on the main blower/motor assembly of the air handler. 

Since the air handlers are designed for the general duty air filters, placing a more restrictive, yet more effective air filter media, in the returns will reduce the fan power and pull less air through your HVAC system that could significantly affect the performance of your HVAC system. Therefore, you need to talk to your contractor prior to putting in your HVAC unit if you want to incorporate a more effective air filter system.

Usually the HVAC contractor will caution you about putting the more restrictive filters in your system and suggest a main air filter unit ( either electronic or media filter ) at the inlet to the air handler itself. This can be difficult and often creates installation issues and accessibility to the unit for servicing.

Pure Air Systems has been making HEPA based, fan powered air filtration systems since 1985 and has developed a method of attaching one of their HEPA Shield units in a partial by-pass installation that allows the filter to pull anywhere from 600 CFM to 2000 CFM of air through the air filter and then putting back into the HVAC unit. By pulling only a portion of the air the HEPA Shield unit can clean all the air in the house from 24 to 48 times a day depending upon the frequency of operation of the HVAC unit. And, you can still place the general duty filters in the air returns. 

For more information on the complete line of HEPA filters please go to our website at: http://www.pureairsystems.com   or call us on our toll-free number at:  800-869-8025.

Typical Air Flow Diagram
Partial By-Pass System

 

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Why HEPA Filters Are Still Best Choice For Airborne Contaminant Removal

HEPA filters are the best method of removing sub-micron airborne contaminants including, viruses, bacteria, dust particles and airborne allergens ( mold, pollen, etc.).

One of the challenges of using HEPA filters in a residential application is how the HEPA filter is installed to best gather the greatest amount of airborne particles from all rooms of the home. Most air filters in residential HVAC systems are either placed in the air returns for each room or one largepr filter is placed at the return air inlet of the main HVAC fan unit. 

Since HEPA filters have a much higher resistance to air flow than standard duty air filters, they need to be placed in a cabinet that includes its own blower/motor section to assist the air flow through the HVAC system so there is no disruption to the air flow from the HVAC unit. 

Pure Air Systems developed a HEPA filtration system that incorporated its own blower/motor unit along with a true commercial grade HEPA filter, prefilter and carbon media filter. This metal framed housing unit could be attached to the return air side of the HVAC system in what is called a “partial pass” concept. In essence, the HEPA system would pull anywhere from 600 CFM up to 2000 CFM of the return air ( the later used mostly in commercial systems) and then return it back into the HVAC system on the supply side. In this manner the HEPA system would clean all the air in the house after the 3rd or 4th pass. Or, approximately 30 to 50 times  day, depending on how often the HVAC fan system runs.

The PAS units all utililze the newer variable speed drive, digitially controlled motors that can be programmed to operate in sync with any HVAC system.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon systems please go to our website at: http://www.pureairsystems.com   or call us on our toll-free number at:  800-869-8025.

Typical Air Flow Diagram
Partial By-Pass System

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Heat, Humidity and Your Enviroment

If you live in a part of the country where the summer months bring high humidity along with the heat, then your indoor living environment needs adequate air conditioning to maintain healthy living. 

High amounts of humidity (moisture) will condense out on cold surfaces and can become a breading ground for mold. If the moisture gets into a crawl space or attic area that is not conditioned, this area can also be a potential place for mold to grow. 

Aside from efficient air conditioning, the home envelope should be under positive pressure. This means that when the HVAC system fan is running, the air pressure inside the home should be slightly higher than the external air pressure. This ensures the home will always be expelling a small amount of air and keeping outside moisture, heat and humidity from entering the home. If the home air balance is not correct, the negative affect of outside air intrusion into the home will far outweigh a good heating/cooling system.

In addition, good filtration should be part of your HVAC system. Whether you use good filters on the return air grills or a good media filter at the fan unit, filters can significantly minimize the levels of airborne dust and the potential for mold build up on interior surfaces.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA based air filtration systems, please go to our website at: http://www.pureairsystems.com   or call us on our toll-free number at:  800-869-8025.

1200/2000HS Plus Series Pre-Filter
1200/2000HS Plus Series Pre-Filter
600HS/600HS Plus Series OA Carbon Cartridge
600HS/600HS Plus Series OA Carbon Cartridge

 

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Using Carbon For Gaseous Pollutants

Removing odors and gaseous pollutants from any environment is much difficult than removing airborne particulate. There are a number of air filter types that can easily remove airborne dust, but the removal of airborne odors and gases requires some very specific materials that can effectively adsorb these organic or inorganic molecules.

The most common material used to remove odors is activated carbon ( charcoal) which comes in a number of sizes. The most common is cocoanut shell carbon that is usually around 1/4″ in size and is often enclosed in a mesh type material or sometimes in a fine opening screen container. Carbon can be used in both air and water for the extraction of gaseous pollutants, making it one of the more popular materials on the market.

When cocoanut shells are placed in a high temperature oven under pressure it expands the surface area of the material and then makes it into a carbon material. The expansion to the shell gives the material a very high surface area and the ability to adsorb up to 100 times its own weight in gaseous pollutants. This means that a small amount of carbon material can remove a large amount of the odors and last a long period of time. 

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing HEPA and Carbon based, fan powered, commercial grade air filter systems since 1985. The various systems available from PAS include carbon media as a standard part of the filtration unit along with a prefilter an HEPA filter. In cases where a customer only has an odor or gaseous pollutant issue, Pure Air Systems can remove the HEPA filter and replace it with an all carbon bed of material. Depending upon the odor challenge, the systems can hold from as little as 8 lbs of carbon up to 60 lbs of carbon material. And the air flow capacity of the systems range from 50 CFM to 2000 CFM.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon air filter systems please go to our website at: http://www.pureairsystems.com or call us on our toll-free number at:  8-869-8025.

Model 2000 HS with HEPA and Carbon

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3D Printing Becoming New Way To Make Everything

3D Printing or Additive Manufacturing as it is called in the commercial market, has moved into almost every facet of manufacturing from small replacement parts and dental fittings up to Aerospace and Military applications. There are very large 3D printers making boats as well as printing houses and large structures and small bridges.

3D printing has a number of advantages including the ability to try the “what if” and prototyping of new design concepts. In addition, the materials available for the metal printers has moved this process in the main stream of manufacturing. 3D Printers take up much less space than traditional CNC machines and other fabrication systems and require fewer people to complete the manufacturing process.

One of the main advantages of using 3D manufacturing is the ability to get younger people to become more involved with manufacturing. The younger generation is very familiar with and is good at using CAD type software for design and 3D printing of parts. In truth, the ability to make things using 3D printing or Additive Manufacturing is not considered manufacturing to the younger generation. This is important as they are not interested in moving into the old type of making things. 

Pure Air Systems, an air filtration company started in 1985, has bee using some 3D printing processes for prototyping new parts for their metal housed HEPA based air filtration systems. This helps them more quickly determine the correct part design and more quickly complete the final design and get into production with minimal cost.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon filters please go to our website at: http://www.pureairsystems.com   or call us on our toll free number at: 800-869-8025.

Indy Air Show 09

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