Camfil, a manufacturer of air filtration solutions, has added a new production line for HEPA and ULPA filters at its Manesar facility, increasing its capacity to supply hospitals, pharmaceutical cleanrooms, biotechnology laboratories, and other controlled environments. The line is designed to produce filters that meet EN 1822 and ISO 29463 standards, with each unit accompanied by an individual scan test report validating efficiency, integrity, and compliance.
The new machinery integrates advanced scanning and classification technologies developed in-house at Camfil’s global R&D centres. The production line can manufacture filters suitable for Class ISO 5–ISO 8 environments, including hospital operating theatres, isolation wards, pharmaceutical production and research, biotech and semiconductor cleanrooms, and BSL-rated containment zones.
“This step strengthens our ability to protect patients, researchers, and production processes that depend on clean air,” said Mark Simmons, CEO, Camfil Group. “Adding this line in Manesar shows our confidence in India’s growing demand for high-performance filtration. Together with our local team, we aim to provide more customers with the clean air they need to work safely and efficiently,” added Rahul Kapoor, Managing Director of Camfil India.
HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) and ULPA (Ultra-Low Particulate Air) filters are advanced air filtration technologies essential for creating extremely clean environments by removing very fine airborne particles. Both these filters use dense mats of randomly arranged fibers to physically trap contaminants through mechanisms like inertial impaction, interception, and diffusion.
HEPA filters are designed to capture at least 99.97 percent of particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter or larger. This makes them highly effective for many critical environments such as hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and laboratories. HEPA filters typically allow higher airflow and consume less energy than ULPA filters, with a longer lifespan of up to ten years. They are suitable for maintaining cleanroom standards like ISO Class 5.
ULPA filters, on the other hand, provide an even higher filtration efficiency, capturing 99.999% of particles 0.12 microns or larger. Their filter media is denser, allowing them to trap smaller particles that HEPA filters may miss. However, this increased density results in lower airflow capacity—typically 20-50% less than HEPA filters—and higher energy consumption to move air through the filter. Due to these traits, ULPA filters tend to be more expensive and have shorter lifespans ranging between five to eight years. ULPA filters are commonly used in ultra-clean environments such as semiconductor manufacturing and ISO Class 3 cleanrooms where maximum particle control is critical.
Both filters are limited to removing particulate contaminants and cannot filter gases, fumes, or odors; such applications require additional molecular or carbon filtration. Choosing between HEPA and ULPA depends largely on the specific air cleanliness requirements of the environment, balancing factors like filtration efficiency, airflow needs, lifecycle cost, and energy consumption.
Camfil is a manufacturer of air filtration solutions, including HEPA and ULPA filters, with operations spanning multiple regions. The company focuses on developing and producing filtration technology for applications where air quality is critical for safety and performance.