In the air filter industry, manufacturers face a balancing act between delivering effective filtration and controlling production costs all while planning for shipping expenses. Due to the large physical volume that air filters occupy, shipping costs are high, which is why most air filters sold in the US are manufactured within North America (US, Canada, Mexico) rather than overseas.
This article focuses on pleated cardboard air filters, which are widely used in residential and commercial HVAC systems, rather than proprietary filter solutions. These pleated filters are highly commoditized, which makes the economic trade-offs behind their production and logistics particularly interesting to explore.
I’m Winston Mok, the founder and CEO of Woosh Air. Since 2019, I’ve been deeply involved in developing smart & new air filter designs and gaining significant hands-on experience in air filter fabrication and manufacturing processes. Since launching Woosh, we’ve established an official partnership with 3M, a titan in the filtration industry with over 30 years of innovation in air filtration.
Having visited a number of filter manufacturers myself, I’ve had the chance to witness how they make filters, learn about the economics behind the process, and understand the costs associated with each stage of production. I’ve seen firsthand the balancing act manufacturers face between optimizing performance, reducing costs, and meeting customer expectations. This article shares the insights I’ve gained by working with industry players to understand the trade-offs and processes involved in filter manufacturing.
Toward the end of this article, I’ll also share how Woosh air filters fit into this broader landscape. But for now, I thought it would be interesting to start by diving into the fundamental components of air filters, their economics, and how logistics further influence the decisions manufacturers make.
This article uncovers the trade-offs in filter manufacturing and logistics, illustrating how choices around components, labor, and shipping impact both price and performance. Standards like Title 20 can also help consumers make informed choices by revealing the hidden aspects of filter quality.
Components of a Pleated Air Filter
A typical commercial pleated air filter consists of three main components:
1. Frame: The frame secures the filter in the HVAC system and provides structural integrity.
2. Filter Media: The core material capturing airborne particles like dust, pollen, and more.
3. Pleat Support Structure: Holds the filter media in place, maintaining pleats and airflow.
Understanding these components sets the stage for discussing where manufacturers can reduce costs and how these choices impact filter performance.
The Frame: Structural Choices and Cost Implications
While the frame may seem like a minor detail, it greatly affects both cost and filter stability.
Two-Piece Frames
Two-piece frames use separate front and back pieces of cardboard, which increases stability. This is valuable when filters experience high airflow or become clogged. However, the added rigidity requires extra material, glues and labor, which adds to production costs.
Single-Piece Frames
Single-piece frames are cheaper and quicker to produce, as a single piece of cardboard wraps around the media.
While cost-effective, these frames are less rigid, increasing the risk of collapsing under dust load, which could release particles back into the HVAC system.
Filter Media: The Impact of Pleat Density on Cost and Efficiency
The Role of Media Density
The density of the filter media, measured in grams per square meter (gsm), plays a crucial role in determining filtration efficiency. Higher-density media inherently uses more plastic for the same surface area, which increases material costs. However, this added density generally enhances the filter’s ability to capture smaller particles, resulting in improved overall performance. High-performance media, such as those used in electrostatic filters, often rely on optimized density to maximize particle capture rates. While the benefits of higher-density media are clear in terms of filtration efficiency, manufacturers must balance these advantages against the increased material costs and potential impacts on airflow, such as higher pressure drops in some cases.
Here is an example chart showing the increase in pressure drop for higher density media. As an example, the ‘70’ represents filter media with a density of 70 gsm.
More Pleats, More Cost
High-capacity filters, which have more pleats packed into the same external dimension, offer several advantages over standard-capacity filters. The additional pleats increase the internal surface area of the filter media — the total area through which air passes. This greater surface area allows the filter to hold more dust while reducing the initial resistance to airflow, known as pressure drop. Furthermore, the tightly spaced pleats add structural rigidity, enabling the filter to withstand the force of airflow without collapsing and enhancing its durability. This design improves both the filter’s efficiency and its lifespan, even under demanding conditions.
The primary downside of high-capacity filters is the increased cost. The added pleats require more media, making these filters more expensive to manufacture. While this additional cost can be justified by improved performance and longevity, it represents a significant factor in filter pricing.
Pleat Support: Wire Backing, Filament Support, and Self-Supporting Materials
The pleat support structure is a key factor in both the durability and effectiveness of an air filter. There are three primary methods for supporting pleats within a filter:
Wire Backing
Wire backing is a sturdy option that provides strong support for pleated media, keeping the structure intact under high airflow. This support prevents pleats from collapsing as they fill with dust, ensuring consistent airflow and filtration efficiency. However, wire backing can add to material costs and manufacturing complexity, which may increase the overall price.
Filament Support
Some manufacturers replace wire backing with plastic filaments that stretch across the tops of the pleats. While this design is cheaper, plastic filaments generally provide less structural support, which may lead to filter collapse under high dust loads. The potential for collapse and dust release makes filament support less ideal for environments with high airflow or significant particle buildup.
Self-Supporting Materials
Certain filters are constructed from self-supporting materials, which don’t require additional backing to maintain pleat structure. These materials are strong enough to hold their shape against airflow, eliminating the need for wire or filament support. However, the stiffness required for self-support can result in higher differential pressure, potentially increasing the strain on HVAC systems. While self-supporting filters reduce the need for additional components, the trade-off in airflow restriction is a consideration for both manufacturers and consumers.
Conversion Costs: From Raw Materials to Finished Filters
Once raw materials reach the manufacturing site, they undergo conversion processes to become fully assembled filters. This process includes cutting, pleating, assembling, and sealing all components.
The labor involved in this conversion process varies widely among manufacturers. Smaller, mom-and-pop operations may rely on manual labor for assembly, which can be slower and labor-intensive but offers flexibility for custom adjustments. In contrast, larger manufacturers often employ fully automated systems that streamline production, reducing labor costs and ensuring consistency across large batches.
Automated assembly lines significantly lower the labor cost per filter, allowing high-volume production with efficiency, while smaller operations may trade efficiency for flexibility.
Shipping Costs
Shipping expenses are a significant factor in air filter economics due to the bulky nature of filters. Unlike some products that can be densely packed, filters occupy a large volume relative to their weight. This high shipping cost often makes it impractical to manufacture filters overseas and ship them internationally. Instead, most air filters are produced domestically in the USA, which reduces transit distance and associated costs.
Shipping from Manufacturer to Retailer
To address these shipping challenges, manufacturers sometimes design filters to stack compactly, optimizing the space available in shipping containers. By stacking filters effectively, they reduce both the cost of shipping which can otherwise be prohibitively high and storage footprint on store shelves which comes at a premium.
Shipping to the Customer
Shipping air filters directly to customers poses challenges due to their size and fragility. Cardboard filters with wire backing are especially prone to damage since they can’t be compressed, leading to packaging in sturdy, protective boxes. This increases costs and is a common cause of one-star reviews on platforms like Amazon when filters arrive damaged.
The bulky nature of filters also makes shipping expensive, which is why online sellers often bundle them in packs of 4 to 6 to distribute shipping costs. In contrast, retail stores sell single units as logistics are handled in bulk.
To address these constraints, companies like FilterEasy (SecondNature) and Woosh have introduced folding filter designs that ship compactly, lowering costs while maintaining high performance when installed. This innovation is particularly valuable for subscription services shipping single filters directly to customers.
Why CA Title 20 Matters for Consumer Awareness
Due to an emphasis on outward-facing specs like MERV ratings, many consumers base decisions on these values alone, often overlooking performance factors like initial pressure drop or dust-holding capacity. California Title 20 aims to bring transparency to these specifications, helping consumers understand what they’re actually buying. To learn more check out our Title 20: Nutrition Facts for Air Filters blog post.
The Hidden Costs of “Budget” Filters
While inexpensive filters may meet basic specifications, their limitations can lead to higher long-term costs. If a filter collapses under high dust load, particles may infiltrate the HVAC system, causing:
1. Increased maintenance costs due to dust buildup.
2. Reduced HVAC efficiency, as clogged ducts and coils make it harder for systems to maintain airflow.
3. Premature system wear, potentially leading to costly repairs or replacements.
These hidden costs reinforce the importance of quality in air filters, highlighting why transparency in specs like those promoted by Title 20 is crucial for both consumers and manufacturers.
How Woosh Approaches Filters
At Woosh, we’ve reimagined air filter design to address the inefficiencies of traditional disposable filters. By combining innovative materials, cutting-edge technology, and sustainable practices, we deliver a superior product that meets both performance and environmental goals.
Reusable Plastic Frame
Our filters feature a reusable plastic frame, which offers several advantages:
Rigidity: Provides structural strength to maintain shape under high airflow conditions.
Hydrophobic Properties: The plastic frame resists water absorption, ensuring durability in humid environments or during accidental moisture exposure.
Integrated Electronics: Each frame is equipped with sensors to monitor airflow, pressure drop, and usage, allowing for precise tracking and notifications when the filter needs replacement.
This reusable design reduces waste and adds longevity to the overall system.
Foldable, Stackable Filter Media
The filter media itself is foldable and stackable, introducing several benefits:
Sustainability: By reducing landfill waste, this approach aligns with growing demands for environmentally friendly solutions.
Lower Shipping Costs: Foldable filters can be shipped in compact packaging, reducing transportation costs by a significant margin compared to traditional bulky filters.
Efficient Storage: Stackable designs take up far less space, making them easier to store both during transit and at customer locations.
3M Filtration Technology
Woosh leverages 3M’s proprietary filtration media to deliver unmatched performance:
Low Initial Pressure Drop: Ensures optimal airflow and reduced strain on HVAC systems, improving energy efficiency.
Maximized Filter Life: When combined with Woosh’s integrated sensors, the filters are used to their full potential, providing customers with the best value for their investment.
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