1921
Our humble beginnings
In 1921, engineer and entrepreneur Bill Reed developed a filter to remove dust from the air of his automotive paint shop. His company, Reed Air Filter, laid the foundation on which AAF was built.
This same decade, Reed Air Filter merged with seven other air filter manufacturers. American Air Filter Company (AAF) was formed.
1935
First high-efficiency box filter
In 1935, AAF introduced the first high-efficiency, box-type filter. This decade began an era of innovation marked by several breakthrough products from AAF in the areas of air filtration and dust control.
Both the industrial and residential markets benefited from these innovative breakthroughs by increasing the quality of the indoor air. This led to the opening of two new AAF plants over the next decade to meet growing demand.
1946
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission service
In the year after World War II, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission was established by the American government. One of its initiatives was the development of innovative HEPA filters.
The Commission contracted New York cabinetmaker A.R. Allan, Jr. to make wooden frames to hold the filters. By 1950, his company, Flanders Filters, was making the filters as well. Flanders Filters became known for many of the world’s major innovations in HEPA filtration. AAF and Flanders merged in 2016.
1953
First automatic, self-renewable media filter
In the 1950s, AAF invented the Roll-O-Mat®, the first automatic, self-renewable media filter. This system is still widely used to this day. Other AAF innovations of the 1950s include the first reverse-jet, dry-fabric dust collector.
AAF became an international company, adding locations in Canada and Europe.
1961
Apollo 11 Lunar Module
1969
When NASA launched the Apollo 11 mission, AAF filters helped ensure the spacecraft didn’t accidentally deposit Earth-based contaminants on the moon. This remains one of our crowning achievements.
Our filters are still in space. Today, AAF supplies HEPA filters to the International Space Station.
1978
First ULPA filter
Flanders introduced the first ULPA (Ultra-Low Particulate Air) filter. These innovative filters remove a higher percentage of small particles than standard HEPA filters, 99.999% or more of particles sized 0.12 microns.
Other AAF developments of the decade include the V-Bank HEPA filter, introduced in 1978.
