Celebrating 100 Years of Bringing clean air to life

1921  

Bill Reed founds Reed Air Filter Company and manufactures the first commercial air filter in Louisville, KY USA, the Reed Air Filter.

1924 

Akira Yamada founds Osaka Kinzoku Kogyosho Limited Partnership, the company that would later become Daikin, in Osaka; company begins production of aircraft radiator tubes and other products.

1929

Reed Air Filter Company merges with seven leading air filter manufacturers to form American Air Filter Company Inc.

1932

Introduced the Type D RotoClone, a revolutionary breakthrough in dust control.

1935

Daikin succeeds in fluorocarbon synthesis, begins mass production in 1942. – how to make this clear?

1936

American Air Filter (AAF) introduces the first high-efficiency box‐style filter.

1941-1942           

AAF expands production in Louisville, KY by opening 2 more plants.

1950 

AAF introduces fiberglass replacement filters to the residential market.

1950

Flanders Filters founded by A.R. Allan, Jr. to supply filters to the Atomic Energy Commission.

1951

Daikin begins production of packaged air conditioners.

1950s

American Air Filter expands into Canada and Europe.

1953

AAF introduces Roll‐O‐Mat^®, the first automatic self‐renewable media filter.

1954

First reverse-jet dry fabric dust collector introduced.

1961 

AAF introduces DriPak^®, the first bag‐style filter.

1963

AAF introduces VariCel^®, the first modern high‐efficiency box‐style filter.

1964

AAF introduces the AstroCel^® HEPA filter.

1964

Flanders becomes the first filtration company to also make their own HEPA media, leading to the first separator – less HEPA filter in 1968.

1965

AAF’s first gas turbine filtration installation.

1966-1968 

AAF opens plants and begins manufacturing filters in Europe, Asian headquarters established later in 1970.

1969

NASA lunar module uses AAF filters in Apollo 11 mission to moon.

1969

Flanders develops the first fluid seal for HEPA filters and later developed the first silicone-based seal in 1986.

1970 

AmerKleen line of diesel engine intake filters and housings developed.

1978

AAF introduces first V‐Bank HEPA filter.

1978

Flanders makes the first ULPA filter.

1979

Filtration systems provided for nuclear reactor accident at Three Mile Island.

1982

Daikin develops Japan’s first Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) system.

1988

AAF pioneers HEPA technology in gas turbines.

1989

AAF introduces VariCel^® II, the first high‐efficiency mini‐pleat 4″ deep filter.

1991 

Daikin establishes Daikin America, Inc.

1993

Flanders supplies HEPA filters to the International Space Station.

1996

Flanders Filters expands into the retail market.

1997

First modular expandable baghouse. – P&I

1999

AAF begins development of PTFE filters with Daikin Industries.

2000 

AAF introduces PerfectPleat^®, the first self‐supported pleated filter.

2002

AAF expands production in China.

2005

Expanded Gas-Phase product line.

2006

AAF becomes member of Daikin Group.

2009

AAF introduces MEGAcel^® I, first HEPA filter with ePTFE filtration technology.

2013

AAF introduces MEGApleat^® filter.

2014

AAF introduces VariCel^® 2+ filter with Impress^® Technology.

2015

AAF acquires and opens a network of service operations and warehouses across the US.

2016

AAF merges with Flanders to form AAF Flanders in U.S.

2016-2020

AAF introduces software and technology packages such as TCO Diagnostic^® , Sensor360^®, and VisionAir™  Clean – check on all technologies

2016

AAF opens Clean Air Innovation & Research Center in Jeffersonville, IN.

2016

AAF introduces REDClean Media^®, the advanced filtration technology product range that optimizes dust collector’s performance

2016

AAF Acquires Dinair Group AB to form one of the strongest networks within Europe’s filtration industry

2017

AAF introduces N-hance^® the world’s first E12 high velocity filter for gas turbines offshore

2017

AAF acquires RIS Facility Management GmbH, a leading provider of Indoor Air Quality services in Germany

2019

AAF expands its dust collection portfolio by launching new Plug&Play filtration units to meet the needs of different key industrial markets

2020

AAF develops study at CAC that demonstrates AAF filters are effective against coronavirus surrogate viruses.