MERV 8 Filter Removes Bacteria, Airborne
Particulate; Provides Exceptional Value for
FDA Facilities with High Sanitation Standards

Background:

Food Safety is the #1 concern among the 395 respondents to a
recent annual survey of food processors.   Food-borne illness is
back in the news – just as new rules on reporting contamination,
contained in the FDAAA (FDA Amendments Act) of 2007 have
gone into effect. 

Camfil-Farr, a world leader in filtration products for food
and beverage processors, pharmaceutical manufacturers and
other FDA facilities, has introduced the first true MERV 8*
(ASHRAE 52.2-2007) “30/30” air filter.

The 30/30® is a pleated panel filter engineered to remove bacteria
and airborne particulate.  It was designed to deliver the greatest
overall value in facilities with high sanitation standards and high
rates of air changeover.  The 30/30 is ideal as the first phase of
filtration in large AHUs, and is an excellent pre-filter for laboratories,
quality inspection and other areas where HEPAs or other higher
efficiency filters are required.  It provides a significant performance
upgrade from traditional MERV 8 filters. 

The 30/30 MERV 8 has very low initial resistance, and low
maintained resistance, to airflow, and the lowest average
pressure drop of any MERV 8 filter.  This translates immediately
into energy savings that are measurable, and significant.

The MERV 8 30/30 filter is distinctive in having earned five stars
on the ECI (Energy Cost Index+) - the best-possible performance
ranking.  The Camfil Farr MERV 8 30/30 has a distinctive design
that provides full use of the media for significantly greater capacity
than conventional MERV 8 filters.  This means a longer service life,
and less-frequent change-outs.  

The 30/30 has proved highly effective as a system’s final filter for
a broad range of recirculation applications, including bulk powder
dispensing rooms, many manufacturing areas, animal labs, and
packaging areas.  It is an exceptional pre-filter for sterile
manufacturing and other areas that use HEPA or ULPA filters.    

The media for the 30/30 filter is all-mechanical, rather than
electrostatic, and maintains consistent, high removal efficiency
throughout the filter’s life.  In contrast, other MERV 8s are made
with electrostatically charged media, whose efficiency plummets
as dust loads.  (Buyers of electrostatic media filters are advised to
obtain the “discharged MERV” rating, in order to determine the
actual, in-service performance level of the product, to make
valid comparisons.)

The Camfil Farr Performance Guarantee Program guarantees that
the 30/30 will maintain its efficiency over time, and will last longer
than any pleated panel filter.  The radial media pleats on the 30/30
are secured by a welded wire grid, spot-welded on one-inch centers. 
The grid is treated for extended corrosion protection and is bonded
to the media to prevent oscillation. 

The 30/30 also has very high structural integrity. A high wet strength beverage board frame creates a stable, non-yielding media pack. The
media pack is bonded to the frame, and diagonal support members
are bonded to each pleat to enhance rigidity through bridge-style
engineering.  Filter bypass is virtually eliminated. The MERV 8 30/30
is guaranteed to 2.0” w.g. without media pack failure.  It is well-suited
to the higher filter face velocities common in food processing.

The MERV 8 30/30 is a UL Class 2 or 1 filter, and is available in 2”
and 4” configurations.  Its unique combination of performance,
energy savings and applications flexibility makes it an excellent tool
for protecting product, and product packaging materials, from
contamination by sources inside and near the facility, (including
workers and air-blowing equipment) and from airborne bioaerosols
that can accelerate spoilage or otherwise compromise product shelf life.
The 30/30 also enhances the health and productivity of workers, by
capturing a vast range of mold-carrying particles and allergens.

* MERV, Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, is a number from 1 to 16 that is
relative to an air filter’s efficiency, according to a universal filtration standard. 
The higher the MERV, the more efficient the air filter is at removing particles.