Fast flowing success Mann+Hummel

FAST FLOWING SUCCESS

Mann+Hummel is a global leader in filtration solutions and a major development partner in the international automotive and mechanical engineering industries. The company continues to invest broadly in new technology and R&D, which has resulted in a substantial expansion of its product portfolio. Philip Yorke reports on the company’s latest innovative new products and its record year for sales.

Mann+Hummel was founded in 1941 near Stuttgart, Germany by Adolf Mann and Dr Enrich Hummel. The company has developed a number of ground-breaking products including cyclone air filtration technology, textile and felt filters, strainer disc filters and main-flow oil centrifuges.

The company’s strategy to combine synergistic acquisitions with the development of innovative new products continues to ensure a positive future. Today Mann+Hummel is a truly global player with over 20,000 employees and an annual turnover of more than €3.5 billion.

Innovation driving growth

In the financial year 2016, Mann+Hummel increased its sales revenues by over 14 per cent to €3.5 billion and the company has made some strategic decisions to ensure its profitable growth in the future. This involves a sharp focus on filtration, its core expertise, which is important in order to achieve clean air and pure water throughout the world. “Today we already develop and produce cutting-edge technology for people’s health and mobility. Tomorrow we will grow more and more profitable with filtration applications in areas which are outside the automotive sector,” explained CEO Alfred Weber as he presented the company’s latest figures. “The automotive and mechanical engineering sectors are currently in a period of transition. The same is true of our business model. The drivers here are alternative transport solutions, digitalisation and the growing importance of sustainability. The opportunities to participate in the development of mobility and the industries of the future have seldom been as interesting as they are today,” he added.

In 2016 the group invested more than €125 million in R&D and for the sixth consecutive year is listed by the German Patent and Trademark Office as being in the top 50 most active companies for the filing of new patent applications.

New technology centre

The Czech Republic was the country selected for the building of a new state-of-the-art technology centre by Mann+Hummel. The new building is to focus on the development of new automotive filtration technology and is the company’s first such facility in central and eastern Europe. The development centre is located in Brno and is the sixth facility of its kind in Europe and the eleventh in the world.

RORA MOTION recognised as a leading innovator

RoRA moTIoN – among the key suppliers of mANN+Hummel - is one of the leading innovators in the Sme sector. The Bad Reichenhall-based company was granted the Top 100 award, now in its 24th year, by Ranga Yogeshwar, Professor Nikolaus Franke and compamedia. Since 1993, compamedia has been awarding the Top 100 seal of approval to Smes with a particular ability to innovate and above-average success rates for innovations. This is the second time in succession that RoRA moTIoN has joined this elite group. The independent panel of judges praised the company’s climate of innovation and its adoption of open innovation principles.

It was established as a result of the need to enhance the technical background of the manufacturing plant in the Czech Republic and to generally increase Mann+Hummel’s development capacity. The centre employs specialists that design and develop automotive filtration technologies using existing CAD/CAE techniques.

The development centre also collaborates closely with university students who are taking degrees in technical fields. In addition, the Brno office is working in close cooperation on research projects with the academic and research programme of its local Technical University.

New ‘spin-on’ separator at Hannover

At this year’s Hannover trade show, Mann+Hummel presented its latest star product, the StarBox2. The new spin-on separator covers a wide range of volume flow rates and therefore offers considerable advantages for compressors with variable drive ratios. Designers have two application options: the separator can be used energy efficiently with low-pressure drop, or used for high compression and performance applications with significantly higher flow rates.

This new separator was developed for use with both mobile and stationary compressors with an output up to 55kW. StarBox2 covers the FAD range of 1.5 to 6.5m3/min and can therefore be used in a wider performance range than conventional spin-on separators.

The separator’s highly efficient flow design and new sealing concept reduces flow loss and therefore also the drive-energy required by the compressor. This in turn reduces the energy costs, which account for approximately 75 per cent of the total costs of running a compressor.

Furthermore, the company has developed a new Wavelock spinon filter system for oil and fuels as original equipment for compressors and combustion engines.

Another three new products have also been showcased at Hannover this year at the ConVac trade fair in April. The three new advanced air cleaners for vacuum pumps and compressors are the Iqoron VP25, the Entaron CD4 and the Enteron HD 4Vac.

The Iqoron VP25 is the product of choice for compressors with a volume flow-rate of 25 M3/Min and is available as a single stage air cleaner for application conditions with low dust levels, or as a two-stage air cleaner for locations that are prone to high dust levels. Its flat and compact design and innovative Variopleat filter element make it an ideal solution where installation space is tight.

For the first time Mann+Hummel will present two new products from its Enteron family. The Enteron CD4 is a single stage air cleaner for use with stationary compressors. It is differentiated by its direct suction technology and low pressure drop. The Enteron HD 4Vac variation is a superior two-stage air cleaner for vacuum pumps and is the successor to the Europiclon 200 Vacuum. n

For further details of Mann+Hummel’s innovative products and services visit: www.mann-hummel.com