Freudenberg Filtration Technologies launched the first cabin air filters on the market almost exactly 35 years ago. This was unique in the fact that there was neither a market for this filter nor had automotive manufacturers expressed any demand for it. The only thing that did exist was the conviction that vehicle occupants would benefit from such an innovation. This courage was rewarded. A vehicle without a cabin air filter quickly became almost inconceivable.
Such filters are now standard in almost every car produced. This will to innovate and anticipate market trends and opportunities can be traced back to Carl Johann Freudenberg, who founded the company Freudenberg in 1849 – as a tannery.
175 years later, the Freudenberg Group’s products and services can be found in around 40 market segments and thousands of solutions. Today, more than 50,000 employees contribute to this success.
The lacquer coating led to high demand and helped the tannery quickly grow. With the introduction of chrome tanning at the beginning of the 20th century, Freudenberg became the largest leather manufacturer in Europe. Freudenberg leather was highly sought after in sectors ranging from shoe and clothing production to furniture upholstery, as well as for use as gaskets and belts for machines in industrial applications.
When leather became scarce due to import restrictions during the 1930s, a number of different leather alternatives were developed for use as gaskets, for example.
One of Carl Johann Freudenberg’s guiding principles underpinned these events: the world is constantly changing, and change should be seized as an opportunity. This principle was the basis for Freudenberg’s consistent innovation and growth.
In 1957, Freudenberg presented its first filtration solution. Viledon filter mats ensured air purity in car paint shops, significantly improving the quality of the finish. An open innovation culture and joint ventures, such as that with the Japan Vilene Company, ensured constant further developments in the field. The first pocket filter was produced in the mid-1970s. There followed a period of rapid and sustained growth in the range of products, expertise, and markets.
The search for innovative solutions opened up a completely new application area. The first cabin air filter — the initial subject of this article — was produced in 1989. It was first installed on the cult roadster the Mercedes-Benz SL. In 1991, the Opel Astra became the first car for the mass market to have a cabin air filter as standard. This created an entirely new industry branch. As the pioneer of this technology, Freudenberg continued to develop the filter, ensuring greater safety and comfort in the car interior. The micronAir combi filter, which was introduced in 1996, filtered contaminant gases and unpleasant odors with its activated carbon layer, while the micronAir proTect line filtered allergens using a functional layer.
As well as products for industrial applications and for the automotive sector, Freudenberg developed new filtration solutions for consumer products, such as vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, and water purifiers. The group also added multi-stage filter concepts for air conditioning and ventilation systems to its portfolio. In 2021, Freudenberg acquired two companies and entered the market for air filters in residential buildings in the USA.
Freudenberg Filtration Technologies is expanding what it offers to extend beyond just product innovation. The company provides services as well as hardware and software solutions that allow users to monitor air quality, control an efficient maintenance management system via app, and optimize multi-stage filter concepts based on individual factors.
Each new development is based on a simple but essential principle: innovation is only possible together. This is the reason we involve customers and partners, who have individual requirements. Innovations succeed when they solve the problems that customers encounter every day. Freudenberg’s guiding principle, INNOVATING TOGETHER, expresses this and underlines that the group has remained true to this idea since its foundation 175 years ago.
However, the future looks, Freudenberg will seize the opportunities it presents and develop new innovative solutions to make processes more efficient and improve quality of life.
Image source: i.a. Freudenberg & Co. KG, Unternehmensarchiv
