Luber-Finer University Module 7

To maximize the performance of these vehicles and to fit into engine compartments that are becoming very crowded,

OEMs ARE SPECIFYING RECTANGULAR AND OVAL-SHAPED AIR FILTERS FOR THEIR ENGINES

Replacing some of the most traditional filter types:

Metal End Cap

Luber-finer LAF3551

Radial Seal

Luber-finer LAF1849

Conical

Luber-finer LAF2100

As the demand grows for advanced engine filtration, the responsibility falls on filter manufacturers to keep pace and provide the coverage today’s OEMs and fleet maintenance mangers are asking for.
Of course, just as heavy duty vehicle and air filtration technologies have evolved, the meaning of the word “coverage” has changed in the marketplace.

WHAT COVERAGE MEANS TODAY

In the heavy duty parts industry, coverage typically refers to the number of available SKUs as well as the number of applications that use those SKUs. The greater the coverage, the greater the benefit to fleets and the industry as a whole.

Coverage can also mean the number of manufacturers that are stepping up to the plate to provide parts for OEMs, fleet maintenance managers and owner/operators.

For example, in order to meet the increasing demand for advanced engine filtration, Luber-finer has introduced Finer-Flow. This new line of air filters includes four new part numbers for the previously mentioned trucks (plus others) with more parts on the way:

PART NUMBER

APPLICATION

LAF6260A	Freightliner Cascadia, Coronado
LAF6725A	Kenworth T680 & Peterbilt 579 Trucks
LAF6730A	Kenworth T680
LAF9104A	International Durastar 4400 Trucks

Other filter manufacturers have come to market with their own versions of these filter types, which brings positive results for fleets in three key areas:

PRICE

QUALITY

CHOICE

WHEN THERE’S A MONOPOLY:

A single manufacturer sets a price that may or may not fit into a fleet’s maintenance budget.

One manufacturer sets the standard for overall performance in terms of capacity, restriction and efficiency.

The dominant manufacturer doesn’t need to be customer-focused, causing service and support to suffer.

WHEN THERE’S COMPETITION:

Several manufacturers offer multiple products at multiple price points, giving fleet maintenance managers more flexibility.

Multiple manufacturers strive for the highest levels of technological innovation and engine protection.

Parts purchasers have options, so manufacturers must be completely committed to quality and customer service.

This level of competition among filter manufacturers is the driving force behind new product designs like Finer-Flow, Luber-finer’s entry into the advanced air filter category.

THE KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF

ADVANCED AIR FILTERS

New heavy duty vehicles and advanced engine technologies have motivated filter companies like
Luber-finer to ramp up their research, development and manufacturing efforts to challenge the status quo of traditional air filter design.

FOUR SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THIS DESIGN WERE DUE FOR UPDATING,

both out of necessity to meet market demands and a desire to keep pushing filtration technology forward:

SEALS

Advances in sealing materials have led to improved properties and enhanced durability that helps to resist distortion under extreme operating conditions and applications.

SHAPES

In order to achieve new engine advancements, engineers have broken out of the “strictly cylindrical” air filtration envelope that has restricted them in the past.

PLEATS

Like any other technology, this tried-and-true media construction needs to adapt and improve, especially when non-cylindrical shapes are becoming more common.

ADHESIVE

The strongest, most secure adhesives possible are necessary for maximum structural durability as well as accomplishing new, more efficient media configurations.

In each of these areas, Finer-Flow air filters not only represent a significant improvement over traditional filters, but they outperform other advanced air filters and meet or exceed OEM requirements.

What makes all of this possible?
It all starts with Precision-Pleat Technology.

Take A Journey Through A Finer-Flow Air Filter

Watch this 3-D demonstration to see how Finer-Flow with Precision-Pleat Technology takes air from the operating environment and turns it into clean air that powers heavy-duty engines.

Performance like this doesn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of Luber-finer’s long-standing tradition of creating innovative filtration technology at our U.S.-based research, development and manufacturing centers.

LUBER-FINER’S MANUFACTURING ADVANTAGE

Developing a new, revolutionary product line like Finer-Flow requires a full commitment to Luber-finer’s "Built To Do More" motto. At our Albion, Illinois Air Plant, we’ve created a dedicated work center capable of producing a rare breed of heavy duty air filter that’s made entirely in the USA.

Luber-finer’s American-made pleating machine is capable of producing tall pleat heights, exact pleat counts and curved shapes.

Rugged, high-impact plastic frame (with built-in handles on some models) withstands extreme operating conditions.

Injection mold tooling of the filter gasket and frame promotes 100% “life-of-filter” seals in the housing and at the ends of the filter element.

100% machine-controlled pleating and the robotic placement of frame-to-pack adhesive ensures consistent product quality.

The tightly packed layers of pleated filtration media are important to the performance of Finer-Flow filters,

but fleets can’t reap the benefits of that technology until the filters are installed—something Luber-finer engineers accounted for in their design.

WHY FINER-FLOW IS THE RIGHT CHOICE

FOR YOUR CUSTOMER

No two fleets are the same, and each has unique requirements when it comes to heavy duty filtration. But there are several things that all fleet maintenance managers look for in an air filter.

FINER-FLOW FITS THE BILL IN FOUR OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AREAS:

REQUIREMENTS

Finer-Flow meets or exceeds OEM requirements for the measurables that matter: capacity, restriction and efficiency.

COVERAGE

There is a Finer-Flow filter for the 4 most popular trucks that require advanced air filtration (with more on the way).

VALUE

Luber-finer’s investment in manufacturing has created a cost-competitive product that’s made in the USA.

INNOVATION

Finer-Flow is Luber-finer’s latest example of making continuous advancements in filtration technology.

The Changing Landscape of

HEAVY DUTY AIR FILTRATION