Projected to grow at a CAGR of almost 6% from 2016 to 2024, industrial air filtration market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period owing to growing environmental concerns and rapid urbanization. Environmental regulations regarding air emissions are complementing the market growth over the next few years. Introduction of various occupational health and safety regulations in various industries are to have a positive impact on the industry. Presence of fumes, dust and vapor in the metal processing industry needs an efficient filtering solution to protect employees, improve manufacturing quality and to comply with emission standards.
Enhanced technology has come up in recent years to improve performance and quality of air filters, while at same time reduce energy consumption without compromising with the filtration requirements is to drive the demand over the forecast period. The areas where enhancement has been pursued are reduction in pressure drop and elimination of biological contaminants in the filter media. Introduction of improved raw materials like small fibers along with enhancement in non-woven technology also anticipated to drive the market demand. Legislative initiatives on account of increasing GHG emissions and climate change require enhancement in media technology and filter design which in turn offers avenues for the market growth over the forecast period.
Industrial air filtration requires high initial capital investment for its operations which is to hamper the market growth over next eight years. Though coal is expected to be the major source of power generation in the next five years, renewable and alternate sources for power generation are gaining importance. Some of these power sources have no emissions which can challenge the growth of these filters in coming years. R&D initiatives in this industry to innovate in the field of small fibers and nanotechnology provide for opportunities in this market.
Industrial air filtration market can be bifurcated on the basis of product and application. On the basis of product, market can be divided into dust collectors, cartridge collectors & filters, mist collectors, HEPA filters and ULPA filters, and baghouse filters. It can also include air filtration systems for gas turbines, PTFE membrane-based products, air filtration systems for gas turbines, and specialized air and gas filtration systems for applications, including computer hard disk drives and semi-conductor manufacturing. HEPA filters are anticipated to witness significant growth over the forecast period. These filters can eliminate droplets, small micron sized particles using advanced particle attraction and diffusion technology. Baghouse filters are expected to grow in the next eight years on account of growth in cement, mining industry and coal-fired plants.
On the basis of application, the market can be divided into cement, metal, food, power and pharmaceutical industries. The power sector dominated the market in the recent past. Increasing implementation of these filters in nuclear installations such as power generation units, nuclear energy research facilities, fuel processing installations and waste management is expected to have a positive impact on the market. The food sector is expected to witness a significant growth over the forecast period. Manufacturers in food industry emphasize on providing high-quality filtered air owing to strict rules and regulations pertaining to food hygiene and safety.
Key players involved in this industry are Clarcor Inc., Donaldson Company, Cummins Filtration, Pall Corporation, Freudenberg Group, SPX, Flanders Corp., AAF, Air Filter Industries Pvt. Ltd., Air Flow Systems Inc., Air Filtration Inc. and Camfil.
In May 2016, Clarcor Industrial Air Supply launched enhanced gas turbine filtration solutions called PRO (Predictable Reliable Output) System that provides all the benefits of HEPA filters with no cost of maintenance involved in it. It is designed in various geometries such as pocket, cartridge, vCell, panel filters in new as well as existing installations.
