American Air Filter International

American Air Filter uses APS to power a data-driven design tool that helps customers reach sustainability and cost goals.

Manufacturing

2021 will mark the 100th year since American Air Filter (AAF) was founded. The applications and product range has grown beyond simply supplying filters for heating and cooling applications. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, AAF is often called upon by its customers to design, develop, and create solutions for critical “high-purity” filtration applications utilized in industries such as the life science, health care & microelectronic market segments. Customers look to AAF to help them achieve compliance with a multitude of international standards, reach sustainability goals, as well as partner in efforts to reduce the total cost of ownership of their air filtration and equipment systems.

AAF identified the need for a tool that would help customers achieve sustainability and compliance goals by allowing them a way to run simulations and perform calculations at the design and specification stage. AAF’s VisionAir Clean software, developed with Autodesk Platform Services, enables customers to build custom filtration systems using Revit drawings within BIM (Building Information Modeling) environments.

Challenge

In an effort to continue to grow market position, build stronger customer relationships, and increase sales, AAF wanted to offer customers a better way to design and select products and improve the sales and submittal cycle. Custom installations were taking too long to complete, and there was no effective method for demonstrating the energy savings possible with various product configurations—information that could help project owners reach sustainability goals and gain more transparency into the total cost of ownership. AAF decided that a cloud-based tool was the best solution for combining data from CAD files with the ability to conduct simulations. 

How American Air Filter solved it with Forge

AAF’s tool, VisionAir Clean (VAC), uses Autodesk Platform Services APIs, such as the BIM 360 API and Design Automation API, to empower its customers to design high-purity environments, view 3D renderings, access Revit files, and choose AAF products by simply dropping them into BIM solutions. Comparisons in energy use and costs are instantly calculated and displayed, enabling easy assessments of the total cost of ownership. VAC can also analyze side-by-side design options and assess projects to optimize design air change rates, calculate recovery times, and maximize the useful life of the filters and equipment selected.

With VAC, AAF has been able to streamline its sales process and take a more active role in helping its customers solve challenging air-filtration problems. Projects can be finalized more quickly, and VAC is helping customers reach sustainability goals and lower their costs by reducing energy consumption.

APS highlights include the following: 

  • Combining BIM and design tools into one platform.
  • Performing in-design tests and simulations, saving time.
  • Making advanced capabilities available to project stakeholders through a cloud-based solution.

"Autodesk Platform Services has made it possible to bring multiple platforms together to make one cohesive tool—reducing time to market, providing instant product information and education, and enhancing the overall customer experience.” — Sean O’Reilly, Global VP HP Sales & Innovation

APIs and Services

BIM 360 API
BIM 360 API
Design Automation API for Inventor
Design Automation API for Inventor

Autodesk Products

Inventor
Revit

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