AAF International unveiled the BioShield VXL High Flow, a 12-inch, high airflow V-bank filter designed to deliver MERV 16 filtration efficiency at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 21.
The growing prevalence and evolving mutations of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) have been a hot topic at the Leman conference, says Rob Langenhorst, animal science segment manager at AAF International. Ventilation air filtration systems for swine facilities have been shown to reduce disease outbreaks attributed to airborne disease transmission.
“Historically, it has been a challenge for barns to have high air flow while keeping out even the most microscopic airborne diseases,” he says. “This MERV 16 media filter has more airflow than we have seen in other comparable MERV 16 filters out there. The higher rating means it can capture more virus particles and protect farms better.”
The second product in AAF International’s new dedicated Animal Science Filtration product line, the BioShield VXL High Flow is a great fit for new barn construction and retrofit applications in swine operations. The advanced design and media selection of BioShield VXL High Flow provide an exceptionally low pressure drop compared to standard MERV 16 V Bank filters – leading to 15% higher airflow, while maintaining the high-efficiency filtration required to help protect barns from airborne disease transmission, Langenhorst says.
The media originated and was tested across multiple industries in Europe before being manufactured in the U.S. and tested for swine operations.
“It gives pork producers an option to improve their facilities by adding another protection layer,” Langenhorst says. “The PRRS virus strains are mutating and more devastating than ever. It’s not the same virus as we were dealing with 10 years ago. This filter gives producers something else to protect pigs. It’s a win for producers.”
New Construction and Retrofit
When designing new animal housing facilities, the BioShield VXL High Flow helps engineers achieve required ventilation rates with lower system resistance. Not only can this reduce the overall size and complexity of the ventilation system, but it also allows for fewer filters in the filtration bank, a smaller filtration footprint, and reduced fan power requirements.
The BioShield VXL High Flow allows owners to easily upgrade to gain high-level filtration efficiency without sacrificing airflow within their existing systems. The high airflow design reduces system resistance and allows existing ventilation systems to move more air through the barn.
BioShield VXL High Flow is rated at 984 CFM at 0.15 inches water gauge with 200 square feet of media area and meets ASHRAE Standard 52.2 MERV 16/16A.
“It is less expensive per CFM than the old standard MERV 16 filters,” he says. “It also has a lower pressure drop, even compared to the MERV 15 filters. Lower pressure drops means my fans are working less and I’m saving energy.”
The filters are also fully incinerable and significantly lighter and easier to handle than traditional 12-inch-deep box-style ASHRAE and HEPA-grade filters with metal cell sides, reducing transportation costs and installation effort.
“From a biosecurity standpoint, it’s nice for producers to have the incineration option in case they don’t want to move the filters off farm,” Langenhorst says.
Learn more at BioShield VXL High Flow.
Read More:
How Hord Family Farms Fought Back Against PRRS With Filtration
5 Rules for Making Barn Air Filtration Work on Your Farm
