Frequently Asked Questions

1. What makes UAF different from other filter manufacturers?
2. What are EMI filters, and why are they important?
3. Can UAF filters withstand harsh environments?
4. Does UAF offer standard and replacement filters?
5. How fast can UAF deliver prototypes?
6. Does UAF offer maintenance programs?
7. Do UAF filters comply with MIL-STD, NEBS, or IEC standards?
8. Can UAF provide documentation or test reports for compliance?
9. Are UAF filters UL 94, RoHS, or REACH certified?
10. How does UAF ensure filters meet EMC/EMI compliance for critical equipment?
11. What IP ratings can UAF filters achieve?
12. Do UAF filters provide protection against dust, water, or salt fog?
13. Can UAF design filters to meet NEMA or IP65/IP67 requirements?
14. What environmental conditions can UAF filters withstand?
15. Can UAF design a filter to fit any shape or enclosure?
16. How fast can UAF prototype a custom design?
17. Can UAF integrate accessories like gaskets, EMI shielding, or cable pass-throughs features?
18. Do customers need to provide CAD files, or can UAF work from concepts/drawings?
19. How often should UAF filters be replaced or serviced?
20. Can UAF create a filter maintenance program for my equipment?
21. What happens if my equipment design changes — can UAF adapt the filter quickly?
22. What is UAF’s typical lead time for custom and replacement filters?
23. Does UAF support global supply and logistics for OEM programs?
24. Can UAF provide localized inventory or stocking programs for high-volume customers?
25. Does UAF offer engineering support during design and testing phases?
26. Do clogged filters cause an increase in power consumption?
27. Are Universal Air Filter products RoHS Compliant?
28. What features in addition to air filtration can I receive if I consult on a filter design with Universal Air Filter?
29. Do you have experience designing to industry standards like NEBS or specific IP classifications, for example?
30. How can air filter effects on overall system pressure drop be predicted?
31. What is the shelf life of foam and what is the recommended method of storage?
32. Does Universal Air Filter make HEPA or other High Efficiency air filters?
33. What are framed air filters assembly and pad air filter manufacturing tolerances?
34. How do I find the part numbers on my UAF air filter?
35. Does UAF offer cleanable or reusable filter options?

1. What makes UAF different from other filter manufacturers?

Unlike catalog-only suppliers, UAF designs custom air and EMI filters to meet customer  specifications — any size, shape, or material. We specialize in tailoring filters for mission-critical equipment across defense, telecom, EV charging, medical, and industrial applications..

2. What are EMI filters, and why are they important?

EMI filters block electromagnetic interference (EMI) that can disrupt sensitive electronics. UAF’s EMI filters are engineered to meet EMC standards like IEEE 299 (MIL-STD-461 and IEC 61000), ensuring compliance and protecting critical systems. Learn more about EMI shielding for sensitive and mission-critical electronics.

3. Can UAF filters withstand harsh environments?

Yes. UAF offers rugged filters that protect against dust, bugs, water ingress, salt fog, EMI, and extreme temperatures. These solutions are trusted in military, outdoor telecom, and transportation applications where reliability is non-negotiable.

4. Does UAF offer standard and replacement filters?

Yes. In addition to custom solutions, UAF supplies replacement OEM filters for telecom and industrial equipment, ensuring consistent fit and performance. For replacement OEM filters, find and purchase your filter here , can’t find what you are looking for, request a quote for replacement filters here

5. How fast can UAF deliver prototypes?

UAF provides quick-turn prototyping, with custom filter samples typically available in 7-10 business days. This helps engineers accelerate testing and validation cycles.

6. Does UAF offer maintenance programs?

Yes. UAF provides filter maintenance and replacement programs designed to help customers extend the life of their equipment and avoid costly downtime. These programs include regular filter inspections, scheduled replacements, full service replacement services, and site surveys. By working with UAF, customers ensure their air and EMI filters perform at peak efficiency throughout the product lifecycle. See more details about our maintenance program.

7. Do UAF filters comply with MIL-STD, NEBS, or IEC standards?

Yes. UAF designs filters to meet or exceed compliance requirements including MIL-STD-461 for EMI control, NEBS GR63 and GR-487 for telecom equipment, and IEC/EN 61000 standards. Each solution is engineered to align with the regulatory needs of its intended application.

8. Can UAF provide documentation or test reports for compliance?

Yes. UAF can provide test data, compliance reports, and certifications upon request to support your design validation, quality assurance, and regulatory documentation needs.

9. Are UAF filters UL 94, RoHS, or REACH certified?

Many UAF filters use materials rated UL 94 for flammability, and our products are designed with RoHS and REACH-compliant materials. Certifications can be supplied for specific filter builds.  UAF’s UL-94 HF-1 compliant Quadrafoam® media has been trusted for decades in the Telecom industry as the go-to filter media.

10. How does UAF ensure filters meet EMC/EMI compliance for critical equipment?

UAF FaraVent EMI filters are engineered using tested conductive media and frames that block radiated and conducted EMI. UAF’s FaraVent® media has been tested up to 40ghz.

11. What IP ratings can UAF filters achieve?

UAF designs filters to meet a wide range of ingress protection (IP) levels, from dust-only protection (IP5X) to dust + water-resistant ratings (up to IP65), depending on customer requirements.

12. Do UAF filters provide protection against dust, water, or salt fog?

Yes. UAF offers multi-environment filters engineered for dust, rain, salt fog, and other harsh conditions—common in telecom, military, and transportation applications.

13. Can UAF design filters to meet NEMA or IP65/IP67 requirements?

Yes. Our engineering team regularly designs filters that meet NEMA enclosure standards and IP-rated protection up to IP65, ensuring performance in rugged outdoor environments.

14. What environmental conditions can UAF filters withstand?

UAF filters can be built to handle elevated heat, humidity, vibration, and corrosive environments by tailoring frame materials, coatings, and media to the application.

15. Can UAF design a filter to fit any shape or enclosure?

Yes. UAF specializes in custom geometries—from curved housings to asymmetrical enclosures. We design filters to fit the equipment, not the other way around.

16. How fast can UAF prototype a custom design?

UAF offers quick-turn prototyping, with many custom prototypes produced in 7-10 business days to accelerate engineering validation and field testing.

17. Can UAF integrate accessories like gaskets, EMI shielding, or cable pass-throughs features?

Yes. UAF integrates gaskets, pull-tabs, handles, brackets, EMI shielding layers, and cable management features to match customer needs.

18. Do customers need to provide CAD files, or can UAF work from concepts/drawings?

Both. UAF can build from customer CAD models or collaborate using concept sketches and dimensional data to engineer a solution.

19. How often should UAF filters be replaced or serviced?

Replacement depends on the environment and duty cycle, but UAF offers cleanable and reusable filter options that extend service life and reduce replacement frequency.  The standard rule of thumb in the telecom industry is to inspect/replace every 6 months.

20. Can UAF create a filter maintenance program for my equipment?

Yes. UAF offers filter maintenance programs that include site surveys, custom kitting, and full service changeouts to minimize downtime, adhere to OEM maintenance guidelines, and reduce power consumption caused by clogged filters.

21. What happens if my equipment design changes — can UAF adapt the filter quickly?

Yes, with flexible prototyping and material sourcing, UAF can adapt existing filter designs quickly to accommodate design changes.

22. What is UAF’s typical lead time for custom and replacement filters?

Standard replacement filters often ship quickly from stock, while non-stock custom filters typically have lead times of 4–6 weeks, depending on complexity. Prototypes are typically available in 7-10 business days.

23. Does UAF support global supply and logistics for OEM programs?

Yes. UAF supports global customers with scalable supply programs, logistics support, and strategic stocking agreements for high-volume OEMs.

24. Can UAF provide localized inventory or stocking programs for high-volume customers?

Yes. UAF offers stocking and replenishment programs to support OEM production schedules and aftermarket service needs.

25. Does UAF offer engineering support during design and testing phases?

Absolutely. UAF’s team of application engineers partner with customers from concept to production, ensuring the filter design meets all customer performance, compliance, and manufacturability requirements.

26. Do clogged filters cause an increase in power consumption?

Yes, UAF has performed a study to determine power consumption based on filter condition.  You can calculate the impact of filter condition on power consumption for your telecom equipment.  With the rising cost of electricity, routine filter maintenance is more important now than ever.

27. Are Universal Air Filter products RoHS Compliant?

All Universal Air Filter products – Quadrafoam™, Unifoam, Polyester, Windowpane, Flexframe, and Dual EMI – are RoHS Compliant with the EU Directives for banned substances. Whether a framed air filter assembly, or media only pad, all air filter products are RoHS Compliant. Framed filter assemblies containing special metal finishes are treated with a RoHS Compliant or chrome-free, chemical conversion coating. All Telcordia NEBS, UL 94 HF-1 flame resistant media for telecom and datacom applications are RoHS Compliant. Medical air filters, military communications air filters, and power-gen air filters are also RoHS Compliant. Click here to view our RoHS compliance document. 

28. What features in addition to air filtration can I receive if I consult on a filter design with Universal Air Filter?

Air-Diffusion – Proper thermal management should also consider air-straightening capabilities of the air filter to ensure sufficient cooling. Many ventilation systems generate turbulent flow at the inlet when air rapidly enters the enclosure while being sliced by fan blades, then is forced to turn sharp corners. This turbulence creates noise, slows the airflow before exiting, and reduces the effective cooling. Hence, the goal for the OEM designer is to select an air filter that both captures particulates and produces adequate laminar airflow. Distribution of laminar airflow is critical. Laminar airflow insures that each card receives the same amount of air at the proper velocity. Otherwise, components may fail prematurely due to heat build-up. Designers previously had to use expensive perforated metal or aluminum honeycomb to get the air in the right place. Universal Air Filter Company can readily eliminate the need for a separate, expensive air-straightener. Air straightening decreases the vortices and input power, increases downstream velocity, and maintains velocity over greater distances. This prevents large vortices from forming and distributes the pressure drop more uniformly across the chassis. The air filter media itself plays a major role in keeping airflow laminar.


 

EMI Shielding – Potentially disruptive EMI/RFI noise can be a problem with enclosures where forced air cooling is used in the equipment’s thermal management plan. To protect against EMI/RFI noise, honeycomb or perforated metal panels were commonly specified separately and permanently mounted to shield moderate levels of EMI emissions. Universal provides air filtration and EMI shielding in a single, low-cost assembly that is compact and removable. The Dual EMI Honeycomb air filter integrates the honeycomb EMI shield into the air filter assembly. The honeycomb structure consists of “cells” that are engineered to trap and absorb EMI noise while maintaining 95% to 99% open area for minimal airflow impedance. Because Dual EMI Honeycomb air filters are removable, the air filter and shield are easily cleaned and reinstalled in the device as required. Dual EMI Honeycomb air filters meet the stringent filtration performance and flammability requirements of CE and UL. They deliver more than 60dB attenuation over a frequency range of 10 kHz to 1 40 GHz. A gasket installed around the frame assures conductivity of the frame to the enclosure, and the honeycomb structure reflects and absorbs EMI. 

29. Do you have experience designing to industry standards like NEBS or specific IP classifications, for example?

Full Compliance with Industry Standards & Classifications – Universal Air Filter Company is capable of meeting primary standards and classifications that OEM designers should look for when specifying air filters. Universal products are:
• Telcordia NEBS certified
• UL 94 recognized
• UL 900 Classified
• CE certified

30. How can air filter effects on overall system pressure drop be predicted?

Thermal analysis software is available for thermal / mechanical designers to simulate and predict cooling requirements. The thermal software packages, configured with component thermal libraries, enable users to predict pressure drop through air filter elements quickly and accurately. Universal Air Filter has provided filtration performance data to thermal analysis software suppliers, including Flotherm, Icepak, Macroflow and Coolit, so that filter thermal libraries could be incorporated in their software. Thermal libraries can now be used early in the design process to enhance the accuracy of the thermal analysis. </p

The trend towards smaller chassis and higher wattage has increased the demand for more data. Thermal modeling software packages are capable of factoring in the effect an air filter has on system pressure drop. Upon request, Universal can provide filter pressure drop and filtration performance data. </p

Air filter initial resistance and dust loading data can be a valuable resource in determining air filter performance and reliability. It can be to the OEM designer’s advantage to specify Universal air filters to satisfy a broad range of electronics and industrial application

31. What is the shelf life of foam and what is the recommended method of storage?

Since air filter foam can be subjected to a variety of environments beyond our control, Universal does not publish a life expectancy. “Shelf life” is not typically used to describe longevity because it is a relative term. 

The ideal storage condition for polyurethane foam is a cool, dry, dark environment. Conditions that adversely affect the media are high temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet light. Foam media also degrades when exposed to solvents and sulfates, such as engine exhaust. Reduced foam life depends upon the degree of difference from the ideal conditions the foam is stored. 

Customer feedback indicates that controlling relative humidity between 30% – 70% and temperature between 40F-85F yields an acceptable environment. Covering the filters with dark plastic will keep media dry and protected from ultraviolet light. 

We do not recommend storing foam filters for several months or years at a time. Instead, purchase cost-effective quantities and keep adequate inventory for no more than a few months. 

32. Does Universal Air Filter make HEPA or other High Efficiency air filters?

UAF does manufacture custom High Efficiency air filters using a pleated synthetic media in MERV 11 and 15 efficiencies.  UAF’s OSP (Outside Plant Filter) is capable of near HEPA grade efficiencies up to 99.95%, and UAF can partner with other Filtration Group companies to supply custom HEPA and ULPA air filters.

33. What are framed air filters assembly and pad air filter manufacturing tolerances?

• Roll-Channel Framed Filters +/-.06″ length & width, +/-.03″ thickness 
• Windowpane and Flex Framed Filters +/-.030″ length & width, +/-.015″ thickness 
• Pad Filters +/- 1% length & width (0.06″ minimum), +/- 10% thickness (0.03″ minimum)

34. How do I find the part numbers on my UAF air filter?

Universal Air Filter parts have contact info, UL listing, air flow, and model number all marked on your air filter. Watch the video to help find out how you can differentiate between all these markings. Watch Video

35. Does UAF offer cleanable or reusable filter options?

There are four easy ways to clean UAF’s Windowpane, Quadrafoam, and Uni-Foam Air Filters:

• Vacuum Clean – A few passes of a vacuum cleaner will remove accumulated dust and dirt in seconds.
• Blow with Low Pressure Compressed Air – Point compressed air nozzle in opposite direction of operating air flow (blow from exhaust side toward intake side).
• Cold Water Rinse – Under normal conditions the foam media used in Universal’s WINDOWPANE, QUADRAFOAM and UNI-FOAM filters require no oily adhesives. Collected dirt is washed away quickly and easily using just a standard hose nozzle with plain water.  Let filter stand until completely dry and free of moisture, and return to service.
• Immersion in Warm, Soapy Water – Where stubborn air-borne dirt is present, the filter may be dipped in a solution of warm water and mild detergent. Then simply rinse in clear water, let stand until completely dry and free of moisture, and return to service.

Watch video