From Metal End Caps to a Lightweight PU Design: A Custom Air Filter Development for an Unmanned Aircraft Application

See how ORGL redesigned a customer-supplied unmanned aircraft air filter with a lighter PU structure and high-efficiency composite filter media.

ENGINEERING & APPLICATIONS

ORGL Technical Team

8/6/20263 min read

Conical pleated air filter with metal end caps for an unmanned aircraft application

When a customer approached ORGL with a sample air filter for an unmanned aircraft application, the original design used a metal end-cap structure with a pleated filter element and protective support mesh.

The customer needed a filter solution that could fit the available intake interface while supporting lower component weight, reliable sealing and improved filtration performance. Instead of simply reproducing the original sample, ORGL reviewed the structure, materials and application requirements to develop a more integrated solution.

Starting Point: The Customer’s Original Sample

The customer-supplied sample used metal end caps together with a conical pleated filter element. This type of construction can provide rigidity, but it can also add weight and require several separate components during assembly.

For compact equipment and unmanned aircraft applications, every component must be evaluated carefully. A filter must provide adequate airflow and particle protection while fitting the available installation space and avoiding unnecessary mass.

Our Development Objective

Our development work focused on three practical objectives:

Reduce unnecessary component weight
Upgrade the filter media for improved filtration performance
Create a structure that supports accurate fit and reliable sealing

These requirements must be considered as a complete system. A lighter material alone is not enough, and a high-efficiency filter medium alone is not enough. The final filter design must balance filtration capability, airflow resistance, structural support and installation requirements.

From Metal Components to a Molded PU Structure

ORGL redesigned the original metal-end-cap construction using a molded polyurethane, or PU, structure.

A properly engineered PU component can reduce weight compared with a conventional metal construction while allowing the sealing area, connection profile and support features to be integrated into one molded part. This gives engineers more flexibility to match the filter interface to the customer’s intake system.

The PU design was developed to support a lighter and more integrated filter assembly. Its final geometry, hardness and material formulation should always be matched to the intended operating temperature, vibration level and installation conditions.

Lightweight conical pleated air filter with a molded PU end connection

Upgrading to High-Efficiency Composite Filter Media

The main improvement in filtration performance came from upgrading the filter element to high-efficiency composite filter media.

Composite media can combine different fiber layers or material properties within one filtration structure. This allows the filter to target a more effective balance between particle capture and airflow. If filter media is too open, fine contaminants may pass through more easily. If it is too restrictive, airflow resistance can increase.

For this project, the selected high-efficiency composite media was designed to provide stronger particle-capture capability than the media used in the original sample while maintaining suitable airflow for the application.

Filtration Performance Depends on the Complete Design

Better filtration is not created by one component alone. It depends on how the filter media, pleat design, support mesh, end-cap structure and sealing interface work together.

The high-efficiency composite filter media is responsible for improved contaminant-capture capability. The molded PU structure complements this media upgrade by helping create an integrated connection and sealing design around the filter element.

A well-designed filter should help prevent unfiltered air from bypassing the media through gaps at the connection area or perimeter. It should also maintain stable pleat spacing and support the media under the expected airflow conditions.

Lightweight Design Without Compromising Function

Weight reduction is valuable when it is achieved without sacrificing the core functions of the filter. For an unmanned aircraft application, the target is not simply to make the filter lighter. The target is to create a component that fits correctly, supports the intake system and provides dependable filtration performance.

The redesigned filter solution combines:

A lightweight molded PU structure
High-efficiency composite filter media
A conical pleated configuration for effective media area
Protective support mesh for structural stability
Application-specific connection and sealing geometry

From Customer Sample to Custom Filter Solution

A customer sample is often the starting point, not the final answer. For this unmanned aircraft air-filter project, ORGL reviewed the original structure and developed a lighter PU-based design with high-efficiency composite filter media.

Before production approval, the filter should be evaluated against the customer’s requirements for dimensions, fitment, airflow resistance, filtration performance, structural stability and sealing integrity. This helps ensure that the final solution is matched to the intended intake system and operating environment.

ORGL supports OEM and ODM projects with material and structural optimization, PU molded sealing components, composite-media selection, custom interfaces, pleat and mesh development, and branding requirements.

If you have an existing filter sample, drawing or application requirement, ORGL can help evaluate the structure and develop a custom air-filter solution for your project.

Contact ORGL