Waterloo Filtration Institute Unveils 2023 Products of the Year

Waterloo Filtration Institute proudly revealed the winners of its prestigious Product of the Year Awards during the WFI 2023 Annual Virtual Conference, December 5-6, 2023 (WFI 2023), centered around the theme "Filtration and its Influence on the Future of our Planet." This Year's Product of the Year Award had an overwhelming number of nominees, with over 30 innovative products from 10 different countries. We would like to recognize all of our participants for their substantial effort and commitment to continuous innovation. The Product of the Year committee carefully evaluated each of the nominated products based on some key criteria, such as Innovation, Performance, Economy, and Sustainability, resulting in the recognition of the following top three products for the 2023 Product of the Year Awards in each of the three categories below.

Product of the Year – Filter Element: TurboPulse

• Recipient: Camfil, Canada

• Description: TurboPulse, a Gas Turbine Air Inlet filter, employs patented "TurboVanes" and a unique "squared" shape, resulting in up to 15% lower initial resistance and 30% greater pulse recovery. Designed for the Power Generation segment, it serves as a critical "bridge technology" toward a cleaner energy future.

Mr. Frank Seales, Product Development Specialist of Camfil Power Systems in Canada, accepted the award. He said: “There were lots of great products up for nomination this year, and we are honored to accept this award for a product that we are proud of. A product that we believe is a necessary leap forward in pulse filter technology. TurboPulse has been designed with an open mind for the innovative application of modern manufacturing processes and aerodynamic understandings that result in a filter that excels in performance by almost any metric. This innovative approach is the cornerstone of our design philosophy here and we look forward to the next challenge.”

Product of the Year – Filter Media: Molymem-NOM

• Recipient: Molymem, Ltd., United Kingdom

• Description: Molymem-NOM, a two-dimensional Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2)-enhanced membrane, targets the removal of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) from water. With comparable performance to traditional polymeric membranes, the coated membranes show enhanced longevity and safe and easy end-of-life disposal, which provides a sustainable solution.

Dr. Paul Wiper, Business Development and Project Manager, accepted the award and commented "We’re honored to receive the Product of The Year Award; this is a fantastic accolade for us. We believe we have a disruptive yet retrofittable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly method of enabling existing membranes to remove a range of dissolved species from water sources that ultimately can improve water quality, security and sustainability. This is testament to the hard work and commitment from our team in developing and scaling the coating technology."

Emerging Technology Award: Zaack CR

• Recipient: Zaack Subsidiary of Igienair Group, France

• Description: The Zaack CR, an ISO 21501-4-certified optical measurement sensor, provides real-time particle counting in controlled environments. Its cutting-edge features offer operators valuable insights through Ethernet or Wi-Fi options.

Dr. Yasmine Skanji, Director of Zaack, accepted the award. She said "Thank you so much for this award. I am very proud of my team for their hard work to achieve this product, affordable, powerful, sensitive to monitor and manage indoor air quality."

This year witnessed an unprecedented number of submissions, showcasing a spectrum of innovative products addressing global challenges. From startups to industry giants, these products go beyond incremental improvements, focusing on positively impacting sustainable prosperity worldwide. The Waterloo Filtration Institute extends its gratitude to all our participants and eagerly anticipates an even greater response in 2024.

Acknowledgment of 2023 Product of the Year Committee Members

Mr. Mike Malloy, Committee Chair, Principal of Malloy Strategies, USA;

Dr. Swarna Agarwal, Senior Material Scientist, PTI Technologies, USA;

Dr. Thomas Peters, Sr. Director, Peters Consulting for Membrane Technology, Germany;

Mr. Richard Lydon, General Secretary, The Filtration Society, UK;

Dr. Christine Sun, President, Waterloo Filtration Institute, USA;

Mr. Scott Yeager, President, Filtration and Separation Technology, USA;

Mr. Jay Forcucci, Vice President, Cerex Advanced Fabrics, USA;

Dr. Vincent Hu, Director, Advanced Filtration Center, TTRI, Taiwan.

About Waterloo Filtration Institute

Waterloo Filtration Institute (WFI) is a global non-profit organization dedicated to propelling the filtration and separation industry towards a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future. Read more.