What a smart filter is made of
The reusable frame is polypropylene or ABS, moulded in two halves with clips. The media is electrostatically charged synthetic meltblown, laminated to a scrim and pleated, with hot-melt bead lines to hold pleat spacing and a wire or moulded grid behind it.
The clip-on module holds a circuit board with a pressure sensor, a temperature and humidity sensor and an ESP32-class Wi-Fi chip, a housing for two AAA cells and magnets that keep it in place. Shrink film and a printed carton complete it.
The process chain
The frame needs large-platen injection moulding, trimming and a flatness check over its 25-inch length. The media runs through meltblowing, charging, laminating, pleating and cutting to pack size. The module follows a standard electronics chain, ending in pressure calibration at known airflow and a sleep-current test for battery life.
Where India is strongest
Large-tonnage moulders around Chennai, Pune, Noida and Silvassa suit the frame. EMS plants in Bengaluru, Chennai, Noida and Pune build the module. Wire mesh comes from Ludhiana and Faridabad, and film and carton converters from Sivakasi, Mumbai and Chennai. Filtration makers around Pune, Chennai and the NCR can be qualified for the media when volumes grow.
This follows the Woosh Air model: the electronics and plastic parts moved from China to India, while the filter manufacturing stayed in China.
What drives the cost
Media grade, pleat count and pack depth set the largest recurring cost. The frame’s price depends on press size and cycle time, and its tool is large. On the module, sensor choice and battery life drive the bill of materials. Nominal sizes multiply SKUs, so packing and freight per unit matter more than they first appear.
What we inspect
A MERV 13 test report to ASHRAE 52.2, initial pressure drop, pleat count and spacing, and no air bypass at the edges. On the frame: warp and fit in a nominal 16×25×1 slot, whose actual size runs slightly under nominal. On the module: pressure calibration, sleep current and Wi-Fi range.
Example teardown for illustration. Standards named here are the ones we usually check against; your drawing and target market set the exact scope.