Air dryer cartridges from the global market leader

March 25, 2024

Ludwigsburg, March 25th, 2024 – MANN+HUMMEL is not only one of the world’s leading filter manufacturers, but also the world’s largest manufacturer of air dryer cartridges with 100 million units. The figures speak for themselves: The filtration expert produces up to seven million units per year alone in the world’s largest filter plant in Marklkofen, Bavaria. From there, the air dryer cartridges are delivered across the globe. The family-owned company’s brand portfolio includes the global premium filtration brand MANN-FILTER with its comprehensive range of air dryer cartridges in original equipment quality.

In trucks, buses, and tractors, various vehicle systems are operated with compressed air, including the brake system. Operational safety is paramount. This applies in particular to the compressed-air system, which must be dry, free from oil, and clean. The reason for this is that moisture in the compressed-air lines can lead to corrosion, icing and abrasion, causing high repair costs and also reducing the brakes' output. Air dryer cartridges from MANN-FILTER reliably dehumidify and clean the compressed air in compressed-air systems.

MANN-FILTER currently offers three different types of high-quality air dryer cartridges that differ in their functionality as well as appearance: A white version as a standard solution for optimal drying performance, a silver box with a coalescing filter for improved system protection against harmful oil droplets, and a gold premium version with additional, staged drying and optimized oil separation for maximum protection in the toughest operating conditions.

For more than 30 years, the Ludwigsburg-based filter manufacturer has been producing air dryer cartridges in series production for well-known system suppliers worldwide and thus for almost all truck manufacturers.

Specialized vehicles, such as city buses in stop-and-go traffic, refuse collection vehicles, and tractor-trailers in ports, are exposed to extreme operating conditions. The intensive use of the brake system, air suspension, door controls, etc. leads to a high demand for compressed air. The compressor runs more frequently and is therefore subject to more abrasion to meet this demand. This, in turn, increases the amount of oil droplets penetrating the system, which represents a hazard that must not be underestimated and may lead to malfunctions of the system components. All systems require dry, clean, and oil-free compressed air to operate properly. MANN+HUMMEL has developed the MANN-FILTER premium cartridge for these tough operational conditions. It combines an air dryer and oil separator in a single unit and thus ensures the highest drying performance with efficient oil separation.

In all three versions, MANN-FILTER relies on an open-pore desiccant with high drying performance that is also used as original equipment. With its large active surface, it adsorbs large quantities of water while remaining mechanically stable. Thanks to its great adsorption capacity under pressure, the desiccant can optimally adsorb and bind the air humidity that has penetrated the system. One gram of desiccant has an active surface area of up to 700 square meters. An average truck uses about one kilogram of desiccant, which corresponds to an area of around 100 soccer pitches.

MANN+HUMMEL is virtually the only manufacturer in the world that uses so-called double-layer technology for its air dryer cartridges. This technology is based on the positive properties of two different desiccant layers with different moisture absorption capacities. It consists of a layer of water-stable silica gel and a molecular screen layer. This combination improves the drying performance by making optimal use of the respective absorption capacities and provides additional protection against sudden water penetration caused by condensation. The excellent adsorption properties of the individual layers are specially adapted to the varying humidity levels along the direction of flow.

MANN+HUMMEL uses high-quality steel from renowned manufacturers for its screw-on and spin-on cartridges. This results in a robust component with high pulsation and burst pressure resistance as well as comprehensive corrosion protection. Air dryer cartridges are exposed to high pressures and frequent changes in pressure, with all the associated mechanical loads. All components are therefore manufactured exclusively from materials that have successfully passed MANN+HUMMEL's demanding tests and approval processes. MANN-FILTER products are subjected to the same stringent approval tests as original equipment parts.

The silver and gold air dryer cartridges both have a coalescing filter that effectively retains fine oil droplets – in addition to the standard drying and particle filtration functions. The smallest oil droplets are merged to form large droplets and effectively filtered from the compressed-air system. This extends the service life of the compressed-air and brake system components, reduces service costs and shortens downtimes.

MANN+HUMMEL has been granted several patents by the German Patent and Trademark Office as well as offices in other countries for the premium cartridge technology. This solution is one of the filtration expert’s more than one hundred patent applications each year, with a patent pool of over 4,600 patents. Under the MANN-FILTER brand, customers on the independent aftermarket benefit from this innovation in the usual original equipment quality.

Like any other filter, the air dryer cartridge must be replaced regularly in line with the replacement intervals specified by the vehicle manufacturer. Upgrading a standard cartridge to a cartridge with a coalescing filter is easy and improves the protection of systems operated with compressed air – especially the brake system – using basic means.

With 15 different air dryer cartridges in original equipment quality, MANN-FILTER offers solutions for 98 percent of the existing truck and bus fleet in Europe.

Brand Management MANN-FILTER

Spokesperson