Since 2004, möcklinghoff Lufttechnik from Gelsenkirchen provides clean air at workplaces. The company manufactures, develops and produces systems for air purification. These include their high-performance air purifier for construction, trade and industry as well as non-smoker protection systems, which they install and also maintain at customers’ sites.
Möcklinghoff’s goal is to protect people from harmful substances in the air at the workplace.
Interview with Matthias Gräf, CEO of möcklinghoff Lufttechnik.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Matthias Gräf: As previously mentioned, we ensure safe workplaces by keeping the air clean. We make this possible with our awarded high-performance air purifier, the DustBox, as well as our SmokeCorner non-smoker protection systems.
On the one hand, we protect non-smokers in offices, and on the other hand, we keep the air clean at workplaces in construction, trades and industry.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
M.G: This year we have been able to expand our SmokeCorner product range to include an extraction filter unit for smoking rooms and our non-combustible smoking booth.
With the SmokeCorner compact extraction filter unit, we now enable our customers to remove particles, hazardous substances and odor from the air in their smoking room. The extraction filter unit is flexible and can be placed anywhere in the room.
Our incombustible booth impresses – as the name suggests – with its high level of fire safety.
Next year, we will add to our DustBox product range an extraction wall as well as a mobile extraction cutting booth.
The extraction wall can be used flexibly by our customers and positioned wherever they need to work. This enables uncomplicated and safe work in the workshop.
The extracted cutting cabin is our WorkCorner. This allows our customers to easily perform e.g. stone cutting with an angle grinder in inhabited areas. The dust-producing work is carried out in the cabin, where the air is directly filtered and cleaned, so that no dust enters the home and our customers are protected from hazardous substances in the air.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
M.G: SmokeCorner product range includes smoking shelters, recirculation smoking booths, exhaust air smoking booths and other technical equipment options for smoking rooms. Our standard smoking booths are made in sizes from 2 to 20 smokers. However, we are also happy to manufacture smoking booths for our customers according to their individual requirements.
We manufacture the DustBox in three different sizes, with a volume flow from 1000 to 5500m³/h. In addition, depending on the intended use, we offer our customers
accessories ranging from an extraction hub on the table to pocket filter pre-separators for installation in dust booths. The field of application ranges from particle filtration to gas filtration by activated carbon. Thus, almost all impurities can be filtered out of the air.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
M.G: In the area of non-smoker protection systems, the market is more likely to decline, as the number of smokers is falling. We therefore do not anticipate any major development in this area.
We see development potential in the area of air pollution control in construction, trade and industry through high-performance air purifiers. This is because there is a growing awareness of health problems, particularly those caused by hazardous substances, and thus also a growing need for suitable solutions. Particularly in the construction industry, the demand will increase in the future, even if the order situation is currently stagnating, which is also due to inflation and the energy crisis.
Basically, there is a lot of potential here, but also in the industrial sector, as far as air pollution control is concerned.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
M.G: Since we are all in uncertain and volatile times right now, it is difficult to identify trends. However, there is one topic that is increasingly coming into focus in our industry as well: sustainability.
For us, sustainability means not only regional, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly production, but also longevity of our products.
And that is what our customers appreciate about us. With our sustainable production process and long-lasting products, we appeal to our customers who focus on quality and durability.
However, even this trend has not been spared the effects of the crisis. Therefore, we have to wait and see until we can speak of resilient statements on market trends.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
M.G: In the field of air purification with filter technology, we cannot reinvent the wheel. Our new extraction filter unit is certainly a visual highlight and our non-combustible cabin naturally has great advantages in the area of fire load.
For many companies, it is still innovative to rely on low-dust techniques and not simply accept dust (whether construction dust, fibres, metal dust, smoke particles, wood dust or other dusts) and the resulting health hazards.
We try not to score points with artificial innovation such as more lights or a superfluous display, but to use proven and durable technology such as an analog pressure gauge that will still work in 10 years. Of course, we use the most modern fans available on the market to optimize power consumption and effectiveness. We also use top level filters from renowned manufacturers. Our filter areas are of maximum size and the filter classes of our units are usually H13 or H14, in any case
with dust class H for all tasks. Small improvements where possible and the maintenance of a constant high quality and service level are elementary for us.
E.E: What estimations do you have for the rest of 2022?
M.G: Due to the crises, we are trying to achieve a productive end to the year in 2022 by working on projects in the marketing and technical areas in order to optimize processes and products for our customers. Sales expectations are somewhat clouded, as they are for the whole of 2022. We hope for a more pleasing year in 2023.