PRESS RELEASE
Herne, Germany, November 2006
The GEA solution enables smokers and non-smokers to coexist in harmony – without risks to their health, and with odour filtration as well
Restaurants and rooms without smoke, and without a smoking ban – with GEA Clarifair
Some voices have demanded a complete, strict ban on smoking in public buildings, as already implemented for example in Italy, Norway, and Sweden. Others are working toward acceptance of “smokers’ booths” in pubs and restaurants. This issue has remained in the news and has led to divisions in politics and among the public that frequent catering establishments. But: “Neither smoking bans in public buildings, nor the spatial separation of smokers and non-smokers is necessary to protect non-smokers,” says Dr. Hugo Blaum, President of the GEA Air Treatment Division. The company in Herne, Germany, presents a solution that effectively eliminates smoke pollution of the air, as well as offensive odours: the GEA Clarifair.
GEA Clarifair combats smoke where it originates: at the serving counter, at the table, or in the break corner of an office building. Unlike merely providing open non-smoking areas (the current practice in many areas, such as in the German catering trade), GEA Clarifair assures greater protection of non-smokers: by eliminating the smoke. As a result, it cannot spread or mix with the air in non-smokers’ areas. This feature is not only a major plus for catering guests – it also prevents the serving staff from being exposed to passive smoking while they work. GEA Clarifair also offers a welcome additional benefit: it also removes fine dust and odours from the room air that it pulls in.
A triple-stage filter system removes particles and odours
The new GEA Clarifair room unit has an open design: it functions without a booth, and yet enables practically 100% capture and filtration of tobacco smoke. Thanks to the various models and performance levels available, it successfully meets the needs for a great variety of actual room-flow conditions. The Clarifair can be mounted on the floor or from the ceiling, and through a large inlet effectively intakes room air from its surrounding area. It passes the air through a noise suppressor, and on through a pre-filter. The next step is separation of smoke and other particles in a fine filter. After the air has been cleansed of gaseous pollutants by an activated-charcoal filter, it is systematically directed back into the room.
Clarifair: a virtual smoker’s booth with 100% smoke capture
In the area provided for smokers under the Clarifair, the system captures and removes practically all the emitted smoke from up to 12 smokers. Clarifair intakes air from outside its primarily effective zone as well, with the result that neighbouring areas profit as well. Despite its high efficiency, the operational noise of the Clarifair is hardly perceptible.
Designed for new buildings and for retrofitting
GEA Clarifair is equally effective in new buildings, or as a retrofit. It can be easily installed in buildings with ventilation and air conditioning – for example, in hotels and office buildings – without interference with existing systems. It is even possible to integrate the units into a ventilation system. In such applications, the intake air and the smoke can be directly passed into an exhaust-air duct system, in which case the GEA Clarifair functions effectively without filter components.
The market launch for Clarifair is planned for spring of 2007, when it will be available in various design models: e.g., as a table for standing users, and as s ceiling unit. The first public presentation is planned for the trade fair ISH in Frankfurt, from 6 to 10 March 2007.
Pictures:
Picture 1 (graphic kinds of installing):
The GEA Clarifair can be installed on the floor or from the ceiling, and can be integrated into a central ventilation network (right half of the drawing).
Picture 2 (photo):
The GEA Clarifair as a table model for standing smokers: this version is best suited, for example, for a coffee and chat corner in office buildings.
Bild 3 (graphic virtual smokers’ booth):
The GEA Clarifair represents a “virtual smokers’ booth”. Although without walls, it ensures that smoke is completely captured from its immediate vicinity and filtered out of the air.
Pictures: GEA Air Treatment
The PR and image material provided by GEA Air Treatment GmbH are provided exclusively for journalistic purposes in conjunction with GEA products and services. It is not allowed to use this material in conjunction with products and/or services of other companies, or in collages. If you wish to use the image material, we ask that you provide the source of the photos as “GEA Air Treatment”.
Press relations and public affairs
GEA Air Treatment GmbH - Annette Wille
Suedstrasse 48 - 44625 Herne, Germany
Phone: +49 2325 468-206
Fax: +49 2325 468-401
wille.annette@gea-happel.de
www.gea-airtreatment.de
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Phone: +49 89 17999275 - Fax: +49 89 17999289
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About GEA Air Treatment
GEA Air Treatment, in Herne, Germany, is the parent company of 35 companies that belong to GEA Lufttechnik, which is active throughout Europe and is in turn part of the GEA Group. The GEA Group is an internationally successful technology undertaking. The company concentrates its efforts on design and construction of specialized machines, with focal points on process technology and components, as well as on implementation of major industrial facilities. Especially important sales markets are the food and beverage industries, pharmaceuticals, and the petrochemical industry. Sales during the 2005 fiscal year were approx. 4.5 billion euros.
As of 31 December 2005, the company employed 17,595 staff. The GEA Group is listed on the MDax stock index, and is one of the largest German public companies, with market capitalization of approx. 2.0 billion euros as of the end of 2005.