INTERVIEW WITH ULT AG

ULT AG is a global vendor of air cleaning and air drying systems. The company, headquartered in Löbau/Germany, provides extraction and filtration solutions for airborne pollutants. These contaminants may occur in numerous material handling processes in various industries, craft activities or research work in laboratories.

ULT’s ventilation systems efficiently remove hazardous particles that occur in laser processes, soldering operations, or welding processes, to name but a few. The utilization of highly efficient filtration technology helps to eliminate dust, fumes, odors, gases, and vapors to protect employees, manufacturing equipment and products.

The answers were provided by Alexander Jakschik, CEO ULT AG.

Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?

Alexander Jakschik: In addition to turnkey solutions, ULT AG develops and produces special devices for customized applications. If required ULT’s extraction and filtration systems are certified according to ATEX and W3 and tested to meet H requirements. In support of capturing efficiency, ULT provides extraction elements and suction arms, designed for specific working situations and applications.

ULT’s fume extraction systems are utilized in various industries worldwide. Main focus is placed on sections such as additive manufacturing, laser processing technologies, electronics manufacturing or machinery.

E.E: What’s the news for 2020 about new products?

A.J: Based on constant research and development, ULT introduces new air purification solutions regularly.

Earlier this year, new mobile dust and soldering fume extraction and filtration units entered the market. They completed the system range of the ULT 200.1 system series.

In summer 2020, the company introduced new system and service concepts around large-scale fume extractors, making system utilization more efficient and economic.

An all-new laser fume extraction system is under way. LAS 800, providing more functionality than any other system on the market, will be launched in fall 2020.

E.E: What are the ranges of traded products?

A.J: The company’s solution portfolio ranges from mobile extraction units for manual workstations and tasks under limited space, stationary systems that can also be integrated into production lines, to complete hall extraction or support of large systems.

E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?

A.J: Most markets ULT is active on are growing. Particularly, activity fields such as additive manufacturing, battery cell production or pharmaceuticals are expected to expand in the coming years. However, ULT is striving for entering new markets both technologically and geographically on constant basis. The company’s global distribution network provides access to many new markets on most continents.

E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?

A.J: Air cleaning technology has become extremely important – especially since Covid-19 has the world in its grip. In addition to pandemic regulations and solutions for extraoral aerosol evacuation, the awareness for clean production environments, healthy employees and high product quality has brought fume extraction technology in attention increasingly. Hence, air purification solutions have been receiving more and more attention in the last few years – with growing success and very good prospects for the future.

E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?

A.J: Innovation from our perspective is not only “something new”. Innovation can be a new product or service, which has been successfully introduced or established on the market. ULT’s focus is since the beginning to build silent and energy efficient units which are of highest quality and easy to use.

The latest product innovations are a complete product portfolio, which is able to extract and filter viruses!

The hardest requirements come from the additive manufacturing industries: Dealing with extreme requirements on explosion proof, leakage free housing and able to cope with nanoscale particles that are challenging to handle. I always call it the “Champions Leaque of extraction and filtration”. However, the knowledge explored in this market segment brings up new innovations, which can later be used for other applications.

E.E: What estimations do you have for 2020?

A.J: There are many changes and developments, which have a direct influence on our business and our business model. The automotive industry is on the threshold of switching to electronic drives, corona virus had an impact on supply chains and work behavior, political systems are changing, etc. We must adapt our business model and branches we are serving to being successful in the future as we have been in the last years. That sounds like a challenge but it’s fascinating, interesting and diversified at the same time.