VIEWPOINT History – Someone Has to Make It

On a recent flight, I watched the movie “First Man” about astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon. This movie reminded me of how early space exploration – from equipment, uniforms, tools and more – seemed utterly primitive. Our space pioneers went willingly into the unknown in unpredictable tin-can air crafts in the name of research.

In one scene in space, the craft was off path, and Armstrong took out grid paper and pencil to make calculations to get them back on track – no computer, no software program, just plain math.

In another scene, Armstrong says, “we need to fail here [on earth] so we don’t fail up there.” Research and development combined with significant trial and error, made it possible for mankind to get to the moon. Embracing failure to gain success made way for the current more sophisticated program, albeit still laden with risk.

What does this have to do with filtration?

Technically, nothing. Yet, this story illustrates how the desire to do the impossible, uncover possibilities, and re-imagine outcomes, combined with knowledge, research, trials, failures, and sometimes sheer guts, will take us into the future of innovation and even ground-breaking firsts that make history. Without the “what if” that scientific research seeks to answer, we would never make progress towards today’s worldwide filtration problems. And there are many to solve, from

PFAS to air quality to the availability of simple clean drinking water, there is much to do.

In our pages, we seek to inspire industry to reach into the unknown and find solutions, create innovation, and even make history.

On page 14, we are launching a new column, Emergence, to spotlight research coming from universities, institutions, and think tanks. If you have research news, please share it with us by emailing csmith@inda.org.

Writer Jason Chen explores materials innovation in the aerospace and automotive sectors on page 18, with durable and green solutions that are making news.

Standards that guide industry continue to be a topic of discussion. On page 21, T.J. Ptak analyses the framework for the development of standards, and how circumstances can sway the way they are written; important considerations in today’s connected world.

On page 33, you’ll find highlights from the recent FILTCON 2024 Conference held by AFS in Houston, Texas, where research was center stage. The event was held in the midst of another historical astrological event on April 8, where the Moon’s shadow swept across the U.S., as millions (including me) watched the total solar eclipse, which won’t occur again for another two decades. People still look to space for inspiration. Keep reaching!

Caryn Smith Chief Content Officer & Publisher, INDA Media, IFN

International Filtration News Editorial Advisory Board

R. Vijayakumar, Ph.D., Chair

AERFIL

Tel: +1 315-506-6883

Email: vijay@aerfil.com

Rahul Bharadwaj, Ph.D.

Lydall Performance Materials

Tel: +1 603-953-6318

Email: rbharadwaj@lydall.com

Tom Justice, CAFS, NCT

ZENE, LLC Filtration

Tel: 757-378-3857

Email: justfilter@yahoo.com

James J. Joseph

Joseph Marketing

Tel/Fax: +1 757-565-1549

Emai: josephmarketing120@gmail.com

Wenping Li, Ph.D.

Agriltech Research Company

Tel: +1 337-421-6345

Email: wenpingl@agrilectric.com

Robert W. McIlvaine

The McIlvaine Company

Tel: +1 847-784-0013

Email: rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com

Rishit R. Merchant

Parker Hannifin

P: +1 (805) 604-3519

E: rishit.merchant@parker.com

Thad Ptak, Ph.D.

TJ Ptak & Associates

Tel: +1 414-514-8937

Email: thadptak@hotmail.com

If you would like to utilize your expertise to help shape the content in the IFN , consider applying for the IFN Editorial Advisory Board. We welcome participation through input on trends and innovations, new story ideas and overall thought leadership. This is a collaborative board that meets quarterly to discuss the state of the industry. Send an email to Caryn Smith at csmith@inda.org for consideration.