Technical Information

Pipercross foam filtration

Our air filter products and our reputation is built on using high performance foam to ensure only clean air enters your engine. We believe that foam is the best material for air filtration for a number of reasons:

Ideal for bespoke applications

We work closely with engine designers to tailor a foam laminate that offers the best airflow without compromising on filter efficiency and engine protection. Because each race series is different, so too are our foams.

Other filtration mediums such as paper or cotton-gauze cannot acheive this fine balance cost effectively, making Pipercross ideal for single or high-volume air filter production alike.

High dust capacity

Our filters have undergone independant MIRA testing and results showed Pipercross foam has the ability to hold more than twice the dust particles of that held by cotton-gauze filters, without affecting the airflow efficiency.

Low maintenance

When the time comes that an air filter has reached it's full dust capacity, all of our foam air filters can be easily washed with plain water or our cleaning solution and then re-oiled where necessary.

This ease of maintenance is essential when working to strict time constraints at all levels of competition.

Resistance to contaminants

Pipercross foam is developed to resist attack from airborne contaminants in the most extreme of environments and typically has a lifespan of three times greater than a comparable paper filter.

Fire retardant

When impregnated with Pipercross dirt retention additive, our foam filters are resistant against flames due to spit back.

Foam explained

The heart of the unique Pipercross air filter is a specially developed polyurethane foam which acts as the filtration medium, having both a higher performance and life expectancy than paper.

Pipercross foam reticulated cell structure

Pipercross reticulated foam is created by a chemical reaction, then placed in a gas-filled combustion chamber where controlled explosions burn away cell walls in the material to form a skeletal cellular structure which is strictly quality controlled.
This process ensures that the foam consists of tiny open cells which trap contaminants.

The cell size of the foam, its porosity, is measured in Pores Per Inch (PPI). Pipercross air filters use up to six layers of foam with varying porosity, which descend in pore size in the direction of airflow.
Some layers are flame laminated with a nylon mesh in between, to produce a fail-safe interface without restricting air passage through the material - as would be the case with conventional bonding methods.

Pipercross triple layer foam cross-section

The Pipercross filter's long lifespan is due to the dirt storage capacity of the foam cells which means that no air passage is blocked until all the cells in a layer of foam are completely filled. Our air filters are designed to hold contaminants in the filter's outer layers, with the inner layers acting as a secondary measure to ensure an exceptionally high level of engine protection.

Varying outer surface finishes are employed to give optimum results in different environments. A dry liner of coarse material, or profiling designed to increase surface area, are two such finishes used by Pipercross.

*Please only use approved Pipercross oils on our foam laminate filters as directed. Do not oil Pipercross "dry" foam