# Smart HVAC filter teardown: how it is made > How a smart 16×25×1 HVAC filter is made: reusable frame, MERV 13 pleated media, sensor module and packaging, with India clusters for each part. Source: https://sourcesquid.co/teardowns/smart-air-filter/ Example teardown · Smart air filter # Smart air filter teardown: a supply chain inside your ducts. A smart HVAC filter is a pleated MERV 13 media pack in a reusable frame, with a small sensor module that reports its condition over Wi-Fi. The frame, the module and the packing can come from India, while the media stays with the specialist that makes it best. [Get a free teardown of your product](https://sourcesquid.co/start/?from=teardown-smart-air-filter) Explore the drawing 9 parts in the bill of materials 2 countries, one inspection plan 48 h for a free teardown of yours Every part has a process ## A smart filter is a supply chain inside your ducts. A 16×25×1 smart filter reports its own condition over Wi-Fi. Tap a part: the frame and the electronics can be made in India, while the pleated media stays with a specialist. Example teardowns Explode60% Example engineering breakdown of a Woosh-style smart filter with a reusable frame. Parts tagged “inferred” are our reading, not a supplier drawing. In this teardown ## How it is made, and where 1. What a smart filter is made of 2. The process chain 3. Where India is strongest 4. What drives the cost 5. What we inspect **Your product, torn down in 48 hours.** Send a sample, photos, a bill of materials or drawings. We return the process chain, the best clusters and an inspection plan. Free. [Start your teardown](https://sourcesquid.co/start/?from=teardown-smart-air-filter) 01 ## What a smart filter is made of The reusable frame is polypropylene or ABS, moulded in two halves with clips. The media is electrostatically charged synthetic meltblown, laminated to a scrim and pleated, with hot-melt bead lines to hold pleat spacing and a wire or moulded grid behind it. The clip-on module holds a circuit board with a pressure sensor, a temperature and humidity sensor and an ESP32-class Wi-Fi chip, a housing for two AAA cells and magnets that keep it in place. Shrink film and a printed carton complete it. 02 ## The process chain The frame needs large-platen injection moulding, trimming and a flatness check over its 25-inch length. The media runs through meltblowing, charging, laminating, pleating and cutting to pack size. The module follows a standard electronics chain, ending in pressure calibration at known airflow and a sleep-current test for battery life. 03 ## Where India is strongest Large-tonnage moulders around Chennai, Pune, Noida and Silvassa suit the frame. EMS plants in Bengaluru, Chennai, Noida and Pune build the module. Wire mesh comes from Ludhiana and Faridabad, and film and carton converters from Sivakasi, Mumbai and Chennai. Filtration makers around Pune, Chennai and the NCR can be qualified for the media when volumes grow. This follows the Woosh Air model: the electronics and plastic parts moved from China to India, while the filter manufacturing stayed in China. 04 ## What drives the cost Media grade, pleat count and pack depth set the largest recurring cost. The frame’s price depends on press size and cycle time, and its tool is large. On the module, sensor choice and battery life drive the bill of materials. Nominal sizes multiply SKUs, so packing and freight per unit matter more than they first appear. 05 ## What we inspect A MERV 13 test report to ASHRAE 52.2, initial pressure drop, pleat count and spacing, and no air bypass at the edges. On the frame: warp and fit in a nominal 16×25×1 slot, whose actual size runs slightly under nominal. On the module: pressure calibration, sleep current and Wi-Fi range. Example teardown for illustration. Standards named here are the ones we usually check against; your drawing and target market set the exact scope. Smart filter questions ## Straight answers. Anything else, ask us directly. A principal replies, not a bot. [anirudh@sourcesquid.co](mailto:anirudh@sourcesquid.co) ### Can smart filter parts be made in India? Yes. The reusable frame, the sensor module and the packaging all have strong Indian makers. The pleated media usually stays with a specialist media maker, which can be abroad or, as volumes grow, a qualified Indian filtration plant. ### What does MERV 13 mean for sourcing? It is a filter efficiency rating tested to ASHRAE 52.2. We ask for the test report on the exact media and pleat configuration you buy, not a generic data sheet. ### Why keep the media with a specialist? Charged meltblown media and pleating lines are capital-heavy and quality-sensitive. Splitting the product lets each part come from the maker that does it best, under one inspection plan. ### How fast can you tear down my filter? The first teardown is free and comes back within 48 hours, with the process chain, the India clusters for each part and what we would inspect. ## More example teardowns. 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