Muhammad Ali once said that, “it isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.” When it comes to engine air filtration, this oft-repeated piece of wisdom is especially relevant, because even a particle as small as a grain of sand can wreak havoc on an engine’s internal parts, guaranteeing expensive repair costs. 

Indeed, the introduction of small particles into the engine’s vital parts can have long-term cumulative or even immediate destructive consequences. Preventing this from occurring by performing the role of the gatekeeper, is the air filter – the true unsung hero of a vehicle’s engine.

As the engine’s first line of defence, the air filter plays a key role in the combustion process, providing the engine with clean air by shutting out harmful debris such as dirt and dust, and in turn, increasing fuel efficiency, reducing emissions and ultimately prolonging the engine’s life. 

Although the first engines were built without air filters, they were introduced soon after, and have been a necessary feature ever since. From the water and oil ‘bath’ type filters of the early days, to the more modern varieties made from materials such as paper, foam, cotton and stainless-steel mesh, the engine air filter has seen many changes and iterations over the years. 

Now, the next generation of engine air filter, called UFI MULTITUBE, is taking engine air filtration to a whole new level. Created by UFI Filters, this cutting-edge filter was most recently included as original equipment (OE) in the Maserati MC20, the most anticipated supercar of 2020. 

With improved flexibility, better fluid dynamics, lower weight, reduced emissions, filtering efficiency of over 99.5%, a reduction in pressure drop as a result of the use of hydrophobic filter media and an astonishing increase in horsepower of up to 4%, the versatile MULTITUBE brings unprecedented benefits to all vehicle types. 

Founded in 1971 in Italy, UFI Filters has long been at the forefront of innovation, as demonstrated by its 1972 launch of the first ever panel filter element, which featured a seamless polyurethane seal instead of the conventional rubber one. 

Having grown steadily over the intervening years to become a global leader in filtration and thermal management, UFI Filters’ innovative OE strength and 237 patents have resulted in its filters being utilised in six of the seven top selling cars on the market.

From Ferrari in Formula 1 all the way to outer space on the European ExoMars spacecraft, the company is trusted the world over to manufacture filters that can withstand the most extreme of conditions. This trust has been gained due to a commitment to innovation, which sees UFI Filters reinvest 5% of its revenue in R&D. The culmination of this has been the creation of MULTITUBE, an engine air filter unlike any other in terms of design and performance. 

Unveiled at Automechanika 2018 where it was nominated in the ‘Parts and Components’ category of the prestigious Automechanika Innovation Award, UFI MULTITUBE’s many distinctive features include its modularity and geometric flexibility. Unlike conventional panels, the structure of MULTITUBE allows the tube-shaped individual filters that comprise it to be placed in different geometries with varying diameters, shapes and lengths. External tube diameters are very small, meaning it is possible to position MULTITUBE in different external diameters, that vary in a range between 45 and 68 mm. This gives it a modularity, that together with its ad hoc design, means it can be adapted to suit the specific needs of each individual vehicle manufacturer.

With vehicles such as hybrid cars becoming increasingly complex, vehicle space is at a premium for manufacturers. UFI MULTITUBE, however, is significantly smaller than standard filters, taking up to 50% less room. Tubular in structure, the air filter is contained in a cartridge that is also considerably lighter. The tubes that comprise MULTITUBE are placed within an airbox designed and manufactured by UFI Filters, which is made of polyamide, a light deformation resistant material, contributing to lower fuel consumption and less CO2 emissions.

With up to 4% more horsepower, this compact engine air filter is especially beneficial for drivers with a need for speed. This increase is a result of its improved fluid dynamics which guarantee a linear air flow and minimise pressure and energy loss, as well as the hydrophobic filter media, which does not need any additional water separation barrier. 

UFI MULTITUBE, additionally, provides a filtering performance of over 99.5%. Designed according to the concept of deep filtration, air flow in the filter is able to travel from the outside to the inside via a structure featuring one or more pipes. Consisting of a rigid, non-woven filter media made of synthetic hydrophobic fibres, MULTITUBE’s extremely innovative water-resistant material is structured with a specific diameter and distributed porosity gradient.

This guarantees maximum performance throughout the product’s entire lifecycle, which is in stark contrast to conventional panel filters that provide neither the same high level of filtering performance nor longevity, as they deform over time due to humidity absorption.  Furthermore, due to its unique development processes and through particular production methods, which are adapted to MULTITUBE’s specific requirements, UFI’s filter media is extremely difficult to replicate; therefore, safeguarding it from counterfeiting.

On top of MULTITUBE’s many aforementioned benefits, the revolutionary engine air filtration system also guarantees vastly improved resistance to fire. Having undergone the DIN53438 testing – the ISO standard test – which determines the combustibility of commercial materials, MULTITUBE received an F1 classification, the highest classification possible.

The performance of UFI MULTITUBE, moreover, is considerably higher than that of other engine air filters that have also received an F1 classification. During testing, for example, MULTITUBE did not hole when exposed to a naked flame, which contrasted to other F1 classified filters, that holed completely after coming into contact with fire.

Flame exposure to MULTITUBE, on the other hand, resulted in damage to the filter that was only half the size of what is actually permitted during DIN53438 testing. What’s more, the innovative filter even managed to maintain some filtering performance when exposed to fire, highlighting the product’s capacity to perform in even the most extreme of conditions and more importantly, its safety properties. 

With its astonishing versatility and flexibility, the award-winning UFI MULTITUBE has, not only been chosen as OE on high-performing big cylinder sports cars such as the Porsche GT2RS, but also for popular A-segment cars such as the Hybrid Launch Edition of the Fiat 500. 

In the new Maserati MC20, moreover, this ground-breaking technology is even fitted into a dual airbox which has been engineered by UFI Filters technicians, further boosting the 3.0 litre, 630 horsepower V6 engine. For a supercar such as this, which is designed to be as light as possible – the MC20 weighs less than 1,500kg – the choice of UFI MULTITUBE presented Maserati with a more than viable alternative that was up to 25% lighter than their initial target.

The MC20 provides a perfect example of the revolutionary engine air filter’s modularity and geometric flexibility. Designed and developed by engineers from both UFI Filters and Maserati, the filter is located near the air inlet, in the wheel arch area, enabling both the design and performance of the car to be safeguarded. Through this particular positioning, the air intake and the filter box itself capture even more impurities and water droplets from the external environment. 

UFI MULTITUBE also guarantees improved fluid dynamics in the air flow to the MC20’s engine. Because of the hydrophobic filter media, the supercar does not require any additional water separation systems to protect the engine. The car, therefore, benefits from a 50% reduction in pressure drops compared to other panel air filters, enabling the full power of the engine to be expressed.

Giorgio Girondi, Chairman of UFI Filters Group, is very proud of his company´s innovative product. “Along with MULTITUBE’s stunning increase in horsepower of up to 4%, it also offers exceptional flexibility. Its many innovative features have already opened doors for its future inclusion in premium models by renowned German car manufacturers. In addition, further product developments are in the pipeline, such as for our state-of-the-art electric transmission oil coolers, which will feature in the electric version of the MC20, as well as in the new generation of electric models that will be launched by Maserati in 2021. This will further strengthen our involvement in the field of electric mobility.”

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