Absolent joins OMIC R&D as 28th member

The Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research and Development (OMIC R&D) welcomed Absolent as its 28th member. Absolent, whose U.S. subsidiary is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, and a northwest office in Tacoma, Washington, cleans contaminated air at the source in various metalworking processes such as machining, die casting, heat treating, cold heading, textiles, food, and welding that generate smoke, oil mist, oil smoke and dust.

Founded in 1993, Absolent works to protect the environment, both inside and outside factories, by capturing and containing the harmful oil mist and smoke created by the various processes within the manufacturing space. The process air that is returned into the workspace is 99.97% clean air. The collected oil can be recycled and reused, and in some cases, the heated air can be utilized to heat the workspace. This process protects the environment inside and outside of the factory floor while also saving energy and costs for companies.

“From a practical side, Absolent’s contribution to OMIC R&D will help us limit the oils, smoke and dust from the research lab, reinforcing that manufacturing is a clean, safe, high tech environment in which to work,” says Craig Campbell, executive director of OMIC R&D.  “From a broader sense, their knowledge and experience in filtering will help us and our members make strides in maintaining a clean air environment for manufacturing as well as looking to reducing the environmental impacts of manufacturing. Their passion for involvement has been immediately evident and we are excited to have them a part of our member team.”

The vast majority of Absolent’s customers are industrial based, and include leading manufacturers like Alcoa, Bosch, Volkswagen, Volvo and many tier 1 through tier 4 manufacturers. They have a large network of distributors in Europe, North and South America and Asia, and have started a subsidiary, Absolent Beijing, in Shanghai and Guangzhou. In 2019, Absolent has made seven acquisitions as part of their diversified growth platform across the globe.

John Reid, area sales director, says, “Absolent is excited about joining OMIC R&D as the first member in the area of manufacturing air quality and protection. Our goal is to provide safe and clean air quality to OMIC R&D employees and visitors, an important component of any growing enterprise. It is our goal to educate and expose the next generation workforce to safe and clean manufacturing. We look forward to gaining more exposure within the diverse industries across the Pacific Northwest and working with new partners and customers to help improve industrial environments.”