(1985)
Designed for use with large industrial engines, such as diesel engines or electrical generators, Escargot integrates its plastic housing with the actual air filter of the unit. By moulding the entire Escargot unit integrally, and by making it out of plastic which requires no painting, great savings in manufacturing were realized. Self-contained and having no movable parts, Escargot is essentially a cartridge filter. When its life is exhausted, it is simply replaced, unlike other units on the market. In this way, Escargot ensures that an expensive engine will not be damaged by dirt or dust getting into its innards when the filter is being changed (as is also the case with conventional non-disposable filters). Escargot is not only named after the snail; it takes its functional clues from it as well. The air inlet the opening of the snail and the point of entry into the filter offers a very efficient way of distributing air into and through the filtering surfaces. While its appearance is the direct result of functional requirements, the snail-like configuration also operates at a higher level; it is emblematic of an in-out process during which a transformation takes place.
