Q - Has Fantom gone out of business?
A - Fantom Technologies Inc. did declare bankruptcy in Oct. 2001. The tooling for the Fantom vacuum cleaners has since been purchased
by Euro-Pro Corporation, St Laurent, Quebec, Canada. Click here for more details
Q - What is meant by the term "OEM"?
A - In general OEM is the acronym for "original equipment manufacturer". In our market, the manufacturer of the vacuum cleaners are
considered the OEM. However, an "OEM service part" such as a replacement filter is not necessarily made by the OEM but by a supplier to the
OEM who has the specialized machinery to make that specific part. As an example; Fantom does not make their filters, but, contract filter manufacturing
companies to supply their needs.
Q - What is meant by the term "aftermarket filters"?
A - In general the term "aftermarket parts" means replacement parts manufactured by companies other than the OEM or contracted suppliers to the OEM.
In our situation the term "aftermarket filters" means that we as a filter manufacturing company can produce a product equal in fit, form and function
to those supplied by the OEM. And we are in no way associated with the OEM.
Q - I have a Fantom Thunder and the filter has a plastic frame and your frame is cardboard. Why?
A - All OEM's, in every industry, want to retain their replacement parts business. The vacuum cleaner industry is no different. If they can
design a filter with a complicated frame it makes it less attractive for companies like ours, to tool up and make a similar part to
challenge their filter replacement business. Take for example your Thunder filter. Rather than spend the $50,000.00 for tooling and make
it in plastic, we built and tested our proto types in non-porous hardboard and proved it could be done. Results: Lower prices to the
consumers.
Q - Do you make the paper (media)?
A - No we do not and neither do the other HEPA filter manufacturers. There is a limited number of companies in North America that
manufacture "Certified HEPA Media". All of the filter manufacturers buy their product in rolls and reconfigure it into the
shape required for the application. Incidentally, HEPA media is made from micro-glass and not paper.
