We’re celebrating a very special birthday this week as our AD Oracle turns 10!
The very first unit was built by Gary Mansell, who is now our Production Manager, and was sold on 14th October 2008. Replacing the best-selling AD180 and AD 400, the AD Oracle has now evolved to incorporate our award-winning Intelligent (iQ) Operating system. To date we have sold nearly 25,000 units.
When it launched, the AD Oracle offered a complete, global solution for high performance laser fume extraction. It was BOFA’S most technically advanced system and packed a powerful range of unique features never seen before in the fume extraction market into one compact unit:
- The revolutionary multi voltage sensing (MVS) unit automatically self-adjusted to run on any voltage worldwide
- The unit’s reverse flow filter technology enhanced filter performance and ensured longer filter life. This was great news for our customers who would benefit from lower cost of ownership
- The automatic flow control allowed the user to pre-set correct flow rates, for lower noise levels and further protection of both the combined filter and the two-stage F8 pre-filter, with its 12m2 surface area
- The pump used in the AD Oracle gave a much improved flow rate, offering 210m3/h more than the AD180
- It had a front-loading filter compartment, making filter change an easier operation
- The AD Oracle’s footprint was considerably smaller than its predecessor, the AD 180
- A better choice of filters made changing easier, cheaper and longer lasting
All these features can now be found on many BOFA fume extraction units but at the time, they were revolutionary and showed BOFA at the forefront of the market.
Remembering the day the AD Oracle was launched, BOFA’s International Sales Account Manager Dan Bettridge recalls:
The AD Oracle captured the market by taking some of the key features of the AD 180 and AD 400 models and greatly enhancing them. Features such as automatic flow control were added as standard to the AD Oracle. Reverse flow technology together with the patented DeepPleat Duo pre-filter technology extended filter life and gave our customers a low cost of ownership. This is still true to this day. The AD Oracle helped us ringfence existing business as well as acquire many new customers.
Four years after the AD Oracle was born, we introduced our iQ Operating System and integrated this to create the AD Oracle iQ, which is our flagship model.
To celebrate the occasion, our staff in Poole gathered to see our MD be presented with a replica AD Oracle, built in our R&D department with expert help from our fabrication department.