Welding is an industrial process that releases a large amount of toxic fumes, which risk causing serious damage to people's health.
Industrial welding activities can have serious health consequences due to the emission of fumes and toxic gases into the working environment. This is why it is essential to implement suitable welding fumes extraction systems in your company.
In this article, we propose solutions that we believe best meet this need.
Why welding fumes extraction systems are essential
Welding fumes contain a complex mixture of different heavy metals, including hexavalent chromium, manganese, nickel, lead and cadmium.
If inhaled, particles from these substances can enter the bronchi and lungs, with very dangerous consequences for the health of operators.
In many metalworking, maintenance and similar industries, continuous welding operations often produce high volumes of toxic fumes.
For this reason, there are specific regulations in all countries that oblige companies to adopt preventive measures and protections for workers.
Ventilation systems, while important for removing excess heat and humidity, are not enough to ensure a healthy working environment. These systems, in fact, do not remove toxic fumes, but serve to fulfil a basic requirement of a building, that of air exchange, with all the benefits that this entails.
Unlike ventilation, welding fume extraction must act in a localised manner, extracting smoke and dust at the source of emission.
Welding fumes extraction systems are therefore necessary, as well as compulsory, in those places where welding operations of any kind take place. These instruments work according to a very simple principle: air saturated with fumes and dust is sucked in, and expelled outside or, if possible, filtered and equally expelled or, if regulations permit, returned to the environment
The most effective systems are those that allow fumes to be extracted directly at the source, as soon as they are released, thus preventing them from being dispersed.
One welding fumes extraction system is not the same as another: the differences
There are two types of welding fume extraction systems:
- fixed systems - wall-mounted, with articulated arms of various lengths
- mobile units
When it comes to high welding fume volumes, a fixed system may be the best solution.
This is a fume extraction system consisting of arms specifically designed to collect welding fumes that are actually extracted by the fan, either in centralised systems or in systems with an extractor fan directly connected to the arm.
Fume extraction arms collect toxic pollutants on site, preventing them from spreading and being inhaled by technicians and operators.
There are different types of suction arms for a wide range of industrial applications, guaranteeing strength, durability and high performance even for high volumes of smoke production.
The arm can be:
- wall-mounted
- ceiling-mounted
- sliding on overhead track
WORKY SB series booms are designed to simplify and optimise the extraction of welding fumes; they can be installed on walls, ceilings or on a flag extension to reach large distances, and are equipped with a shutter damper
Suction benches are also part of the fixed solutions for smoke extraction: In this case:
- fumes are sucked in from the countertop or side walls
- the particles are collected in a removable drawer
- the remaining smoke is sucked in by a suction system
- to which you can add a filter
In this way, hazardous substances are removed at the very moment they are produced, so that they are not breathed in by the operator.
This solution is advantageous not only for its effectiveness, but also because it allows space optimisation, as it can also be used as a normal workbench and adapted as required.
The suction benches of the SAB series consist of an extremely resistant surface (available in various sizes); depending on requirements, the suction bench can be supplied in a simple version, i.e. without suction for centralised systems, with directly coupled suction and with vertical walls.
Mobile filtration units are recommended when the welding area is not defined and welding activities are sporadic
Mobile units consist of an extractor fan and complete with a battery of filters so that the extracted and filtered air can be immediately returned to the environment when the regulations allow it
Depending on the configuration of the workspace, the frequency and intensity of welding, the type and size of welded materials and the welding methodology used, customised systems must be designed.
One of WORKY's strengths is precisely its ability to develop customised projects for the industrial sector, which meet and satisfy even the most challenging demands by designing ad hoc solutions for each specific case.
If you are looking for welding fumes extraction systems for your company, book a free, personalised consultation with our technicians!
