Is a welding fume extractor necessary in the company?

A welding fume extractor is essential in industrial work environments to safeguard the health of operators and prevent them from inhaling potentially hazardous substances.

In addition to enabling safe work, a fume extraction system increases the efficiency and productivity of the company.

Let's delve into this topic in today's article!

How to choose the most suitable welding fume extractor

Companies in which welding activities are prolonged throughout the day and produce large amounts of fumes must necessarily be equipped with a fume extraction system.

In fact, dust from welding activities contains a mixture of several metals-including hexavalent chromium, manganese, nickel, lead and cadmium-whose particles, if inhaled, can be harmful to the bronchi and lungs.

For this reason, in each country, there are precise regulations that oblige employers to take precise preventive measures to significantly reduce the risk.

Companies often decide to install ventilation systems to cope with the problem. However, these systems are not sufficient to make the work environment safe as they do not eliminate toxic fumes, but merely provide air exchange within the building.

An exhaust system, on the other hand, acts in a localized manner and removes toxic fumes directly at the source of emission, expelling them outside. If possible, the air is first filtered and, at a later stage, fed back into the environment.

If the fumes are captured at the emission source, the risk of them escaping into the environment is practically zero!

So far we have talked about the problem of safe and healthy work environment, now let's move on to the next point.

A welding fume extractor also increases efficiency and productivity

It is important to highlight how a healthy and safe work environment, in which technicians and operators can perform at their best, allows for increased profits.

In fact, modern industrial vacuum cleaners and state-of-the-art technologies make it possible to speed up work, optimizing time and resources, and achieve optimal results at a lower cost.

At the same time:

• don't get in the way of technicians' work
• are functional, practical and intuitive
• are energy efficient

With proper design of the work area, taking into account the actual needs of the workshop, it will be possible to make sure that tools are always at hand, facilitating operators' activities.

All this gives staff the opportunity to finish more tasks in less time while maintaining high quality standards.

Moreover, if you opt for the introduction of welding benches, which can also be used as regular workbenches in case of sporadic work with portable tools, you will greatly optimize the available space.

Suction benches are part of the fixed solutions for fume extraction:

• fumes are drawn in from the countertop or side walls
• particles are collected in a special removable drawer
• the remaining smoke is sucked up by a vacuum system

SAB series suction benches are composed of a very durable surface; depending on the need, the suction bench can be supplied in a simple version, i.e., without an aspirator for centralized systems, with a directly coupled aspirator, and with vertical walls.

In order to achieve a safe, efficient, and productive work environment, it is critical that the provider knows how to recommend the right solution for each specific need.

Specifically:

• stationary systems offer high suction power and require permanent installation and a dedicated area
• mobile systems, on the other hand, are mounted on wheeled units and can be moved smoothly from one area to another

Stationary welding extractors can be of two types:

• with wall- or ceiling-mounted arms or hoods: fumes are captured by articulated arms or hoods and conveyed to the extractor fan, then expelled outside
• conduit with sliding elements: in this case, the arm can be shared among several stations located along the conduit; as needed, the arm is slid by the operator

Mobile systems, on the other hand, consist of two macro-solutions:

• SMOBIPLUS -very compact and suitable for extracting welding fumes in light and infrequent applications
• SMOBIMAX - for heavier and medium-duty applications given its more powerful motor equipment

WORKY designs smoke extraction systems according to customers' needs, assisting them with:

• field consulting
• attentive and punctual business service
• installation of the system
• after-sales service

If you are looking for a welding fume extractor for your company, book a free consultation with our experts to learn more!