Why should welding fume exhaust systems be used near the source?

Welding fume exhaust systems are necessary in workplaces where welding takes place: the fumes released by welding, if inhaled, are harmful to workers’ health. To limit their impact as much as possible, they should be extracted at the source.

Welding is one of the most common processes in many industrial sectors. During the operation, the welding materials and consumables release fumes, dust, gasses and vapours with a high concentration of harmful chemical substances. Unless extracted or removed, these substances remain in the air in the form of tiny particles and risk being inhaled by the workers.

To neutralise any threat, metalworking, maintenance, and similar companies must use special welding fume extraction systems. If this is your case, continue reading to find out more.

 

Why extract welding fume near the source?

Welding fume extraction systems work according to a simple but effective principle: the air saturated with fumes and dust is extracted, filtered and expelled outside, or where possible, returned sanitised and deodorised to the environment.

Fume extraction systems are most efficient when the hoods positioned on the arms can draw in the fumes as soon as they are released, directly at the source: before they have time to disperse and reach the technician's respiratory tract.

 

Types of welding fume extraction systems

There are two main different types of welding fume extraction systems available, depending on the needs of your work area:

• stationary systems (wall-mounted, with different sized hinged arms, or exhaust benches, equipped with extractors and, possibly, filters)
• mobile systems (trolleys).

Stationary systems are generally designed for situations where welding is frequent and heavy-duty. Trolley systems, on the other hand, are intended for workplaces where welding is occasional and less intense.

 

Stationary extraction systems

The typical configuration of a stationary welding fume extraction system includes: one or more articulated arms, a filter, an electric-vacuum and connection and expulsion pipes. In alternative to the arm, there are different types of welding benches.

We can design both types of systems at WORKY:

• SB series arms are designed to simplify and optimise welding fume extraction; they can be installed on the wall, on the ceiling or on a boom extension to reach significant distances, and they come equipped with a shutter on the hood.

SBB: 150 mm diameter self-supporting articulated arm, boom extension, equipped with support bracket and shutter

 

SBF has an extremely flexible welding fume extraction system arm thanks to its robust internal structure which allows for a range of possible positions. The arm can be attached to the ceiling, or to the wall - with or without a boom extension. The SBF arm can also be installed in sliding systems with the WORKY GAT conduit which can cover large work areas. The SBF arm is also equipped with a watertight closing shutter (one of a kind).

 

• SAB series exhaust benches are made up of different sized surfaces that offer maximum resistance and reduce operator contact with harmful fumes due to the fume. Depending on the needs, the exhaust bench can be supplied in a version, without a fan for centralised systems, or a stand alone version with a directly coupled fan and with vertical walls.

SAB-FW: Bench with exhaust, equipped with non-sparking metal straw pre-filter, side exhaust walls and dust collection drawer

 

 

Mobile systems

Mobile systems are equipped with wheels making them easy to move from one work area to another. WORKY trolley extraction systems are made up of an exhaust, filter and 3 m hinged arm.

WORKY offers two lines, different in terms of suction power and maximum capacity:

• one (SMOBIPLUS) designed for light and sporadic applications
• the other (SMOBIMAX) suited for more intense and longer applications.

 

SMOBIPLUS: Trolley unit for the welding fume extraction and filtration through a 3 m arm, a battery of 4 filters, the last of which with activated carbon, and 1.5 hp suction power

 

SMOBIMAX-2B: Trolley unit with two 3 m arms, a battery of 4 filters, the last of which with activated carbon, and 3 hp suction power

 

The WORKY range of welding fume extraction systems does not end here; to find out more about all our available solutions, visit the specific section on our website or contact us directly. We will be happy to provide you with the information you need.

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