Fume Extraction Systems
Fume extraction is becoming a more necessary solution for clean air as industrial companies adjust to continued research findings and government health regulations. Understanding fume extraction systems and how they work are key factors when considering industrial air extraction in manufacturing applications. While each system is designed for a specific purpose, fume extraction systems have one common goal - to clean the air and filter harmful fumes.
Welding systems are capable of vacuuming out unwanted contaminants in your facility preventing adverse long term health effects for your welders and other employees in the area. Powerful systems are designed to extract nearly all smoke and ease the workload of air purification systems. Some of the systems in your plant may look like a small, portable unit that connects to a MIG torch. An overhead arm that sits above the welder’s station, or at source capture in the MIG torch. A combination often solves the problems many manufacturers are facing with air quailty. Our units are designed to integrate with common solutions and prove to be effective with other systems as well. Capture fumes at the source and make the most ideal air quality solution to optimize the health of your workplace.
Fume Extraction System Product Solutions
There are several ways to improve extraction solutions in your plant. We designed products that are accessible for both manual and robotic welding operations.
Much like a conventional household vacuum, extraction vacuum systems are designed to house the unwanted debris and particulate bi-products that are produced when welding in the plant. The power, capability, and durability of each machine is what allow source capture systems, like our xFUME® MIG Guns, to operate as effectively as they do.
xFUME® Extraction Systems in Action
ABICOR BINZEL has designed fume extraction systems to capture harmful contaminants at the arc to improve welder safety and the overall air quality in industrial settings. Paired with a high-powered vacuum system, this welding fume extraction equipment provides optimal smoke extraction.
All information about Fume Extraction Systems at a glance
How Do These Systems Work?
The inner housing of a fume extraction system has a filter and a motor that creates negative static pressure. From a functional standpoint it is a simple system. The unit create vacuum pressure using a motor/blower like in a shop vac. A turbine within the unit spins at a rapid rate to create the power needed to collect fumes while the welder’s welds with the torch. These industrial designed systems use specific blowers to get the very high static pressure you need to work with a welding torch.
Fume extraction systems are used for all kinds of processes that create smoke in an industrial environment. You can use a fume extraction unit with a funnel or other kind of extraction kit to sit next to a non-source capturing welding or grinding application. Many are designed specifically to deal with source capture welding, where you use an accompanying at-source extraction welding gun at the same time, keeping contaminants from the welder's breathing zone, all with the same tool.
Extraction units connect to any kind of properly fitted extraction hose kit to bring you as close as possible to the type of air pollution you are trying to capture. The most common use for a fume extraction unit is to connect to a fume extraction welding gun. But, if you weld with a TIG torch, or wish to utilize smoke extraction is a robotic application, there are funnels, boots kits, or other attachments that can be used to capture bi-products at the source.
Some basic systems are made just for one welding gun, but there are some portable systems equipped for more than one torch. These will usually feature more powerful motors and bigger filters that can handle more than one MIG or TIG torch at a time. If you use an extraction system, for instance, that uses four ports, make sure your equipment requirement matches the capacity of the unit so it’s still providing the right amount of static pressure for each welder or extraction gun.
How Are Fume Collection Filters Maintained?
The particles collected can be disposed of in two different manners. One approach is a replaceable filter where the particles collect on the filter membrane itself. When the filter membrane is full by being packed with dust, you simply replace the filter with a new one.
Another approach is using a cleanable filter, where the particles deposit into a membrane and are pushed down to a collection bin. – either with a wand (pictured) or an automatic filter cleaning mechanism with the extraction unit, then collect the particles at the collection bin to dispose of either through landfill waste or recycling. These types of extraction systems with self-cleaning filters can be used multiple times before needing a replacement. Often, they can last up to a year in service life.
Sometimes, the vacuum unit does not provide equipment to clean the filter, so to clean the filter it must be removed and done manually. When the filter needs cleaning, all of the weld fume particles have settled into the pleated material of the filter. If you don’t have a self-cleaning system within the unit, these filters have to be manually cleaned, which is done by removing the filter and using compressed air to separate the fume particles from the pleat. This is not considered a safe or effective practice. The risks and hazards of include introducing more metal particles into the air and contaminating the surrounding area. If a fume extraction system promotes itself as self-cleaning but isn’t able to do so without physically removing the filter, consider your system to have disposable filters.
The other important component is the filtration of air within a fume extraction system. Some systems use a one-step filtration through a filter cartridge that you replace when full. Another has pre-filters and post-filters with HEPA but it all depends on the application and how you can improve filtering. The filter itself uses membrane filtration. You can find filters rated for filtering chrome hexavalent particles released by welding stainless steel. The use of the right filter is critical to achieving an effective fume extraction performance and air quality.
Optional Features of Fume Extraction Systems
Among the options that exist for fume extraction systems include:
- Automatic Start-Stop
- Power Adjustment
- Automatic Cleaning
- Shunt Alarms
Automatic start-stop features activate and deactivate the extraction process in the system based on whether the fume extraction gun is welding or not. With this feature, the system will activate immediately once the welding fun begins to strike an arc. When the welder stops welding, a slight delay allows the smoke to travel through the system before deactivating the unit. This feature can be very helpful to keep the blower from unnecessary use and often reduces maintenance costs and noise levels.
Power adjustment is the ability to control the static pressure during extraction. Typically power adjustment is most useful for adjusting the blower against the parameters of the weld machine and protecting shielding gas. While reducing power can help reduce noise and energy consumption, these features also help in the event of weld porosity or gas turbulence within the weld. These are not common occurrences with fume extraction welding with higher-performing fume extraction gun and extraction system.
Automatic cleaning allows for the filter to be self-cleaned by the fume extraction system when a certain level of dust collects into the filter. The system is either on a timer, or it is able to detect the need for cleaning by measuring the difference in actual static pressure against the pre-set power of the unit, which then initiates a self-cleaning of the filter. The welder can continue to weld while this process takes place.
Shunt alarms are signals – either through a light of a gauge – to signal to the welder the need to replace the filter. This feature can be part of an extraction system with automatic cleaning or without if you were to use a system with a replaceable filter.
How Fume Extraction Systems are Made
The outside casing are typically made of metal sheets. They are made this way because you want a unit to hold up to use and abuse within the industrial environment of a plant. Most of these units will use plastic components on the hoods or the controls of the unit, which prove to be durable over time.
The blower section, the filter section, and the dust collection section are the three working parts of the unit. The blower creates static pressure, the filter section cleans the air that you capture and returns filtered air back into the environment, and the collection system is where the weld fume dust accumulates through the fume extraction process.
The fumes are collected by the filter. These fumes are pulled into the filter and the particles are blocked by the membrane of the filter. Some extraction systems have a cleaning function that cleans the filter as you push the air all around the unit as dust particles drop into the collection area.
Fume Extraction Portability and Flexibility
When using overhead hoods, you are stuck with a stationary fume extraction system that doesn't remove smoke from the welder's breathing zone. Because of this, it serves only one purpose. The challenges of non-portable equipment are directly linked to welder safety and overall productivity issues in the welding operation and having an at-source option often offers distinct advantages.
Welders may have to work in different areas of the plant. With a stationary system, this can lead to fumes spreading and potentially never being extracted.
When you move, your equipment should be able to follow. For systems that are specifically designed to solve problems, they should never cause limitations in your operation. The need for portability is a necessary component to fume extraction solutions as your workers will likely never be in one place at all times.
Investment and portability are important factors to consider. Investing in a stationary fume extraction system may work best for a small plant or single welder, but in the long run, will not be ideal for welder health and as you grow and develop your facility there may be more concerns with regulations and cost effectiveness.
Fume Extraction System Power
The difference in power requirements directly affects the ability to collect fume. Typically, the higher the power requirement for the system leads to more performance but it is important to know what your specific welding application requirements are. Factors like metal type, wire size, amperage rating, weld position, and wire feed speed will all have an impact on the static pressure and flow requirement you will have for the right fume extraction system.
High vacuum and low vacuum systems can also be found on the market. A low vacuum system uses less power and produces less flow, which may not be suited for all styles of fume extraction MIG guns. These entry-level units typically will have small filters and limited features. High vacuum portable extraction system h the capacity and strength of the blower to make sure it fits the application. The less powerful units are in the 1-kilowatt range, while the most powerful fume extraction systems – at least for a portable system – can get up to 8-kilowatt in power.
The vital part of any fume extraction system is the blower. The flow and pressure the blower creates will be proportional to the electrical requirements.
Noise
Portable fume extraction systems typically generate a lot of noise. The size of the motor and power of the blower will create a definite noise intensity.
The better units will use a system that dampens the level of noise created. Usually 68 to 85 dba is a commonly accepted decibel level for a portable fume extraction unit.
eBook – The Complete Guide to Fume Extraction
Recommended Reading
- Fume Extraction System Problems and Solutions
- How to Test Your Fume Extraction System
- 5 Fume Extraction Questions You Should Know Before Starting
- Fume Extraction Units: Tell a Good One from the Rest
- Fume Extraction Filter Review: Picking the Best Filter for the Job
- 3 Problems with Contact Tips (and How to Overcome Them)
- Understanding Contact Tips
Capture Weld Fumes Where They Begin, Not Where They End
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