Fume Extractor & Welding Fume Extractor Suppliers

It’s exactly as it sounds; a machine that extracts and filters harmful fumes in commercial and industrial workplaces. A fume extractor and filter sucks in the fumes which are then trapped by the filter system. This is generally a three-stage system whereby large particles are trapped at stage one, smaller particles at stage two and gases at stage three. All that’s left is clean air which is then pumped back into the workplace.

Workers are more healthy which means less downtime and loss of productivity. Not all fume extractors have the full three stage filter system and the nature of your operation and fume-removal requirements will determine how much filtering you need.

• Welding workshops. Welding fumes and airborne contaminants are serious issues.
• Soldering workshops - Solder fume extractor. Similar to welding, soldering operations have moved to friendlier lead-free soldering processes, which, ironically, create more fumes. While better for the environment, operators are at greater risk.
• Industrial laser work - Laser cutter fume extractor. Whether marking, cutting or engraving, industrial lasers create contaminants in the form of gases and particles, both highly toxic.
• Chemical cleaning. A significant number of chemicals contain acetones, acids and other dangerous respiratory irritants that need to be extracted before they cause harm.

There are many for all applications from small welding shops to large plants.

• Downdraft backdraft tables. Simple, effective source-capture systems that draw fumes away through exhaust ducting.
• Portable high vacuum. Ideal for smaller spaces and areas larger units can’t reach such as in ship hulls and tanks.
• Mobile fume extractors. Very much the Johnny-On-The-Spot option as these units can be wheeled wherever fumes are accumulating. They also come in light, medium and heavy-duty forms to suit most industry sizes.
• Stationary fume extractors. Available in light to heavy-duty forms, stationary extractors are fixed to walls in high-risk fume workspaces to save space and provide consistent action against contaminants.

• What size is the workspace?
• What’s the nature of the work?
• Are fume problems confined to one area?
• Do fume levels vary from space to space depending on what operation is underway at the time?
• Does space allow for floor extraction units or would wall-mounted units be more efficient?
• Do the fumes present require three-stage extraction?

Believe it or not, you can pick up a fume extractor for about $140 but it’s not recommended. Not when decent, reliable units sell for around $3,600 and top end units for a little over $9,000. Workplace health and safety is an investment every business should make.

The biggest problem is when a fume extractor doesn’t do its primary job – collect fumes. Usually, this is because of a gas flow problem when the flow of shielding gas is too high. Fume extractors can sometimes run at reduced power, but this is not generally a fault with the unit, more that the power to the unit is insufficient.

Preventative maintenance is essential to keep a fume extractor and filter running at its optimal level. Here are some regular checks you should make.

• Check and clean all hoses
• Check hoses for holes, kinks or cracks
• Check filters and replace if necessary