Any welding process involves increasing the temperature until melting point is reached, and the pieces of metal are welded together, inevitably generating welding fumes. Delta NEU selects the best solution together with the on-site operator to customise the welding fume extraction system.
The key components to achieving appropriate collection at source is a suitably positioned fume extractor with a well designed hood, appropriate airflow, and a careful welder who places the hood so that the hazardous fumes are sucked away from his or her breathing zone and are also prevented from spreading throughout the premises
Capturing harmful substances at the point where they arise, local exhaust ventilation (LEV), is still the most effective method of extraction and also is mentioned right away in all regulations. This is the only way in which practically all welding fumes and other harmful substances can be captured.
All the same, in some work environments source capture units are insufficient or can only be used with difficulty.
This is where NEU Ventilation Systems help you to provide optimum health protection for your employees and to keep clean air in your workshops.
Cutting systems, of whatever kind, must primarily do one thing – cut in a qualitative and effective optimal manner. This predicates not only optimal plasma, laser or oxy-fuel systems but a cutting table perfectly tailored to the needs. That’s not all. The smoke that is generated in thermal cutting of metal must be extracted away to prevent any risk arising to the health of anyone in the vicinity. Dust, sparks and smoke represent a risk to machinery as well in the long term and may hamper its functioning.
The filtered air is returned to the work room or redirected to the outside via a duct.
For the extraction and filtration of welding fumes, NEU offers mobile and fixed extraction solutions depending on the application.
Welding fumes are made up of gas and sub-micron size dust particles.
Respiratory risk
If inhaled by an operator, the fumes can penetrate the alveolar ducts of the operators' respiratory systems, causing inflammation of the lungs. The quality of air in the production premises of the transport industry has an effect on productivity and can be a contributing factor to absenteeism due to occupational diseases.
To reduce occupational exposure to fumes in the aerospace sector, welding stations in particular are equipped with a welding fume extraction system. This is made up of an adapted (enclosed or induction) capturing system, a smoke removal unit, and a system which processes the fumes prior to discharging them outside the building.
Example of the aerospace sector
In the aerospace sector, the device used to extract fumes must primarily have an ergonomic design as this type of work requires high precision on the part of the operator. Therefore it is essential to establish whether or not welding fume extraction will be required. The capturing system must also be protected from the risk of ejections; and the same is true for the operator who must wear PPE. Another major criteria to bear in mind when choosing the right industrial smoke extractor is the noise level.