In the spirit of World Environment Day, we’re focusing on sustainability and clean air. Filters are essential to a fume extractor’s ability to help keep you safe from carcinogens.
Filters in welding fume extraction systems serve to remove contaminants from the air. These contaminants arise from the welding process and consist of oxides based on the materials being welded. Silica, iron, chromium, nickel, titanium, cobalt, and copper are only a few examples of some of the materials found in welding fumes that workers are at risk of inhaling.
Exposure to these vapors causes a variety of health issues, irritating the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Some short-term side effects of continued exposure include metal fume fever. Continued chronic exposure can lead to the development of cancer.
Welding fume extractors can protect you and your employees from these health risks by keeping the vapors away from your breathing zone and removing these particles, purifying the air. Throughout the fume extractor’s operation, the filter accumulates debris and dust. Regular maintenance is a necessity to ensure continued worker health and safety.
Fume extractors are available in two different models to suit your needs. From here, we will focus on the benefits of self-cleaning fume extractors.
As stated previously, regular maintenance is a necessity with fume extractors as the filter media becomes clogged with the debris throughout the unit’s operation. In many cases, this would typically require maintenance downtime to replace the filter. Self-cleaning units can save on this downtime by automatically clearing the filter media of debris as air pressure in the system drops.
Self-cleaning fume extractors are available in mobile units, such as the MFS or heavy-duty MobilePro, stationary units like the SFS, or in the DraftMax downdraft table.
Another benefit of self-cleaning fume extractors is ongoing cost savings. As the name implies, these units clean the filters automatically, eliminating or severely reducing the need to pay for continuing filter replacements.
Whether you need a self-cleaning or disposable fume extractor will largely depend on your production output. While self-cleaning units may have higher upfront costs, they can be considered long-term investments. Benefits of self-cleaning units include optimal uptime, less maintenance, ongoing operational savings, and cleaner air at work.
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