Fume Collectors and Smoke Collection Systems

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Advanced Fume Collection

The National Safety Council (NSC) says that, the majority of occupational health hazards arise from inhaling chemical agents in the form of vapors, gases, dusts, fumes and mists. While many materials are fairly nontoxic under normal circumstances, when heated or machined, their byproducts can be released as toxic fumes and gasses. These emissions can include such substances as chromium, nickel, arsenic, asbestos, cadmium and nitrogen oxides. Breathing of these hazardous fumes and gasses, especially for prolonged periods, can damage the upper respiratory tract and lungs and may cause a wide variety of serious, even fatal, long term complications.

Is is important, wherever there are industrial processes that create vapors and dusts, that these dangerous chemicals are extracted from plant air, before they can negatively impact the health of workers. (Note the new OSHA standard for PEL of hexavalent chromium.) Not only is OSHA compliance necessary, but overall plant efficiency depends upon safe and healthy indoor air quality.

Every company requires a different solution for effective fume and dust collection. Each application presents its own unique set of considerations — the type process; the material being, cut or polished; coatings on that material; the number of operators working in a given area; the length of time of operation as well as the general ventilation of the plant. Many factors can affect the amount of fume generated and the toxicity hazards of those emissions.

What is the compositition and size of the contaminant? Is it large particulate (dust). sub-micron particulate (fumes), Wet or dry — mists, gases or smoke? Are there heavy metals? Acid mists? Dioxins? What is the size and position of the source? The position and work flow of the operator? What capture velocity is required for this application?

Do you need the high-volume of a central cartridge collector or the focused source capture of an extraction arm? Which type filtration is best suited for your application? A ducted electrostatic precipitator for removing oily mists and smoke, or a modular media filter system combining carbon, HEPA and other filters, each with specific gas and particulate capture capabilities?

Do you require compact portability?  Is a downdraft table, a backdraft bench or a vacuum extraction nozzle the most efficient strategy for your particular application? Do you have special considerations like working with high temperatures or explosive materials? What about maintenance ? And of course a cost-benefits analysis will be central to your final decision.