In recent years, the stricter EIA system has put some companies under certain pressure. Some companies may still feel that EIA is unnecessary and increase the burden on their own companies. But is that really ture? Is EIA really necessary for factories? Let's take the fume pollution in the welding workshop as an example to see how important it is to control the welding fume in the welding workshop!

The case of welding fume extractor

Mr. Li is a welder in a metal manufacturing factory. Recently, after using an electric welder, he always feels uncomfortable, itchy, dry, and coughs violently from time to time. After going to the hospital for a careful examination, it was found that Mr. Li was suffering from respiratory diseases due to long-term exposure to a heavily polluted environment. It turned out that recently Mr. Li's factory was rushing forward, working overtime to do electric welding, and then Mr. Li had not taken the necessary protective measures, so that fume entered the body and caused respiratory diseases.

Yes, the respiratory disease mentioned in the above story is caused by welding fume. The hazards of welding fume to the human body are far more than this:

The harmful gas: Welding fume

Welding fume usually contain harmful substances such as acetaldehyde, rosin acid, isocyanate, sulfide, etc. When they invade human liver, lungs, cardiovascular and blood through the respiratory tract, these toxic substances will swallow human health and cause many occupational diseases, such as lung cancer, asthma, bronchitis, respiratory infections, etc.

Among the occupational diseases caused by welding fume, pneumoconiosis is the most serious. Pneumoconiosis is caused by long-term inhalation of welding fume and dust during the production process. It is a disease mainly caused by fibrosis of lung tissue and causes irreversible damage to the lungs.

Different types welding fume extraction

In general, if welding workshop wants to do environmental assessment well, it must be equipped with a corresponding fume extraction system, such as portable fume extractor, to reduce the total concentration of fume in the workshop and prevent fume pollution from harming human health.

At present, the more common fume extraction on the market are as follows:

• Mobile welding fume extractor: It has a 360-degree freely hovering exhaust arm. The appearance of the equipment is small, flexible and movable. It is suitable for small welding workshops and factories with fewer welding stations.

• Central fume extraction system: It has a pipeline network, through one-to-one pipeline collection, to complete the welding fume collection and purification of the whole workshop, generally, this is suitable for factories with more workstations and larger workpieces.

• Fume filter tower: It integrates the advantages of mobile and central in design, avoiding the defects of mobile and central. It does not require pipeline laying as a whole, plug and play, and the high-efficiency fan has a strong fume collection and purification function, and the purification radius can reach 15m. It is generally suitable for tall workshops and factories who have irregular parts and large workpiece.

The appplication of fume extraction

In this scenario, a welding smoke purifier is installed directly above each welding station or in a centralized location to capture the fumes. The purifier works as follows:

• Capture: As the welder works, the smoke produced is drawn into the purifier through a high-efficiency capture arm or a downdraft table, which is positioned close to the welding arc to capture fumes at their source.

• Filtration: Inside the purifier, the fumes pass through a series of filters, including pre-filters to capture larger particles and more advanced HEPA filters to trap finer particles down to 0.3 microns in size. Activated carbon filters may also be used to adsorb and neutralize chemical gases and odors.

• Clean Air Return: Once the air is filtered, it is either recirculated back into the workspace or expelled outside, depending on the system design. This ensures that the air quality in the factory remains at a safe and healthy level.

In modern factories, welding fume extractors play a crucial role in maintaining a clean and healthy working environment. These devices are specifically designed to capture and filter hazardous welding fumes, ensuring the air quality meets safety standards. By removing toxic gases and particles from the air, welding fume extractors protect workers' respiratory health and reduce the risk of occupational diseases. Additionally, these purifiers contribute to a cleaner production process, minimizing the buildup of smoke and dust on machinery and products, which in turn enhances product quality and equipment lifespan. Overall, the implementation of welding smoke extractor in factories is essential for safeguarding employees' well-being and maintaining a productive manufacturing process.