RoboVent

Welding Fumes Collection

Welding Fumes Collection

REDUCING THE RISK OF WELDING FUME EXPOSURE

One of the most serious causes of air quality problems in manufacturing facilities is the presence of weld fumes. In an interesting industrial twist, this challenge is getting more widespread because manufacturing is on the rise. After many years of off-shoring, manufacturing is seeing “re-shoring”—the return of manufacturing jobs to domestic shores. Manufacturers are finding the advantage of having suppliers close to home, which helps improve lean operations and better control inventory. Also, technological advances have brought costs down. All of these factors have made domestic production cost competitive with cheap overseas labor. All of this new manufacturing means a lot of welding is happening, and employers must be conscious of weld fumes and their effects on workers.

Another factor elevating the dangers of weld fumes is the proliferation of robotic welding operations. These welding stations are growing in popularity due to their well proven efficiency, precision and return on investment. These welding stations maintain a welding arc much longer than manual welders, however, producing large amounts of weld fumes. Mitigation of these fumes is more important than ever.