What Is A Fume Extraction System?

A fume extractor system operates to remove harmful or dangerous gases, dust and fumes from an environment such as a factory or a warehouse. A fume extraction system rids the air of toxic fumes which are frequently produced during the creation process of products which can be detrimental to employees, the equipment they are using, and the environment around them.

Here at Purex, we provide a premium fume extraction service offering unparalleled customer service, lead times and technical support. Learn more about if your business needs a fume extraction system, and what you could be risking by not installing one for your workplace.

Who needs a fume extraction system?

In short, more companies than you’d think.

Large companies, such as laser coding businesses and electronic soldering companies, are typically aware of the requirement for fume extraction systems in their business environment. However, some several companies and industries aren’t yet aware of the pressing need for fume extraction.

Industries that can benefit from fume extraction include:

• Laser coding/laser marking companies – laser coding products, for example, the machines behind the imprinted date on a can of coke, would create fumes and debris that need extracting.
• Electronic soldering companies – hand soldering or massive machines are used on PCB boards, which then creates a large risk of solder fumes.
• Welding industry – with new pressures from health and safety departments, the welding industry creates thick debris from large OEM welding equipment, leading to a requirement for fume extraction systems.
• Additive manufacturing companies – for example, 3D printing companies are the most common type of additive manufacturing company that uses fume extraction, but as this is a huge industry, many areas are still unaware of their needs for fume extraction.

Although there are a number of industries that are still yet to understand their need for fume extraction, the impact of the pandemic has shone a light on the desire to understand what you’re breathing in, and if your air is clean. The notion of healthy air has then led to more industries and companies enquiring about the air they’re breathing in at work, too, which then lends itself to fume extraction.

What happens if you don’t have a fume extraction system?

• Poor health

By not removing the fumes created in the atmosphere of a work environment, can cause a number of health problems. This can range from merely a small nuisance – such as a runny nose or itchy skin – to more serious conditions, such as occupational asthma occurring (a type of asthma which is caused by exposure to inhaled irritants in the workplace), needing a lung transplant, or even becoming a contributing cause to fatality.

• Equipment damage leading to business downtime

As well as employees’ health and safety, by not extracting the fumes from a work environment, this is likely to damage the equipment or the products themselves, too. For example, for a laser coding business, you may make a significant investment in a laser which could then become damaged by a build-up of gasses and particles – so by not having a sufficient fume extractive operation in place, this could cost the business money due to replacing equipment and causing expensive company downtime.

• Detrimental impact on the environment

Not only are employees’ health and safety at risk, but by not extracting and filtering, you could be harming the user, or anyone within the vicinity of the process – as well as the environment, too. If your machines or equipment are producing harmful gases, these gases have to go somewhere – so by blowing them out of a window, you could then instead be harming anyone outside, as well as the atmosphere and environment. Extracting but not filtering the fumes will simply mean the source of the contaminants is passed on to where the air is extracted.

How we support your fume extraction needs

Firstly, we would want to understand what your current process is – and what you need. This is to identify if you would still be able to undergo the same process if a fume extraction system is operating simultaneously – and understand the balance between both the business needs and extraction needs. We would also assist you in selecting the correct equipment to meet UK legislation around extraction equipment.

Why choose Purex?

Here at Purex, we provide unparalleled service and support – including our response times, start-to-end project, general help and continued support. We offer 24-hour technical support meaning there is a member of our expert team on the other end of the phone every time of day.

We also provide a significantly shorter lead time than our competitors. Enquire now to find out more about fume extraction for your business today. Alternatively, check your existing fume extraction system by booking an LEV Test with our team.