Manual laser welding fumes, mobile and fixed solutions

During the last year, our technicians have reported an increasing demand for extraction cleaners for laser welding fumes, to put in safety operators and working environment. The reason for this growth in demand is due to the fact that laser welding technology was until recently applied more than anything else to complex and expensive automatic systems, while in recent years technological development has allowed to use this innovative welding process also in manual mode, increasing productivity and reducing costs with unprecedented aesthetic and penetration results.

This method also avoids some rework, such as grinding, cleaning or deformation recovery, which is not a small step in an advanced production cycle.

What is laser welding?

Laser welding (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is a fusion welding method where metals or thermoplastics are joined by a focused laser beam. It is the most advanced welding process and is applied in different industries, from aerospace and medical equipment to the production of high jewelry.

In practice, during laser welding, an extremely concentrated beam of light is focused on the cavity between the materials to be joined. The laser beam, thanks to its characteristics, dissolves the materials at the seams and unites them to form a joint.

Laser welding operations, even if commonly defined as “cleaner”, are not at all exempt from the problem of welding fumes, because although invisible to the human eye, laser welders operate at high temperatures and create easily incapacitated fumes.
Infrared studies and images are available of the laser welding beam that creates invisible fumes, this means that they are composed of very small particles, highly volatile and as we know the smaller the particulate matter, the more it is inhalable and dangerous for workers.

Laser welding technology uses a laser beam as a high concentration heat source to join materials. The applied laser beam heats and melts the edges of the materials, forming a joint. During this process, welding fumes are developed which, as is already the case with other welding techniques, must be absolutely sucked in at the source before they reach the respiratory tract of the operators and dispersed in the environment.

They can then be expelled outside or filtered with abatement systems specifically designed for this application.

As we have seen it is essential not to breathe fumes and micro-powders released in the environment during welding, to avoid this, it is possible to rely on a welding flue gas purifier of the MFU series that represents the maximum of technology for the drastic reduction of the risks derived from fumes and micro-powders within professional working environments.

The manual laser welding fumes are quickly sucked into the source thanks to the high-capacity hood and are subsequently filtered to 99.99% thanks to HEPA technology, a guarantee of abatement of the 0.3 µm micro-powders to rise.

The MFU welding fume aspirator is W3 certified compliant for the filtration of carcinogens as required by EN 15102, a fundamental aspect to be sure to adequately eliminate all the pollutant particles produced.