Dust and Fume Collection for Welding

Worker safety is critically important in welding applications. A huge priority should be placed on clean air when welding, since welding smoke has been linked to a variety of illnesses. A well designed and maintained dust and fume collection system is needed to prevent respiratory problems and keep facilities in compliance with current air quality requirements. In some cases, a good dust collection and ventilation system can eliminate the need for personal respirators and the challenges of getting employees to wear them.

Also, the equipment currently used in fabricating plants has reached a new level of sophistication. Robotic welding and other computerized systems are more sensitive than machinery was 10 or 20 years ago. If dust is not collected properly from welding stations or similar areas, a million-dollar investment can be ruined in no time. Several photos of dust collector installations on welding applications can be viewed here.

FAQ: Can I recirculate the air from the dust collector back into my shop?

The answer is yes in almost all cases. It make sense to save on energy costs by returning heated or air conditioned air back into the workspace after it exits the dust collector. When using recirculating dust collection systems, special safety and performance concerns must be addressed. Often, a secondary bank of filters acts as a 'safety filter' to prevent collected dust from re-entering the workspace should there be a leak in the dust collector's primary filters.

Read the online article, Recirculating Air From Dust Collectors. It discusses benefits, safety issues, meeting OSHA IAQ standards, filter media and monitoring, and explores fire and explosion concerns. Also, here is a case study on a dust collector installation where cleaned air was recirculated back into the workspace, allowing considerable savings in heating costs during the long and cold New Hampshire winters. This is a woodworking application. The same principle could be applied to recirculated cooled air on a hot summer day in Texas!