Fumex manufactures a complete line of laser cutter fume extractor systems specifically designed for industrial processes that generate laser fumes. The smoke generated during the laser cutting process is actually comprised of very fine dust particles that can harm workers and equipment. These particulate contaminants can be properly controlled with Fumex high-efficiency fume and dust collectors. Applications include:

• Laser cutting of metals: tubes, sheet, parts
• Laser cutting of plastics: pipe, manufactured parts, sheet - acrylic
• Laser cutting of labels: plastic, paper

Our laser cutter fume control systems remove 99.97% of laser fumes. These fume extractors are permanent or portable, cost efficient and reliable with a 2-year warranty, and they're American Made. They are suitable for most environments including: commercial/industrial locations, offices, schools, universities, and museums.

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Laser Cutting Health Issues

Many health and safety hazards are associated with laser fumes from laser cutters, markers, engravers and laser printers. The type and severity of the hazard depends on the material being cut. Whatever material you are cutting, a material safety data sheet (MDS) is a good starting point for identifying health risks.

OSHA has established permissible exposure limits based on an 8‐hour time-weighted average (TWA) for hundreds of dusts, including many metal dusts generated in laser cutting. One of the more dangerous dusts is hexavalent chromium. Hex chrome is generated when cutting stainless steel and other metals that contain chromium. Overexposure to hex chrome is proven to cause lung cancer and a myriad of other major health problems.

In 2006 OSHA published a new rule for hex chrome exposure. It drastically reduced the permissible level of exposure in the workplace from 52 to 5 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) – a tenfold reduction. OSHA stipulates that every company with a process that generates hex chrome must use air-quality monitoring to determine the 8-hour TWA exposure for each worker who is affected. The best systems, like those from Fumex, use source capture to control the dust and smoke at the point of generation.

Regarding health and safety risks as a whole, the only way to get a proper assessment is through a hazard analysis, conducted by an engineer knowledgeable about the process and OSHA regulations.

Some Things You Should Consider

The right size: If a fume collector is too small – which some consider in an attempt to minimize investment – it can’t perform its job properly; if over sized, you pay too much and loose valuable floor space. Sizing is critical. It is a function of the open area on the table zones, the thickness and type of material being cut, the laser wattage, the feet per minute of cut and the hours of operation. A Fumex air filtration specialist can help calculate the right size fume extraction system for your application. Call today.

Proper noise control: This must be designed into the system. Fan exhaust from fume collection systems can be very noisy, creating a fatiguing and hazardous environment. Our fume extractors are whisper quiet.

Maintenance: The well-designed and properly sized fume extractors from Fumex are engineered to keep maintenance to a minimum. The only operator inputs are occasional replacement of the filters. This is very important to ensure that filters are effectively controlling dust and fumes.

Fumex air filtration systems are comprised of inexpensive pre-filters, HEPA filters and large gas/odor filters that remove potentially harmful laser cutting fumes and returns purified air to the workplace. Our laser cutter fume extractors come with variable speed blowers and filter monitoring which allow for implementation into a variety of applications. VOC sensors indicate when filters need to be replaced to insure safe operating conditions.