Production Line Integration of Lasers, Printers, and Fume Collection Units

In addition to coding most production lines create some dust, smoke, or chemical fume toxins.  To keep the work air safe for your staff and to protect the equipment from damage, a proper air cleaning of dust and fumes is vital.  Some production lines require air cleaning near the source of the pollution.  For example, near printers, lasers, soldering equipment or where welding is taking place. Other toxins could be released in the form of smoke or chemical fumes.  In each of these cases the volume of air that needs to be removed to capture the toxins will vary and, in some cases, hoods may be required to help improve the air-cleaning process.

Fume Extractors

Fume extractors are an effective way to remove toxins from the air for both large and small processes. A small process might be a single soldering station while a large process could be an entire factory with many different air filtering needs and in many locations.

In most cases, the best placement for a fume extractor is as near to the source of the fumes as possible.  By collecting the fumes at the source, the fumes cannot contaminate the air of the entire facility. This also prevents fumes from reaching equipment that could be damaged or cause down-time for cleaning.

So, when it comes to filtration bigger is not always better.  Sometimes several small filtration units can be more effective than one large one and smaller units’ may be easier to service.  Choosing to small of a unit could also be a problem if filter replacement becomes too frequent or if the filter is not large enough to support the volume of air needed to effectively draw the contaminated air through the filter.   So like with Goldilocks and the Three Bears, choose the one that is just right.

High-Speed Assembly-line processes

Lasers, printers, and scribes are not all designed to work at high speeds. High-speed equipment is designed to work with a moving production line while a slower production line might have each product sit motionless while the code is applied.  

In a high-speed production line, the movement of products and equipment around the toxic fume area can make it more difficult to capture all fumes near the source. The volume of air pulled through the fume extractor as well as the type and size of the filter will determine the effectiveness of the fume removal system.  Since there are likely to be some integration costs and because a quality fume extractor is not cheap, it makes sense to choose a fume extraction system carefully. Our recommendation is that you talk with a fume extraction expert for advice and testing if needed.  

Conclusion

If you are planning to integrate laser marking and/or fume extraction systems into your production line it makes sense to contact an integration specialist.  The money you spend in the initial set up could save you a lot of time and money in the future.