Monday, 5 November 2012

Points To Note When Choosing Extraction Systems

By Marcy Becker


In an industrial environment, having extraction systems in place will help a lot in ensuring the employees work under favorable conditions. In some situations, it might also help reduce operation costs for the company. For instance, by getting lower rates from health and liability insurance providers, the company will end up with a lower bill. The system will also make it possible to comply with regulations. The only problem you will encounter is deciding which system is perfect for you because you cannot just pick any from the market. To get the best, you have to consider a number of issues.

The main consideration is the type of extractor to buy. There are three major categories to choose from which are the engineered, source capture devices and the personal air-powered respirators. You can also use a combination of systems to get the best results. Among the three categories, the engineered units are the most expensive.

The engineered systems require a bit of construction as the name suggests. You will need to install fans and ducts in your premises which will be used to remove fumes. The systems are very effective in clearing the air in a room but they are not so effective in protecting the person working at the fume source. The best option for this is a source capture system. Combining the two options will also bring more effectiveness.

Personal air-powered respirators on the other hand are only meant to protect the person working with the machine producing the fumes. They are usually incorporated in the helmet or other headgear the technician is using. You will notice that unlike the other options, this option does not address the issue of fumes in the working area. It is only meant to protect the worker.

When you have identified the category that best suits your needs, the next big thing to consider is the filter. Depending on the conditions prevalent in the kind of work you do, you can be able to choose a good filter. For some jobs such as welding, it might be hard to find the right filters custom made to deal with submicron particles in the fumes. You might therefore need to buy special filters.

It is also important to think of the airflow. The systems are usually rated by considering the cubic feet of air they can circulate in a minute. However, choosing one might be a bit complicated because different manufacturers have different measures and advertise differently. It is best to get advice from an expert in order to settle for the right system.

Another consideration is whether to opt for self cleaning or disposable filters. With the disposable ones, you have to discard them after they reach their capacity. With the self cleaning filters on the other hand, you will be able to clean and reuse them even after they reach their capacity.

Although the factors might be independent, they are all united by cost. For instance, the choice between disposable and self cleaning filters might be determined by cost. The same case applies to choosing the category because an option like engineered extraction systems might be too expensive. It is therefore important to evaluate your budget.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment