SIP FX100 fume extractor - any opinions?

[RWH]

Hello! I am knife maker. I do extensive hot/cold work, but I have to tack together every billet I make at the beginning. I use a simple flux core welder, which is obviously very dirty and throws off dangerous fumes.

Previously, I was in a fairly large space where I could open two doors to provide ventilation through. Wearing a proper mask (as well as all other protection). This space was not my own though and I've since had to move.

My new space is my own, which is a nice moment, but I was wondering if anyone could offer opinion on welding fume extractors? The new space, I have a small 'dirty' zone sectioned off where a grinder and welder will be. I have dust dust extractors but i have found it can still be difficult to contain, hence boxing it off.

I was looking at the SIP FX100 - any opinion on if this this is suitable for my type of work?

I'm not continuously welding up large piece, just small bullets. I might say do a few at a time, but not always. Would this handle that sort of work?

Thanks,
Richard

 

[voipio]

No direct experience of the SIP FX100, but the flow rate, which works out at 45 litres per second, would be up to the job of extracting from a smallish workspace. The instructions state that the extraction hood must be positioned no more than 4" from the welding fume source, but you should get away with double that distance, if there aren't any significant draughts across the workspace . 45 litres would be contained in a sphere of around 220mm radius, so imagine that being sucked in every second.

 

[RWH]

Thank you! Yes I did see the 4" / 100mm working distance. Slightly inconvenient but I think completely fine for my use - small workpiece held in a vice / clamp, I can easily fit the hood just above the work. Any experience with similar small ish extractors?

 

[voipio]

When the extractor hose is in a "free space" position, what happens is that the air is drawn in more or less equally in all directions from a sphere centred on the end of the hose. If the hose end were to be mounted in a hole in the centre in a flat sheet of solid material, the air would be collected from a half sphere centred around the hose end. At a given distance from the hose end, the air velocity would be double that in the free space case. Now imagine, if the flat sheet is mounted vertically and has the hole for the hose at the bottom, and the sheet is placed on say the welding bench, creating a right angled "vee", the source of the incoming air would be further constrained, and so its velocity at a given distance would increase still further, to roughly double again. So now you have four times the air velocity, at a given distance, to the free space case, allowing you to work at twice the distance from the nozzle. Taken to the extreme, a fume cabinet of sorts or a "trumpet" shape could be created, to give an even larger working area.

 

[Robotstar5]

Our production welding booths had this type of set-up, may give you some ideas.

 

[steve t]

Our production welding booths had this type of set-up, may give you some ideas.

View attachment 510133

What sort of things would be getting welded up in there

 

[Robotstar5]

What sort of things would be getting welded up in there

Rectification on car seat frames.