Weld Fume Extract Arms for Engineering Company

Installation of a bespoke weld fume extraction system to meet Heath & Safety regulations.

Specdrum are one of the world’s largest suppliers of conveyor pulleys (producing in excess of 50,000 annually), with manufacturing facilities in Ireland and China. Based at their headquarters in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, this family run business has more than 30 years experience in this specialist field developing, manufacturing and supplying to Crushing & Screening, Recycling, Aviation and Materials Handling industries.

When it comes to Health & Safety in the workplace, meeting health requirements of their employees is paramount for Specdrum. This led to initial contact with Beam for guidance and expert advice on the best and most suitable solution for Weld Fume Extraction and LEV to avoid harmful fumes and pollutants being exposed to employees during the metal fabrication and welding processes. Following Initial discussions, an on-site survey was carried out by BEAM.

As some of the work pieces could be up to 7m in size, a weld fume extraction system capable of accommodating this was required. 7m anti-gravity extract arms were installed on a double articulated extension boom, allowing for a wide range of movement and reach. The extract arms are lightweight, durable and allow for full reach on the large work pieces.

A unique feature of the extract arms is the ability for the final section to swivel 360 degrees which eliminates blind spots. In addition, the working height can be adjusted higher than the mounting height which accommodates fabrication of large work pieces.

The extract arms were strategically positioned at each welding bay to be complimentary to the production process. Two separate systems each served four welders at either side of the factory.

These systems are energy efficient, have low noise and are designed to meet and adhere to health and safety regulations including CoSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health).

To allow Specdrum to continue manufacturing as normal, any downtime and disruption during installation was minimal.

To complete the installation, Beam engineers (accredited to BOSH P602 and P604), carried out the Initial Thorough Examination and Test and provided full LEV Documentation and a staff training session on the full use of the system.

Following installation of Beam’s weld fume extraction system there has been an improvement in indoor air quality, leading to a healthier, safer work environment. In addition:

• Extract arms allow reach up to 7m to facilitate larger workpieces
• Lightweight, durable and aesthetic extract arms which can be moved with ease on the double articulated extension booms
• Low maintenance system featuring precision gas-strut balanced external parallelogram arm
• Improved capture distance of 400 mm was achieved for higher extraction effectiveness
• Meets and adheres to CoSHH requirements

From first contact Beam worked closely with Specdrum to ensure a correct and suitable LEV system would be provided for the company. Roisin McCabe, Managing Director at Specdrum commented:

For advice on weld fume extract arms for your business, you can get in touch here or call us on +44 (0)2879632424.