Effective fire protection, maximum process safety, longer machine service lives

A well-known company from the automotive industry approached Fuchs Umwelttechnik with a clear challenge: Harmful emissions, smokes and dusts that occur during automatic laser welding processes of different steels or high-grade steels must be collected and extracted completely on site. At the same time, sparks that occur permanently during laser welding, present a serious fire risk in the extraction and filtering unit.

To reliably rule out this danger and ensure safety at the workplace, a sophisticated complete solution for the welding laser extraction is indispensable. Hereby, all measures must be efficient, space-saving and run without disturbing the ongoing production process.

1. In special production areas, high-performance lasers weld steels or high-grade steels with high precision to form complex parts.
2. Emissions from the process gradually contaminate the laser optic and technical equipment.
3. Dusts and smoke impair safety at the workplace.
4. Sparks that occur during laser welding present a great fire risk for the extraction and filtering systems.

To collect and eliminate all emissions from the welding processes. Flying sparks present two potential danger areas. Sparks sucked into the pipes can ignite agglomerations in the air stream. If sparks reach the filter stages inside the extraction and filtering unit, there is a risk of igniting the already separated emissions therein and causing smouldering fires.

• The complete emissions from laser welding of steel and high-grade steel must be reliably collected and filtered out of the air stream.
• Fire risks due to welding sparks which get into the air stream demand a reliable safety system to quench them completely.
• Maximum operating safety and process stability should be ensured by trouble-free integration of the technical measures in the production process.
• Simple, contamination-free handling of the extracted substances must be ensured.

The customer’s first contact is directly with the engineers of Fuchs Umwelttechnik. The focus here is on sound advice which takes all specific conditions and requirements into consideration.

The planning already begins here: Together with the customer, the engineering experts of Fuchs Umwelttechnik compile the requirement specification for the optimum fire protection solution as well as the suitable extraction and filtering unit.

• In order to develop an optimum spark pre-separator or spark quencher, the first talks take place directly between the customer and a specialist engineer from Fuchs Umwelttechnik.
• The analysis of the customer’s requirements as well as the existing working and space conditions form the basis for the tailor-made extraction system and exactly the right filtering unit.
• The occurrence of sparks during the welding process as well as the optimum collection parameters are decisive for the calculation and assembly of the exactly suitable spark quenching modules.
• Based on this meticulous planning, the customer gets a flexibly adapted fire protection package for a safe and efficient suction and filtering process.

Using detailed customer information as a basis, the engineers of Fuchs develop the effective spark quenching for use on the welding laser: Adapted to the special fire and explosion risks, suitable spark separation modules are positioned before the extraction and filtering system. These are configured to the spark sizes, safe transfer and the corresponding extraction and filtering unit. Perfectly integrated into the existing production processes, these special modules ensure comprehensive fire protection and maximum safety.

In detail:

1. Maximum safety: Multi-stage spark quenching modules in modular sizes reliably prevent embers from entering the filtering system.
2. Complete spark separation: Spark separation modules are ideal for larger sparks or agglomerations with pre-separation in the barrel.
3. For high combustion factors there is the additional possibility of inerting, which also quenches sparks.
4. Individual special solutions: Tailor-made systems can be designed for special cases.
5. Full collection: Direct extraction and the special flow control of the extraction unit ensure direct capture of all emissions.
6. Energy efficiency as a cost saver: The intelligent flow control reduces the energy consumption of the suction blower and therefore sustainably saves running costs.
7. Technical consulting: Direct communication with a Fuchs engineering specialist for optimum adaptation to every application.

Fuchs Umwelttechnik supplies the made-to-measure fire protection with technical competence and customer orientation. Adapted to the respective application with the appropriate spark quenching modules or spark separation modules or additional an inerting before the highly efficient extraction and filtering unit. This provides the customer with an optimum package to eliminate all fire risks from the air stream and thus improve process safety and sustainably prolong the machine service lives.

Fuchs Umwelttechnik also offers the right complete extraction and filtering solution for other laser applications such as laser welding, laser activation, laser marking, laser engraving, laser cleaning or labelling lasers.