As awareness of the dangers of welding fume exposure has grown in recent years, so too has the range of protective options available to welders and workplaces.
AWS are extremely well placed to help businesses understand the different types of product controls that can be introduced to better protect welders and those who work in close proximity to welders.
To that end, the AWS portfolio of welding safety equipment includes a varied selection of market-leading brands:
1. 3M™ Speedglas™ Welding Helmets with Adflo™ PAPR
Speedglas remains the brand of choice for professional welders, setting the industry standard in vision, comfort, performance, and protection. This culminates in the respiratory welding helmet range, which pairs state-of-the-art Speedglas helmets with one of the most popular welding respirators in the world: the award-winning 3M™ Adflo™ PAPR.
These systems can offer up to 5 levels of integrated protection*, headlined by a constant flow of filtered air that is sent directly into the breathing zone for cooler, cleaner, and more comfortable welding. In fact, the Adflo PAPR offers a Required Minimum Protection Factor (RMPF) of 50, meaning it will supply a minimum 50 times cleaner air than the welder would otherwise breathe unprotected.
Selecting the Speedglas respiratory welding helmet best suited to your requirements is straightforward: here’s an introductory video to help you!
View the range of 3M™ Speedglas™ Respiratory Welding Helmets here
*(eye, face, head, respiratory and optional hearing protection)
2. Translas On-Gun Welding Fume Extraction
On-gun fume extraction is one of the safest and most effective methods of controlling welding fume. No other welding fume control solution captures welding fume at the source, removes it from the environment, and most importantly, follows the welder as they move.
In the past these guns have been too heavy, cumbersome, and prone to impact the shielding gas and create porosity issues. But not anymore!
AWS has teamed up with Dutch on-gun fume extraction specialist, Translas, to launch an industry first: lightweight, manoeuvrable, and ergonomic extraction guns that deliver an unparalleled fume capture rate of up to 98%, a 100% duty cycle, and leave the shielding gas completely unaffected.
Here’s a case study demonstrating the impact Translas could have on your business!
Learn more about Translas On-Gun Fume Extraction here
3. Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) Systems
AWS also provides portable fume extraction systems designed by the world’s leading brands in LEV for use across all common welding applications (TIG, MMA, MIG, and FCAW). Manufactured by Nederman and Bomaksan, these mobile LEV units capture fume directly at the source and can be manoeuvred around the workplace to accommodate different welding positions and situations.
The range includes systems with disposable filters, cleanable filters, and self-cleaning systems, to cater for light welding fume environments right up to the heaviest welding fume environments.
With lightweight options, welding bench options, single arm and dual arm systems, there is a portable LEV system for all environments and budgets.
View the full range of portable LEV systems here
