The need for electronics fume extraction
Electronics applications create fumes which are released into the atmosphere. They may be solid particles, gas or vapour (volatile organic compounds, or VOCs). Failure to control these fumes can have serious consequences and shouldn’t be left to chance.
Soldering, gluing, potting … whatever process you are following, some form of contaminant is generated which can become airborne. Most are invisible to the naked eye. All must be treated as potentially hazardous.
Whether you’re running machinery in an educational establishment or a large scale factory, all airborne substances must be considered as potentially harmful:
To your people – the effects caused by inhalation or reaction to the particulate material can be long lasting and even life-threatening.
To your equipment – uncontrolled fumes can negatively impact efficiency and increase the risk of product contamination.
To your environment – responsible manufacturing needs responsible practices. We all need to look after the world we live in.
Equipment
Particles and fumes can enter equipment and cause an electro-static charge, which can cause components to short out even before they reach packaging. With no extraction in place, there’s no control over which direction those contaminants travel, and the machine’s performance and reliability can very quickly become compromised. If left, over time, some contaminants can cause irreversible and very costly damage. Minimising or eliminating contaminants is essential to ensuring optimum machine performance and reducing the amount of maintenance and cleaning requirements and reducing the risk of loss of product.
Users
Exposure to hazardous substances can affect the body in many ways and can cause problems for anyone who comes into contact with airborne particles or fumes. Skin contact, inhalation and ingestion can cause damage and the effects often build up over time. Air purification is vital for health protection to reduce the long-lasting and sometimes fatal impact of uncontrolled fumes. Personal protective equipment should not be considered a substitute for proper fume control. Simply venting unfiltered fumes through a window or wall does not provide adequate ventilation and is likely to be illegal in many countries.
The environment
The quality of our environment has a direct impact on our well-being. Capturing fumes and particulates and keeping them contained is the only way to ensure the environment is protected and safe.
What you can do
Practical steps should be taken by the employer to reduce the level of risk created by uncontrolled contaminants.
Extracting fume safely and efficiently from the working environment is a key priority to protect the operator’s safety as well as preserving equipment.
Choose an extraction solution that is fit for purpose, ensuring efficient filtration and safe removal of the end product, to ensure a clean, healthy working environment.
BOFA has the answer
BOFA International is the multi-award winning world leader in portable fume extraction and filtration. Our unrivalled specialist knowledge of electronic processes means we can devise practical solutions for practical problems worldwide.
We have over 30 years of extensive experience providing reliable, high quality solutions with a low lifetime cost of ownership. Our solutions keep the world working safely across a wide range of sectors including electronics, laser, dental, pharmaceutical and printing.
Our range of electronics fume extraction systems are designed for single / multiple-operator stations or automated processes that generate harmful comprising of particulate and gaseous volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
