Dust Extraction and Fume Extraction specialists. Whether it's Downflow Booths, mobile filter units, or Hood Positioning Devices (Extraction Arms), flextraction have products to suit your dust and fume extraction requirements.

New Laboratory Fume Extraction System from Flextraction

Posted September 9th, 2011

The new Fumex ME extraction system that is capable of being either ceiling or table mounted, and offering a reach of up to 2000mm, is now available from Flextraction Ltd.  Flextraction is a supplier and manufacturer of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) products, and the UK and Ireland representative for the Swedish based fume extraction equipment manufacturer Fumex AB.  The Fumex ME system is designed for use in laboratories, education facilities, electronics industry and similar environments.

The ergonomically designed 75mmØ Fumex ME has an energy saving very low pressure drop, producing a number of benefits to the user including, reduced ventilation noise measured in accordance with ISO standard 3643, no need for a larger diameter extractor, and it can be integrated with other extraction systems.

With its unique joint construction this system allows air to pass through the joints without creating any unnecessary turbulence, with the variation in pressure drop between the extractor in the working position and a full retracted extractor being minimal.

This system can be rotated round 360º without the need for special sleeves or double wall brackets. Both the ceiling and wall mounted brackets are made of anodised aluminium for stability and easy fitting. The ceiling bracket, available in 8 different lengths from 0.25m – 2.0m, functions as a duct, thereby avoiding the need for expensive external ducting.

Another feature of the ME system is the internal spring located in the first articulating arm joint to support the weight of the arm and provided stability. For a 2m length arm, the ME system can be fitted with a gas spring to support it.

To meet customer requirements this system is available in a number of configurations, including:

• Standard - with polypropylene joints and aluminium tubes for most laboratory environments

• Polypropylene - with both joints and tubing in polypropylene for use with corrosive contaminants

• ATEX - with joints and tube in conductive polypropylene to meet ATEX directive 94/9/EC, for use with contaminants in explosive environments

• ESD - with joints in conductive polypropylene and aluminium tubes to meet EN61340-5-1 for use in the electronics industry. 

A number of hoods are available including:

• suction nozzles
• metal hoods incorporating a working light
• dome hoods
• square hoods
• flat screen hoods.

Fume Extraction System Helps Train Rail Welding Operatives

Posted May 9th, 2011

Two bespoke fume extraction systems using TEKA extraction equipment, both with four specially designed hoods from Flextraction are helping Network Rail in Bristol to train and certify future operatives in the techniques of aluminothermic welding, manual metal arc (MMA) and semi automatic and automatic flux cored arc welding (FCAW) techniques, as used in rail welding operations.

Network Rail Fume Extraction System

Network Rail has training facilities throughout the UK, with the older ones being replaced by new modern facilities to create a learning environment that simulates the real world, whilst at the same time is conducive to learning and providing a sheltered area to allow the trainees to maximise their learning potential.  At Bristol, Network Rail train and re-certify staff employed in rail welding operations and also in the handling and using of small plant and inspection training.

The system ordered by Track Line Contracts Ltd, a Network Rail contractor, was specially designed for aluminothermic welding.  It comprised a TEKA Filtercube 4H filter module with a 100m² filter area that is designed as a central suction unit for several welding points.  It extracts polluted air using a ventilator to a filtering section;  here any toxic particles are deposited on the surface of filter cartridges, which are de-dusted automatically using compressed air.  The toxic particles are then collected in a tank and clean air is recycled to the workplace.

A TEKA ‘Spark Pre-Separator’ uses a water mist curtain to protect the filter device from fire.  Two 3-phase centrifugal, single inlet, high pressure fans equipped with silencers were installed to extract the fumes from the point of welding to the filter unit.  The four hoods, supported on heavy duty beam trolleys, were specially designed with 1000mm diameter canopies and side screens.  The complete system, including spiral galvanised sheet steel ductwork, 48m of hose with light duty beam trolleys to support the hose, was installed by Flextraction Engineers.

Network Rail at Bristol also trains operatives in MMA and semi automatic and automatic FCAW techniques, which is where another Flextraction extraction system comprising a Filtercube 4H filter module with 4 x standard 4m Hood Positioning Devices (HPD) arms, each with 1m extensions and 150mm diameter flared hoods, is also in constant use in the welder training school.

Lee Janczysyn, Training Delivery Specialist (Welding and NDT) said: “Network Rail uses MMA and semi automatic and automatic FCAW techniques, in addition to aluminothermic welding.  Both Flextraction systems are used for training purposes and the system for aluminothermic welder training has been very good, easily removing the fumes, whilst the spark box extinguishes all sparks before going through the filtration system.  This system was installed in a building that was already constructed, so there were some constraints to its location, which were overcome.

There are two tracks each with two hoods designed to be moved along the track to the correct position for welding with two of them operating at any one time;  however, we only ignite one welding portion at any time so that the welding trainer can supervise one activity at a time.  In general we find the system easy to use;  it has self cleaning filters and only requires the press of a button to start the extraction operation.

The other system in the welder training centre also works effectively and our trainees find the HPD arms easy to position.”

Lee Darton, General Manager Sales at Flextraction commented:  “With the system for aluminothermic welding, we made some modifications during the installation to meet the requirements of both the contractors and Network Rail due to the constraints of the building, otherwise the systems was delivered as required.  It is self cleaning with the filters occasionally need changing, which will be undertaken by us.  It also has a second motor as a back up allowing the system to be used if the primary motor should fail.”

Fume Extraction System Improves Environment Environment at Badge Maker

Posted February 28th, 2011

A specially designed and built fume extraction system from Flextraction Ltd, is to-day helping RETrade Ltd, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of bespoke badges, improve the working environment for its employees.

RETrade Ltd based in Hinckley, Leicestershire is the manufacturing arm of Recognition Express Ltd, who operate franchises in corporate recognition and promotional products.  Recognition Express was established in 1979 and now has over 45 franchisees in the UK and Europe, in a growing market worth in excess of £3 billion per annum.  RETrade manufactures a wide range of traditional printed badges and engraved styles to full-colour digital badges with complex graphics.  The range is almost endless and includes everything from personalised name badges; ID cards; button and embroidered badges; pins and enamel badges; to conference and temporary badges for hotel and restaurant chains, as well as many well known industrial and commercial organisations.

Paul Mitchell, Operations Director at RETrade explains what was required from Flextraction: “A few years back, the company was given a project to produce a name badge with a durable wipe clean surface and enhanced appearance and we came up with a process,  now called doming which is putting a self levelling epoxy resin over the badge to protect it. The process had existed but nobody had put it on a name badge before.  Health and Safety regulations state that there are some associated risks when working with epoxy resins.   We only use small amounts on each badge but produce a lot of badges, so we put in this extraction system to comply with the latest regulations.  We approached Flextraction after finding them on the internet, they are fairly local and the only criteria we gave them was that the system had to be bench mounted.  They came in, had a look at what we do, did some calculations and came up with a suggestion as to what we needed and then they put the system in.  They responded very well to our initial enquiry and came up with a good solution.  So all in all we are pleased with the installation.”

The Flextraction fume extraction system is designed and built round 5 different sized extraction cabinets, which are designed to contain and capture of all fumes, whilst still allowing operator access.  3 cabinets each measuring 500mm x 500mm x 1,200mm are used for applying self levelling epoxy resin to each badge, whilst 2 cabinets each 500mm x 500mm x 710mm are used to store and cure the resin on the badges, which give off fumes until hardened a few hours later. PVC-371 lightweight, flexible and compressible hosing with an operating temperature range of approximately -10°c to +110°C, links each cabinet to the ducting system, designed and proportioned to provide a good conveying velocity throughout its length.  All fumes are extracted to outside the building using a floor mounted CB-1428 single phase centrifugal, single inlet fan with multi forward facing blades and running at 1,300 r/min.

Lee Darton, General Manager (Products) at Flextraction said: “We design and build a multitude of systems for a wide variety of applications and this particular application shows just how well the internet can operate in finding new business. In this application their skilled operators apply the epoxy resin to very small areas, so it is reasonably intricate work. We had to come up with a solution that took away the fumes, at the same time allowing their operators working access and this has been achieved.”

Welding Fume and Vehicle Exhaust Extraction System from Flextraction

Posted September 16th, 2008

Flextraction Ltd, the Melton Mowbray, supplier and manufacturer of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) products for industrial dust, fume and oil mist extraction and sole UK representative for Swedish fume extraction equipment manufacturer Fumex AB, has a range of vehicle exhaust and welding fume extraction systems utilising a rail system for the automotive repair and manufacturing industries.

The APS aluminium rail system mounted on telescopic ceiling and wall brackets is a flexible solution for the extraction of exhaust fumes from moving vehicles that can be connected to a separate fan or a central exhaust system. Features of this system include the aluminium rail also acting as the suction duct with only one rubber seal placed on top of the duct, whilst the design of the trolley produces one of the lowest pressure drops for this type of system, thereby producing low running costs.

The APS system can be supplied with an automatic trolley return control and other devices for automatic control and when used alongside a production line to extract welding fumes, the rail can be supplied with one or more trolleys equipped with Fumex R or RX extraction arms equipped with a 360° swivel.

Heat resistant rubberised fabric EPDM/Polyester hoses are supplied in standard lengths of 5m in diameters of 75, 100, 125 and 150mm. Additional sections are also available are in 2.5 m lengths. The hoses are supported by a balance.

The AFS Hose rail is a simpler system with a tiltable supporting steel rail to achieve automatic return of the trolley and it has a 160mm diameter hose suspended underneath connected to a separate fan or a central exhaust system. The vertical suction hose is available in 100, 125 and 150mm diameters and in the same lengths as the APS System.

A range of different nozzles are available for both welding and for vehicle exhaust fumes including oval connections for both single and double exhausts, pneumatic rubber nozzles and high mounted exhaust pipes.

To view a video demonstration of the extraction system, please click on the link below and see for yourself this excellent product in operation:

View demo video of the Fumex APS (42Mb MPG file)