How a Tough Dust Collection System Improves the Laser Cutting Process

Laser and plasma cutting allows companies in many industries to precisely cut a wide range of materials, including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, wood, acrylic, in addition to many others. While laser cutting is the best application for a variety of materials, it also creates hazardous vapors and fumes, resulting in serious issues for employees, equipment, and facilities.

Laser cutting dust particles are very fine and can linger in the air, generating a fume cloud that can be extremely harmful for workers to inhale and hazardous for equipment in your facility. A tough dust collection can improve the laser and plasma cutting process by clearing the air, improving employee efficiency, increasing employee retention, and ensuring a safe work environment.

The Laser Cutting Dust Problem

While the laser cutting process utilizes a focused beam of light ideal for applications that require tighter tolerances, the plasma cutting process uses a mixture of gases to cut materials. The plasma or laser cutting process produces fumes, smoke, dust, and oxides that are harmful to employees, equipment, and your facility.

There are many factors that could impact how much laser cutting dust is produced, including the laser power, type of beam, material being cut, cutting speed, and assist gas.

When laser cutting dust is not being controlled with a tough dust collection system, fumes, smoke, and dust produced in the laser cutting process can linger in the air and lead to unhealthy air quality for employees, equipment issues, a decrease in laser cutting quality, safety risks within the facility, or even regulatory issues.

Health Risks

Perhaps most importantly, laser cutting dust can cause a wide range of health issues for employees if hazardous dust particles, especially metallic dust, enter their lungs. Having the right dust collector will eliminate these health risks and clear the air.

Decrease in Laser Cutting Quality

Excess laser cutting dust can also decrease your machine’s cut quality, as dust can interfere with the precision of the laser beam. The accumulation of dust within the machine can also disrupt its functionality and may result in downtime if maintenance or repairs are required to clean out excess dust.

Safety Risks

Particularly because of the materials being cut, the dust, vapors, and fumes from the laser cutting process, if left to linger in the air or equipment, can become a hazard for a combustible dust explosion or a fire.

Regulatory Issues

Finally, if dust is not being controlled in a laser cutting environment, OSHA guidelines could also be a concern. It’s crucial to follow the limits for highly toxic dusts such as cadmium, lead, nickel, and others. If guidelines are not followed, there may be regulatory fines or other legal liabilities.

Benefits of a Tough Dust Collection System for Laser Cutting

As you look for the dust collection system that will best meet your needs for the plasma or laser cutting process, there are several benefits to consider. A tough dust collection system designed for the laser cutting process should:

• Improve overall air quality.
• Decrease health risks to employees by minimizing dust exposure.
• Increase employee efficiency, with less downtime for cleaning and maintenance of machines.
• Reduce the risk of machine malfunctions due to dust.
• Improve laser cutting performance and extend the life of equipment.
• Reduce the risk of fires or explosions from combustible dust.
• Save in costs for replacement parts and filters.
  
  

10 Reasons the A.C.T. LaserPack Dust Collector is the Best for Laser Cutting

As we’ve shared, a tough dust collection system designed specifically for laser cutting should result in overall improved safety, reduced health risks for employees, increased productivity, and decreased machine issues.

A.C.T. LaserPack Dust Collectors offer a unique, heavy-duty, and effective solution for removing fumes and smoke, as well as filtering dust and other particles from your facility. Some of the features of our LaserPack dust collectors include:

1.  A.C.T LaserPack dust collectors are designed to easily integrate into your laser cutting machine.
2.  An ideal solution for both laser cutting and plasma cutting.
3.  Our LaserPack dust collectors have an industry-leading filter cleaning system.
4.  Offer quiet operations with noise reduction technology.
5.  Includes remote start and stop features.
6.  Has a small footprint so you can maximize your workspace.
7.  Long-lasting filters – while the life of your dust collection system filters will vary depending on usage, when monitored and replaced regularly, your LaserPack dust collector filter should last a long time.
8.  Easy to change filter – with a quick lock filter design, LaserPack dust collection filters can be easily changed as needed.
9.  Easy to clean – At the end of the day, you can turn off the dust collector and it will automatically initiate the downtime cleaning cycle. The best time to clean your dust collection system is when there isn’t any air running through it.
10.  A.C.T. LaserPack dust collection systems are available to ship, and we offer excellent customer service for any questions or issues that may arise.

Contact A.C.T to Learn More About Our LaserPack Dust Collector

If you’re ready to take the next step and improve dust collection in your laser cutting process, learn more about A.C.T. LaserPack dust collectors or request a quote.