Many variants of laser technology are applied to a wide range of production processes, such as cutting, welding, marking, and direct part fabrication. Among these processes, laser cutting and laser welding are growing in popularity because of their well-known advantages, such as increase production efficiency, lower consumable and direct labor costs through automation, and so on. However, there are also some challenges involved, for example, a serious amount of hazardous dust will be generated which will have numerous, sometimes unforeseen, consequences.
There are various solutions available to remove unhealthy fumes and pollutants. The installation of industrial dust collection systems is one of the most effective ways to extract those air contaminants (fumes) and dust produced during cutting and welding processes. Industrial dust collection systems extract the hazardous fumes and dust while improving the production efficiency and the quality of machining or fabrication.
In the next section, we will talk about some applications of industrial dust collectors designed for laser cutting and welding processes.
Industrial Dust Collectors for Lithium-ion Cell Manufacturing
The production of the lithium-ion cell consists of a series of steps mentioned in the block diagram. The use of laser cutting is involved in the division of the wide electrode coil (mother roll) into several smaller electrode coils (daughter coils).
Laser cutting utilizes an intense beam of light to melt/vaporize and blow away the material. During this process, metallic dust and hazardous fumes are generated owing to oxidation, which is seriously harmful if inhaled.
Additionally, to package the pouch cell, the current collector foils are contacted with cell tabs by laser welding. Metallic dust and hazardous fumes generated in this case, are also threatening to health.
The best solution to avoid the potential damage is to install an industrial dust collector with a laser cutting or welding machine to extract the hazardous fumes and dust.
Industrial Dust Collectors for Aluminum Shield Laser Welding
Aluminum alloys produce much more harmful fumes than other materials. As these fumes contain aluminum oxides and magnesium oxide, they will cause damage to the lungs. Although the shielding gas can prevent the welding metal from oxidation, it cannot completely prevent oxidation, so the fumes will still be produced in the welding process.
In fact, installing an industrial dust collector near the welding head can effectively extract the harmful fumes generated in the welding process. Besides, aluminum powder belongs to flammable and explosive dust, so the industrial dust collector should be equipped with an explosion-proof device to prevent combustion.
Industrial Dust Collectors for Laser Welding in Automotive Industry
Laser welding is widely applied in the manufacture of automotive components, body assembly, and tailored blanks. Although most laser welding is performed on a steel sheet, there are numbers of operations involving aluminum alloys.
Laser welding of aluminum uses a high energy laser pulse directed at the aluminum sheet. As aluminum has high thermal conductivity and low viscosity, the tendency to create sparks and welding dust increases. To ensure product quality and environmental safety, the robotic arm is equipped with a dust collection system.
Conclusion
The industrial dust collectors are widely used in the fabrication and machining industry to ensure the safety of the environment and product quality. Since large amount of harmful dust and fumes are produced during laser cutting and laser welding process, choosing a reliable industrial dust collector to ensure the environment’s safety becomes increasingly important.
Villo Vacuum, the leading industrial dust collector manufacturer, well understands the laser cutting and welding processes and the method to mitigate their harmful side effects. In the past few years, Villo Vacuum has been committed to provide a variety of industrial dust collection solutions worldwide. They propose the ideal solution by professionally modeling your facility to guarantee the performance.