Laser Fume Extractor

[soetaw]

Hello I recently just got a Laser engraver machine from China specifically XYZ Tech. After a long and hard battle with the software system, I was able to engrave a small acrylic disk, of course with the cost of the room and its neighboring room filled with the acrylic fumes.

I realized that we need to have a fume extractor, after looking at several commercial fume extractor out there we found them to be too expensive for me to purchase. So I am thinking of making my own fume extractor. Currently I am slightly confused to as what type of filter or filters to use.

As it currently stand I am planning to use 2 furnace filter and maybe a layer of activated charcoal to filter the exhaust. I am quite unsure though what grade of filter to use. I was wondering if anyone know what grade of filter would be adequate for filtering out the fumes, do we need a HEPA grade filter or just a standard furnace allergen filter.

Thank you in advance

[MacGyver]

If you plan on doing acrylic, furnace filters aren't going to cut it. Those are some nasty, toxic fumes coming off of that plastic, so a charcoal bed is a necessity. Unless you're venting to the outside, you'll want that HEPA filter, else you'll be filling your lungs with some really fun stuff that will cause lovely tumors over time.

[zax15uk]

OK, well first the obvious - if you have the option to vent external I would do that.

If you do not have that option then a minimum would be an activated charcoal filter, and I would also add a HEPA to reduce particulates.

The HEPA alone will not help, and a regular A/C type filter is worthless.

You will still need to be careful what you cut, avoiding PVC of course but that goes for internal or external exhaust.

Zax.

[soetaw]

Hmm,

After looking at the cost of these filters, I might just vent the fumes outside. Is it fine though to just vent the fumes outside the building without any air filtration whatsoever.

[zax15uk]

I guess it depends what you cut, and where the vent is.

I don't do that much acrylic, so just exhaust directly outside. If I did mostly acrylic I would probably add the carbon filter box.

Zax.

[buc]

hi,

could you give a hint from where to purchase those filter boxes?

thanks,
buc

[extremecase_8]

Hi, I saw your post and wanted to let you know about the alternative that our company found when we were in your position. We knew that we did not want to vent anything outside because of EPA issues but most of the air filtration systems that we found were so expensive that we couldn't do that either. What we finally found was Tanis Technologies filtration systems, they are much cheaper than the other options that we found and they don't require any ducting. They use standard filter sizes so we were able to use what ever kind of filters we wanted. We have been really happy with ours so I figured I would spread the word. I hope this helps.

The website is... TanisTechnologies.com