Welders' environment [ Return towards  Environment  ]

Two main issues in the welding and cutting activities are worked :  

Fumes

Air Liquide Welding has developed a range of cored wires and manual metal arc electrodes with very substantially reduced welding fume while retaining leading edge operating characteristics. In addition, this technology has been further applied to develop a range of stainless steel manual metal electrodes producing significantly reduced levels of hexavalent chromium in the welding fume, again while retaining class-leading operability. Designed to improve the welding environment, these new ranges of products are marketed as CRISTAL in the Oerlikon brand and ALSTAR in SAF-FRO.  

For plasma cutting process solutions have also been developed to reduce the fume emission In addition of reduction of fume in the consumables product a wide range of equipment for extraction and treatment of the fume is available (standard or on demand).   

Noise  

MIG/MAG pulsed arc mode has been a great step in advance to obtain better results in the appearance of weld beads (less spatters), but the noise generated by this mode is very important. CTAS, the welding research department of the Air Liquide group, has created a new pulsed mode reducing this noise by minimum 10 decibels. Named Soft Silence Pulse this new mode is integrated in the new generation of high tech MIG/MAG machines CITOWAVE in the Oerlikon brand and DIGI@WAVE in SAF-FRO.

Other solutions for plasma cutting has been developed to reduce the noise generated during this cutting process. Underwater plasma cutting is a relevant answer for this purpose and in addition it's also a very good solution for fume elimination.