Understanding Different Capture Methods in Fume Extraction

In any environment where harmful fumes or airborne particles are generated, effective extraction is essential to maintaining a safe and compliant workplace. Whether you're operating in electronics manufacturing, laser engraving, or laboratory settings, choosing the right source capture method plays a vital role in both air quality control and operator health.

At Purex, we specialise in tailored extraction techniques that meet the unique needs of each customer. In this blog, we’ll explore the most common air filtration methods, their applications, and how they help businesses maintain cleaner air and greater operational safety.

Why source capture matters

Before diving into different extraction methods, it’s worth revisiting the importance of air filtration and capturing harmful fumes:

• Health & Safety: Inhalation of fumes can lead to serious health risks for your employees such as respiratory issues, allergic reactions and long-term illness.
• Regulatory Compliance: UK law requires employers to ensure exposure is controlled under COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health). Failure to do so can result in serious legal implications including financial penalties, workplace closures and law suits.
• Workplace Efficiency: A clean air environment not only improves equipment longevity, but it also assures product quality and supports productivity by minimising the risk of sickness, leading to employee absences.

1. Source Capture

Source capture, otherwise known as close capture, is the most direct and effective fume extraction method. It uses flexible arm and hood attachments to extract fumes as close to the point of emission as possible.

This technique is commonly used in soldering, laser cutting and other manufacturing processes where harmful fumes are generated in a confined space. Welding tables with built-in extraction are a practical example, designed to remove fumes at the source while allowing the operator to work safely and efficiently.

Benefits:

• Minimises dispersion into the wider workspace
• Requires less airflow volume making it an energy-efficient option
• Ideal for soldering, laser cutting, and 3D printing

Our Purex FumeCube and Xbase systems are perfect examples of mobile, effective source capture solutions. Both use flexible extraction arms with hoods to position the capture point as close as possible to the fume source, maximising efficiency. They’re also fully portable, making them easy to move between workstations or locations, and are ideal for environments that require flexibility without compromising on extraction performance.

2. Downdraft Extraction

Downdraft benches draw airborne contaminants downward through the work surface. This is useful for processes like sanding, grinding or chemical applications where particles can spread horizontally.

Benefits:

• Prevents fumes from rising into the breathing zone
• Offers operator protection at bench level
• Ideal for applications with heavy particle exposure

Our bespoke extraction designs can be configured with extractions for industries needing bench-integrated filtration.

3. Enclosed Capture

Enclosures act like a canopy over the source and direct fumes upward into a capture hood. They’re often used in welding bays, chemical mixing areas or larger-scale applications.

Benefits:

• Ideal for controlling fumes produced in heat-intensive processes, such as welding, soldering, or chemical reactions that produce high heat or large volumes of fumes.
• Reduces exposure to surrounding workers by capturing the fumes before they disperse into the room.
• Ideal for open or difficult to reach areas that cannot easily be reached with an extraction arm.

Looking for an enclosure solution? Browse our accessories and filter by enclosures to explore right explore our range of fume extraction hoods.

4. Ambient Extraction

Also known as dilution ventilation, this method involves cleaning the air in the entire room rather than capturing the fumes at the source. Source capture may not be practical in situations where fumes are dispersed over a large area, multiple workstations are in use simultaneously, or when processes are too large or complex to effectively enclose. In these cases, ambient extraction serves as a supplementary solution to maintain overall air quality and worker safety.

Benefits:

• Helps maintain consistent air quality control throughout the entire facility
• Useful in multiple industries and workstation environments
• Can be integrated with HVAC systems for enhanced air filtration

While not a substitute for local extraction, ambient capture is essential for overall air hygiene and regulatory compliance.

Choosing the Right Extraction Technique

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to air filtration methods. The effectiveness of your system will depend on a range of factors - from the type of particles you’re dealing with to the physical setup of your workspace. Selecting the right capture method requires a tailored approach that considers both immediate needs and long-term performance.

When choosing the best fume extraction method for your environment, key considerations include:

• Types of fumes or particles being produced – Different materials release different hazards, such as VOCs, fine dust, or chemical vapours, all of which require specific capture and filtration methods.
• Size and layout of your workspace – Smaller or more enclosed areas may need compact, mobile units, while larger industrial settings might benefit from overhead arms or centralised ducted systems.
• System maintenance requirements – Some systems need more frequent filter changes or checks. Factoring in ease of maintenance can help reduce downtime and running costs.
• System size and portability – If flexibility is important, such as in shared workspaces or for mobile teams, portable units may be more suitable than fixed installations.

At Purex, we understand that every workplace is different. That’s why our experienced team works closely with customers to develop custom extraction systems that not only remove hazardous fumes effectively, but also maximise safety, efficiency and compliance with industry standards.

Supporting Clean Air for Everyone

We’re proud to provide high-performance fume extraction systems trusted by industries around the world. From source capture to full system design and servicing, we help ensure that your business stays safe, compliant, and productive. Learn more about our capture methods, or contact our team to discuss your specific air filtration needs.