Filtration System - Is it a fume extractor as well?

Everything Else
1

Hello!

I currently have an older FSLaser unit that is a pain in the rear to use. I cannot tell you how many hours I spent trying to align the laser and the red dot pointer that it has and was never successful. I also have a son that has breathing issues, so after trying to cut acrylic for the first time and finding that no matter what I used for a method of venting (last attempt was 2 fans, one being a dust collector motor, out a dryer vent I added for the purpose) I had to give up and pack up the unit.

I ran across the GlowForge and saw it would solve many of my problems if the software does as it claims. The last part is the venting… I pre-ordered the Basic with the air filtration system, but is this purely a filtration system, or does it do some fume extraction as well? I’m not going to be cutting a ton of acrylic, but I will be doing some, and want to keep the odor down so my son won’t have issues with it.

Really, my order hinges on this… from past experience venting out the window wasn’t enough even when I used aluminum tape to seal the entire chassis of my FSLaser. If I will have similar issues with this, maybe I would be better off cancelling my order and looking at a Fumex fume extractor instead.

Any thoughts/suggestions for me on this? GlowForge claims it can be run in a house, so I made the assumption there were some fume capabilities.

Thanks in advance!

2

What’s an Air Filter and who should buy one?
Lasers normally require some ventilation via a small tube out a
nearby window. Our optional Air Filter that sits under Glowforge and
ventilates using hepa filters and charcoal, meaning no outside
ventilation is required.

3

Yes - the charcoal absorbs the acrylic odors. It’s very similar in capabilities to a Fumex/Purex/etc. which operate similarly, IIRC.

5 Likes
4

Yea, I saw the FAQ, but it really didn’t answer the question well. It says outside ventilation isn’t required, but it doesn’t say if the smell is handled or not.

5

Ok, cool. I don’t have any experience with those purifiers, but if it is supposed to be on par with them, then I should be good. Thanks!

6

I used to work with these:
http://www.flanderscorp.com/files/FlandersFFI_literature/PB1206_SuperFlowVC.pdf
We would have them filled with the TS-209 mix. They would kill just about every gas that hit them.

So if GF did their homework (and I am sure they did) you should not smell anything, until you pull your work out from the unit.