Designing The X-Tractor Fume Control System To Fit Your Welding Environment
While efficiency and productivity are important in any industrial welding operation, health and safety in the workplace are an equally high priority. When it comes to safety in the welding environment, the continuous flow of filtered air is one of the highest priorities.
Lincoln Electric’s self-contained X-Tractor® units are specifically designed for the removal and filtration of welding fumes. These high-vacuum systems are engineered to provide suction for multiple nozzles and fume guns, and feature an integrated automatic self-cleaning filter system. They are ideally suited for continuous use in heavy-duty welding applications.
With a little bit of research and planning, the X-Tractor system can be tailored to the specific needs of your operation.
FOLLOW THIS FOUR-STEP PROCESS:
1. Calculate the total airflow in the work environment
Determining the total cubic feet of air moving through your welding operation is a matter of basic math. Determine the required airflow at each station. The sum of these figures is the total airflow within the work environment.
2. Review X-Tractor unit airflow ratings in relation to the total airflow in your environment
The X-Tractor units are rated for different air intake volumes:
| X-Tractor Model | Airflow Capacity |
| X-Tractor 3A | 165 cfm |
| X-Tractor 5A | 285 cfm |
| X-Tractor 8A | 475 cfm |
Choose the unit – or the combination of units – whose capacity will most efficiently accommodate the total airflow of the work environment. Be sure to consider the footprint and overall dimensions of the unit or units in relation to the workspace. Is there sufficient room to accommodate all the X-Tractor units you’ll need?
| X-Tractor Model | Dimensions |
| X-Tractor 3A | 29.1 in x 16.9 in x 43.3 in (740 mm x 430 mm x 1100 mm) |
| X-Tractor 5A | 33.1 in x 28.0 in x 55.1 in (840 mm x 710 mm x 1400 mm) |
| X-Tractor 8A | 43.3 in x 28.0 in x 55.1 in (1100 in x 710 in x 1400 in) |
3. Determine how many guns and/or nozzles your system will require
The X-Tractor system includes a variety of suction nozzles and extraction guns – each with different airflow ratings – to suit every welding environment. To determine the best nozzle or gun for your needs, consider what’s happening at each work station. Specifically, what is the size of the welding job? Suction nozzles tend to be better suited for short welds, while integrated fume extraction guns are more appropriate for larger fixture welding.
4. Connectors - putting it all together
Once you’ve decided on which unit or units can manage your fume extraction needs most efficiently – and the accessories best suited for each work station – everything needs to be properly connected. In addition to the X-Tractor units and accessories, Lincoln Electric provides a variety of parts to connect hoses to units and accessories to hoses.
Additional features
X-Tractor units include additional features that enable you to tailor the system to your work environment. They can be configured to operate in an automatic mode, where the extraction system will function based on the welding machine status. This provides extraction demand only when welding is taking place. The system can be configured for automatic filter cleaning or off-line filter cleaning.
The metal duct system is designed specifically for the layout of the welding facility and takes into account the number of welding stations, welding processes, physical obstacles and overall duct lengths to maintain specific airflow characteristics and provide an efficient and effective solution.
Safety and then some
Ensuring safety in any welding operation requires special attention to a variety of issues, including air quality. When properly designed and configured, the X-Tractor system will not only aid in air quality compliance, but also promote productivity and efficiency.
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