Suction arms, also known as extraction arms or articulated arms, are an important collection device in industry and crafts, to create a clean and safe working environment. Suction arms are flexible and often used in combination with suction systems. The suction systems collect the particles sucked in by the suction arm and filters.
Vacuum arms and vacuum systems are indispensable in many sectors, helping to improve air quality, protect workers’ health and boost productivity. For optimum results, it’s important to choose a vacuum arm that meets the specific requirements of the application. For this purpose, we offer explosion-proof, ESD-compatible and chemical-resistant ATEX suction arms. Our range includes products from FUMEX, ALSIDENT, ESTA and GEOVENT.
OberA suction arms capture dust, welding and soldering fumes, gases and vapors directly at source. The suction arms can be connected to extraction fans to draw in pollutants and discharge them unfiltered, or to a central suction and filtration system via piping, or to a mobile suction unit.
It is useful touse an arm when the position of the work area varies, or when it is important to be able to retract the vacuum device so as not to interfere with operators’ work when they don’t need to use the vacuum.
It is generally assumed that a suction arm can be moved within a working area corresponding at most to its length. To check out the possibilities of moving the arms, we invite you to view our videos showing the possible movements of each arm according to their length.
All our arms are designed to combine robustness, durability and manoeuvrability.
Our suction arms are supplied fully pre-assembled, and are available with various suction hoods, hoses and fastenings, as well as in a wide range of nominal widths (50 mm to 200 mm) and spans (1.5 m to 8.0 m).
OberA suction arms are articulated and equipped with gas struts to ensure easy movement of the arm and to place the collection mouth in any position within easy reach. The external construction of the support and articulation system ensures that the air flow is not impeded and that efficient suction can be achieved. In fact, some types of arm have a joint inside the arm. If possible, this solution should be avoided to prevent any risk of deterioration or abrasion in the case of dust, or corrosion in the case of gaseous pollutants.
What criteria to consider when choosing an industrial vacuum arm
1. What diameter should I choose for a suction arm?
OberA suction arms are available in diameters from d50mm to d200mm.
Suction flow ranges from 100 m3/h to a maximum of 3000 m3/h.
The diameter to be selected will depend on the suction flow rate required and the capacity of the suction and filtration system to which the arm is connected.
Even if OberA arms are particularly efficient and energy-saving, the pressure loss of a suction arm is still relatively high, given the bends at the joints and the flexible pipe lengths. What’s more, the higher the suction speed in the arm, the greater the arm pressure drop (which evolves more or less proportionally to the square of the suction speed).
It is therefore important to ensure that the extraction system to which the arm will be connected has sufficient suction capacity in terms of both flow rate and available pressure. Ventilation systems (AHUs) often lack sufficient negative pressure to guarantee a suitable flow rate to the arm.
Choosing a larger arm diameter helps reduce pressure loss, but care must be taken to ensure that the suction speed is always sufficient for dust extraction. What’s more, the larger the diameter of a suction arm, the more bulky it is!
2. Which suction arm length should I choose?
The length of the suction arm depends on the movement to be made and the surface to be covered. However, the longer the arm, the less manoeuvrable it is. It’s important to choose an arm length that’s long enough, but not too long.
3. Which fume hood or capture device to choose at the end of a suction arm?
OberA arms can be fitted with a variety of hoods:
- Round or oval hood for dust and fume extraction.
- Rectangular hood for large-area extraction.
- Patented double-acting hood for fume, gas and solvent extraction.
4. How do I attach a suction arm?
There are several ways to attach a suction arm:
- Floor stand with support foot for fixing to the floor.
- Bracket for positioning on a mobile vacuum unit.
- Wall-mounted with 360° ball joint.
- Wall-mounting bracket.
- Wall-mounting bracket with arm and extension from 1m to 3m.
5. When should you choose an ATEX arm?
When the suctioned product is explosive (explosive dust or gas) or when the arm itself is in an ATEX zone, it is advisable to choose a suitable ATEX arm: ATEX Zone 22 dust arm or ATEX Zone 2 gas arm.
6. Options available on suction arms ?
Several options are available, depending on the application. Note :
- LED light on the capture device.
- Flow control valve or open/close valve.
- Various special suction hoses to meet specific requirements such as slag, abrasive dust, corrosive fumes or gases,…ATEX, high-temperature hoses.
Suction arm
oval hood
Suction arm
rectangular hood
What are the criteria to consider when choosing
Advantages
- For perfect source capture of fumes, solvents and dust
- Vacuuming of one or more workstations
- For connection to a collection network or mobile dust collector
Special features
- Arm support mechanism is located on the outside and does not interfere with air flow
- The air flow in the arm is not disturbed. Pressure losses are reduced
- Air springs accompany and assist movement
Characteristics
- A wide choice of sizes and diameters
- Highly flexible
- Easy to use and move
- Suction as close as possible to the source
Applications
Pollutants
Industries
In optioN
OberA’s other suction and collection products
