IAQ Concerns Stemming from Resistance Welding

Broadly used for its speed and efficiency, resistance welding creates a multitude of products throughout many industries. Invented in Philadelphia in 1877, resistance welding did not become commonplace until the need for faster shipbuilding and weapons production occurred during World War I. It quickly became an alternative to traditional riveting in US manufacturing. Despite the benefits, resistance welding is like any other form of welding and can pollute indoor air, making the workplace unsafe if measures to counteract unhealthy emissions are not in place.

Resistance Welding Defined

Resistance welding (RW) is a thermo-electric method that joins two or more metals using pressure and heat. The resistance is generated by an electric current applied using light force.

There are different types of RW. Spot is the most common, but other variations such as projection, seam, and butt welding. These RW methods differ from other welding types because they do not require external heat sources and filler materials. Other types of welding often involve melting the metals or using another type as a joiner to fuse the multiple parts.

Industries & Applications

Innumerable applications across many different industries rely on RW as a means of joining metal parts during product manufacturing. Here is just a sample of industries and how RW is used to create their products:

Aerospace: joining sheet metal parts in airframes

Automotive: joining metal panels for vehicle chassis assemblies

Construction: joining metal parts in kitchen appliances, washing machines, and HVAC units

Medical: producing small parts for medical devices and instruments

Tech: joining microelectronic components such as printed circuit boards and microchips

Indoor Air Quality Concerns from Resistance Welding

While fume emissions tend to be lower than in other types of welding, RW still produces fine particulate matter as well as significant concentrations of zinc oxide gases resulting from the use of galvanized metal. These emissions can cause illness. Furthermore, workers, particularly manual welders, are subjected to occupational risk from the magnetic currents generated during resistance bonding activities. Magnetic currents can disrupt pacemaker function, deliver an electric shock during defibrillation, and cause vertigo, disturb vision, and overstimulate the central nervous system.

Occupational exposure alone isn’t necessarily enough to cause serious problems. The volume of contamination, the duration of exposure, as well as an individual’s characteristics such as age, gender, health, and lifestyle, are all factors that affect the degree to which a person is at risk. But for people who work with resistance welding emissions day in and day out, the threat is far more severe.

Air Quality Solutions

Because the indoor air emissions from resistance welding can pose a significant risk to the health of workers, proactive safeguards combined with air filtration are recommended. Proper safety measures should include:

1. Proper industrial hygiene to minimize particulate accumulation
2. The use of PPE (personal protective equipment)
3. Adequate workspace ventilation
4. The use of methods and materials that produce fewer emissions, when possible
5. Air cleaning equipment, such as source capture for fumes and dust

At AIRSInc., our Extract-All® line of air cleaning products removes pollution at the source. For example, our SP987-1 Portable Air Cleaner is used by many of our resistance welding customers to capture and filter airborne contaminants to provide a clean and pollution-free environment for their workers. To ensure that your workplace has an IAQ that is healthy for all, contact us today for a free indoor air quality assessment from one of our indoor environmental specialists.

SP987-1 Portable Air Cleaner

The SP987-1 portable air cleaner utilizes a Three-Stage Filtration system used for capture and filtration of airborne contaminants with an emphasis on dust, smoke, and fume removal. With its compact design and versatile filtration system, the SP987-1 a great choice for countless applications.

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