Laser fumes consist of ultrafine particles and VOCs that generate when the material is burned by the laser. In contrast, the fumes from printers predominantly come from the evaporation of the solvent in the ink that carries the pigment. Filtered fume extractors are configured for each application type based on the content of the fumes.
For example, a dye-sublimation printer requires specialized waterproof filters to capture the glycerin droplets from the ink solvent and basic activated carbon to capture the odors. A laser engraver would require high-capacity particulate filters to deal with the high volume of ultrafine dust and a chemical filter, which contains specialized activated carbon and chemical additives to treat the cocktail of VOCs that are emitted.
—PAT Technology
