Chemical Fume Extraction Systems for Laboratories

Capture Lab Fumes Where They Start

Laboratories handle solvents, acids, powders, adhesives and solder flux every day, and most of that work happens on an open bench rather than inside a fume hood. General room ventilation dilutes those contaminants after they have already passed the operator’s breathing zone. A fume extraction arm does the opposite: it captures the contaminant at the source, before it ever reaches the room.

Material Handling USA supplies, configures and installs Nederman exhaust snorkels — the FX2 BenchTop extraction arm family — along with Movex ESD arms and the fume hoods, casework and lab ventilation that go around them. An arm is a small purchase next to a hood, which is exactly why it gets specified badly: the wrong diameter starves the hood, the wrong model corrodes or discharges static, and a mount in the wrong place means the operator stops using it.

This page covers the three arm models, the diameters and airflows, hood options, mounting and drop-ceiling details, and the questions we ask before quoting a lab. If you already know what you need, send us the bench layout and we will come back with arm part numbers, brackets and installed pricing. Fertility clinics should also see IVF lab snorkels; for a complete exhaust snorkel and laboratory exhaust capture design, see exhaust snorkels from our sister company Labs USA.

Nederman FX2 Exhaust Snorkel Models

All three models share the same construction: lightweight anodized aluminum tube sections, three adjustable composite friction joints on ball-bearing supported knobs, a built-in damper, an exhaust connection that swivels through 360°, and a mini hood supplied as standard. What changes is the material package — and that is what makes one right for your bench.

FX2 ORIGINALThe all-round arm for general laboratory and workshop use where there is little risk of electrostatic discharge or attack by aggressive chemicals. Anodized aluminum tubes, three adjustable composite friction joints, mini hood supplied as standard, and a damper on every arm. Available in 2″, 3″ and 4″ (50, 75 and 100 mm) diameters.

FX2 ESD/EXBuilt from conductive materials so static electricity and sparks cannot build up on the arm — the specification for electronics assembly, soldering, rework and battery work. Supplied with an anodized metal hood. Following a site risk assessment the ESD/EX arm can also be used in certain explosive atmospheres; Nederman lists ESD, CE and EX certifications for this model.

FX2 CHEM (Chemical Resistant)Double-anodized aluminum profiles for fume extraction in aggressive, corrosive environments — acid digestion, solvent handling, staining and histology benches. Normally supplied with the painted corrosion-resistant metal hood. Offered in 3″ and 4″ (75 and 100 mm) diameters.

Hood Options

Every arm ships with a mini hood, so no extra nozzle is needed to put it to work. The mini hood also acts as a universal interface: the combi, dome, metal and flange hoods all clip directly to it regardless of arm size, so you can change the capture geometry later without changing arms.

Match the hood to how the contaminant behaves. A dome works when fumes rise and disperse quickly. A combi hood adds screening for anything that drifts sideways — it doubles as a screen hood and stays fully transparent, so the operator never loses sight of the work. A metal hood is the answer for heat, splatter and aggressive vapor that would attack plastic. A flange hood concentrates capture on a small, fixed target.

Reducers (2-1/2″, 3″–3-1/4″, 4″, 5″), white/gray/black ESD hoses and duct connectors are all stock items, which is what lets us adapt a new arm to ductwork that is already in the ceiling.

Combi Hood — 15″ × 18″Transparent PET-G hood (380 × 460 mm) that works both as a dome hood and as a screen hood. Excellent screening, no optical distortion, and it angles easily to suit the operation. Part 70500144 (ORIGINAL), 70500244 (ESD), 70500344 (CHEM).

Dome Hood — 16″ diameterTransparent Ø410 mm dome for contaminants that disperse quickly, giving the operator a clear view of the work underneath. Clips straight onto the mini hood on any arm size. Part 70376982 (ORIGINAL).

Metal Hood — 11″ diameterPowder-coated aluminum Ø280 mm hood for aggressive fumes, high temperatures, dust and splatter, where a plastic hood would not survive. Part 70500444 (ORIGINAL/CHEM), 70500544 (ESD).

Where Lab Fume Extraction Arms Are Used

The same arm family covers a wide range of work — the model, hood and diameter change with the hazard.

Chemistry & Research LabsSolvent transfers, acid digestion, sample prep and staining benches where a full fume hood is overkill but the operator still needs the vapor pulled away from the breathing zone. CHEM arms with metal hoods are the usual specification.

Electronics, Soldering & ReworkSolder flux, adhesives and conformal coating fumes captured at the iron. ESD/EX arms use conductive materials so nothing on the arm can discharge into the assembly being built.

Pharmaceutical & CompoundingPowder weighing, capsule and tablet handling and reagent prep, where nuisance dust and odor control matter as much as chemical exposure. Combi hoods give screening without boxing the operator in.

Clinical & Analytical QC LabsBench-level extraction over analyzers, centrifuges and prep stations. A 3″ arm handles most QC benches at 65–140 cfm without disturbing balances or sample plates.

Schools, Universities & Vocational ProgramsChemistry classrooms, welding and technical shops and teaching labs. Wall-mounted arms serve a demonstration bench and swing back out of the way between classes.

Cleanrooms, IVF & Medical DeviceCeiling-mounted arms dropped through a suspended ceiling with a cover plate, so the only thing in the clean space is a smooth anodized arm that wipes down.

How to Specify Lab Fume Extraction

1. Describe the source, not the room

What is released, how much, how hot, how often, and from what size of opening? A beaker of solvent on a hot plate, a soldering iron and an acid digestion block all release contaminants differently, and that decides the hood and diameter long before anyone talks about a fan.

2. Pick the model from the hazard

Static risk points to ESD/EX. Corrosive vapor points to CHEM with a metal hood. Everything else is normally an Original arm. Where an explosive atmosphere may exist, the ESD/EX arm can be considered after a documented risk assessment — that assessment is the customer’s and their safety officer’s call, not a catalog line.

3. Size the diameter to the airflow you can actually supply

A 4″ arm pulling 265 cfm is only useful if the exhaust system can give it that. Add up every arm on the branch and take the total to your mechanical contractor before you settle the arm count. Where the building has nothing to tie into, a self-assembly kit with its own fan, filter and speed controller is usually faster and cheaper than new ductwork.

4. Fix the mount so people will use it

The most common reason an arm sits unused is a mount that puts the hood in the wrong place. Stand at the bench, put the hood where the work happens, and set the mount from there — using an extension profile if the ceiling is high. Balance dampers on each arm let you trim flow once the system is running.

5. Plan for verification

Extraction is only protective while it is working. Build a periodic check into your Chemical Hygiene Plan — verify capture at the hood face, confirm dampers have not been closed off, and re-check after any renovation that changes the exhaust system.

Laboratory Fume Extraction FAQs