Back & Side Draft Systems

Back and Side Draft Systems are designed to help capture and control airborne contaminants in industrial and commercial environments by drawing contaminated air horizontally away from the work area. They are commonly used in applications where fumes, dust, smoke, mist, vapours, or other process emissions need to be managed, but overhead capture or extraction-arm positioning is not the best fit. These systems are similar to downdraft tables, but instead of pulling air downward, they draw contaminated air in through back or side panels near the work zone.

These systems are often used where the work is performed in front of a table, booth, wall section, or enclosed area and a horizontal airflow pattern is more practical than downward capture. Depending on the application, Back and Side Draft Systems can also be combined to create more complete enclosures around the work process, which makes them useful for a range of bench, repair, finishing, welding, and specialty process environments. The right approach depends on the contaminant, the work orientation, the capture distance, and whether filtration or a broader enclosure strategy is needed.

What are Back and Side Draft Systems?

Back and Side Draft Systems are localized exhaust systems that pull contaminated air through rear or side intake panels positioned near the work area. In practice, they are often used where contaminants need to be drawn away from the operator across the face of the work zone rather than pulled downward through a table surface. They are typically selected when self-supporting extraction arms or other capture methods are not appropriate for the application.

When should you use Back and Side Draft Systems?

These systems are typically used when contaminants are generated in front of a work surface or process area and horizontal capture is a better fit than overhead, downdraft, or arm-based extraction. They may be a strong choice for deburring, painting and marking, welding, polishing, cleaning, repair work, and other applications where the process is performed against or near a backdraft or side draft surface. The best fit depends on the required air velocity, face velocity, filter performance, workpiece size, and whether additional risks such as fire or explosion need to be considered.

Typical applications

• welding and fabrication
• deburring and finishing
• buffing and polishing
• painting and marking
• cleaning with solvents or VOC-related processes
• repair and maintenance work
• laboratory or specialty technical applications
• enclosed or semi-enclosed workstation capture projects

Key benefits

• helps draw contaminants away from the operator through horizontal capture
• can be used where extraction arms or downdraft layouts are not ideal
• available with or without filtration depending on the application
• can be combined into more complete enclosure-style arrangements
• suitable for a wide range of workstation and process layouts

Important selection considerations

When selecting a Back and Side Draft System, key factors may include:

• contaminant type and concentration
• required air velocity and face velocity
• number and size of inlets or capture openings
• filter cleaning effectiveness and air-to-cloth ratio where applicable
• working environment and construction durability
• annual filter maintenance and energy costs
• tertiary risks such as fire or explosion
• workstation layout and process orientation

The right Back and Side Draft System depends on how and where it will be used. LEV-CO can help review your process, contaminant characteristics, airflow requirements, and facility conditions to recommend a practical solution for bench processes, repair operations, finishing tasks, and other applications where horizontal source capture is the better fit.