1. The importance to choose the right welding helmets
Welding arc is harmful to eyes and face because of the arc radiation, rays,high frequency electromagnetic fields and thermal radiation generated during the welding. Great damage will be made on the welders if not-suitable protective equipment are not used.During industrial welding process, the heat resource can be over 1000℃. The crystal in eyes are very sensitive, when eyes are exposed to X-rays for hours, bloodshot in eyes will happen.Long time UV exposure will bring electrooptic ophthalmia as well as eyes pain, tears,photophobia, foreign body sensation and the worst situation can be cataract.
So it is crucial for our welders friends to choose a suitable protective welding helmet, as they can help in following points:
- Eyes protection: Double filter of rays can protect your eyes from UV & infrared as well as glares harm so that no electrooptic ophthalmia will happen
- Face protection: Effectively prevent welding spatters from harming your face and reduce possibility of skin burns.
- Respiratory protection：airflow guide of the welding helmets can effectively reduce the harm of welding gases & dust to welders’respiratory system.
2. Different welding helmets types
①Handheld welding helmets
▶Advantages: low costs, easy to operate, cheaper protection lens and easy to replace the lens
▶Disadvantages: shorter life span, easy to break, don’t offer enough protection against welding fume and spatter; They request more skills for the welders as they need one hand to hold, and this makes it not friendly for welding beginners. They are not suitable for Tig welding as they can only prevent the glares from arc welding, but don’t prevent infrared and UV which are more harmful to welders’ eyes. Long time using will cause electrooptic ophthalmia; The welders can’t see the weld bead when igniting
②Cow leather welding helmet
▶Advantages: light in weight, cheap in price, suitable for welding jobs in narrow space, cheaper lens and easy to replace
▶Disadvantages: poor air permeability makes it uncomfortable to wear; don’t provide enough protection against welding fume; poor thermal insulation capacity; they can only prevent the glares from arc welding, but don’t prevent infrared and UV which are more harmful to welders’ eyes; Long time using will cause electrooptic ophthalmia; The welders can’t see the weld bead when igniting
③Auto darkening welding helmet
▶Advantages:
⑴ Auto darkening welding helmets can offer enough protection to welders’ eyes by filtering all infrared and UV and can prevent the welders suffer from heat radiation as the helmets materials are heat resistant.
⑵ There are outer protection lens mounted before the filters, this prevents the filters from harms of welding spatters. Easy replacement of outer lens ensures longer life span of auto darkening welding helmet
⑶ Auto darkening welding helmets free welders’ one hand to hold the normal helmets and makes welders can operate with 2 hands,which makes the welding job easier and ensures higher welding quality
⑷Auto darkening welding helmets makes the welders can see the weld part clearly when there are not welding arc and filter most of the welding arc to prevent welders’ eyes during the welding jobs.
▶Disadvantages:
Auto darkening welding helmets are not capable of high-intensity overhead welding jobs, as the molten metals can drop to the welding helmets. The welding helmets may influence the air-tightness of anti-dust face masks.
3. How to choose for beginners
Do not use handheld or leather welding helmets with black glass, as they may influence welding quality and they don’t offer enough protection; It is wise to choose auto-darkening welding helmets which makes you can weld with two hands, improve the welding quality, and offer enough protection to your eyes and face.
Fox Alloy auto-darkening welding helmets are welding beginners’ good choice. It's industrial grade quality featured with good black PP structure which means lighter in weight with longer life span; The advanced filters ensure color richness and faster auto darkening (1/20000- 1/25000s); The sensitivity is adjustable; The slender profile makes them suitable for welding jobs in narrow space; Big viewing window offers bigger viewable range; Improved head hood ensures enough comfort and stability during welding jobs and can absorb the sweat from welders’ heads.
Protect your health and family happiness, pls wear proper protection before welding.