A car workshop without welding is unthinkable. But welding is not without danger, the electric arc is harmful to the eyes, and toxic gases are generated. It is all the more important to protect employees from these dangers. This works best with a high-quality welding helmet. We'll tell you what to look out for.
At first, looking into the arc during welding doesn't seem too bad, because "it's just a little light." How dangerous this UV light is can only be seen hours later.
It feels like there is sand in the eye, and severe pain occurs, you can be sure that there has been damage to the cornea. This usually heals after 24-48 hours. Nevertheless, by the snow blindness or static marks, long-term damage such as cataracts or even full blindness occurs.
In addition to eye diseases, UV light damages the skin, and carcinogenic fumes can be produced during welding. These serious reasons have ensured that the legislature prescribes sufficient protection to protect the welder's health.
An automatic welding helmet offers very good protection. It protects the entire face from UV radiation, and many models have integrated respiratory protection that prevents dangerous particles and gases from being inhaled.
Compared to the old welding mask, an automatically welding helmet detects the ignition and darkens the vision field in a fraction of a second. When the welding process is finished, the visor only opens after a short delay to prevent afterglow damage.
What should you look out for in an automatic welding helmet?
Now, of course, there is a large selection of automatic welding helmets in many different price ranges. We do not recommend saving or buying a cheap no-name product because you cannot be sure whether it has been certified and whether it really complies with these legal requirements and standards. Health cannot be restored, and therefore high quality should be ensured when buying a helmet.
To decide which welding helmet is the right one, it must be considered for which types of welding it should be used, because not every helmet is suitable for every application. The classification of the helmet is also important.
You should also pay attention to many setting options such as light sensitivity or the level of darkening. A fast dimming speed and an integrated filter cassette with at least four sensors are also important.
This filter cartridge darkens the welding mask when an arc is struck. The optical sensors detect the light and darken it. It is advantageous if the cassette has at least 4 sensors so that contamination does not directly impair functionality.
Problems with cheap welding helmets
We often hear from people that they first bought a supposedly cheap welding helmet on the Internet. After the purchase, the problems began, too small a field of view, no battery replacement possible, or no correct darkening. The worst, of course, is when the darkening has been lifted while welding, and the window is brightened again.
Conclusion: The cheap helmet is thrown away, and the supposedly low price turns out to be a waste of money. You might start looking at some welding helmets on this website: https://www.weldingsuperstore.com.au/welding-helmets They are not the cheapest ones, but definitely very solid.
What else is important?
When buying an automatic welding helmet, it is essential to ensure that the helmet is offered with a certificate. This means that all necessary tests from a certified institution have been passed and passed.
It is important to know that welding helmets have batteries, solar, and energy suppliers. The energy for the solar-powered welding helmet is obtained from the welding light. This means that the helmet can be used immediately and continuously.
A disadvantage is that solar-powered helmets often have a small field of vision; battery-operated helmets usually have a larger field of vision, a faster response time, and can be easily adjusted between light and dark.
Therefore, a helmet that combines both types is the best choice because it is continuously supplied with electricity by solar, while the batteries guarantee a fast switching time.
