Welding is a hazardous business. Sparks fly and without the right protection, burns can occur. The good news for all welders is that welding helmets have well and truly surpassed the clunky metal contraptions of yesteryear. In fact, they are now a many and varied and highly considered piece of workplace protection.
One of the main problems with welding helmets in the past has been the whole business of having to raise and lower the helmet depending on which stage of the welding process a welder was in. The helmet had to be tilted back off the face to see well enough while the welding electrode, welding gun or torch was readied for action and then lowered when the weld began. Lens weren’t always ideal either offering limited clarity and no real protection against bright light.
Now, welding helmets have gone high-tech both in design and features.If a welder wants to look like an action figure out of a Marvel movie while welding with a high degree of safety, they can. Welding helmets can now also sense the brightness of the light generated by the weld and adjust the darkness of the lens automatically.
Welding helmets do what every helmet is designed to do: they protect. In this case, they protect a welder’s eyes and face from burns resulting from hot weld sparks. Helmet lenses that automatically darken also protect welders from the often extreme light from a weld.
Indeed there are. In fact, welding helmets have come a long way since they vaguely resembled something Ned Kelly might have worn back in the day. Now they almost rival motorbike helmets for design variations.
While most of these helmets meet all welding safety requirements, always make sure a helmet hasn’t compromised compliance for cosmetics.
For something as seemingly simple as a welding helmet, there are a surprisingly large number of things to consider.
Indeed, would a powered air purifying respirator be a nice addition to enhance welder comfort? Would changeable headgear add to their comfort even more?
The average price for a welding helmet is a little over $600 and a helmet in that price bracket will suit the majority of needs. However, if you want a premium helmet with every safety and functionality feature covered, expect to pay around $1,800.
Most problems with welding helmets tend to happen with auto-darkening options rather than fixed shade as, obviously, more things can go wrong when sensors and other high-tech functions are involved.
Here’s a quick troubleshooting guide:
While sensors can play up in auto-darkening welding helmets, most issues will simply be about the helmet lens becoming dirty. Dust, weld spatter and smoke are inevitably going to find their way onto a helmet lens, as will surface scratches no matter how careful your welders are.
Here are three ways to help keep your welding lens clean and clear:
Most popular Welding Helmets suppliers and brands on IndustrySearch are SMENCO, Welding Industries of Australia, WeldQuip Group, The Lincoln Electric Company, Gentronics, ACL Industrial Technology.