Welding Helmets - An Important Accessory For Welding

Introduction

Welding helmets are one of key accessories in welding – and no one can weld without using a welding helmet or at least some type of protective shield. The role of welding helmets is to protect the face, neck, and eyes of the welding person from dangerous sparks, heat, as also infrared and ultraviolet rays. The welding helmet that acts as the protective helmet has a window through which the welder can see his welding work. As a precautionary measure, both professional and hobbyist welders must wear a reliable quality welding helmet as a safety device while doing welding work.

Earlier Days Welding Helmets

It is said that the welding helmet is probably the most easily recognized symbol of a welding operation. During earlier days, welders used a shield with a permanently darkened lens shade - that only covered the face. One would flip up and down this shield between two welds. Over time, many welders found this shield both inconvenient and unsafe and could not comfortably concentrate on what they were doing. When welders used a shield, it was probably inadequate using one hand had to hold the shield and the other to perform the welding operations. The usage of this shield was even more difficult to use in cramped spaces like underneath a car.

Then the welding helmets were introduced, freeing the hand from holding the mask and making welding operations more comfortable and providing greater protection to the welder's head. Now technology has made welding helmets with auto-darkening lens shades that not only totally block infrared and ultraviolet light, but also filter naked light from the welding arc during welding.

Present Day Welding Helmets

Present day welding helmets are available with fixed or flip type dark windows or with automatically darkening light screens. Also available in the market are auto-darkening helmets that do not darken until the welding arc is struck. A good rating for auto-darkening lenses is the time it takes them to darken after an arc has begun. It is safe to use welding helmets that darken within 4/10ths of a millisecond, since your eyes cannot sense the light change in that time.

Types of Welding Helmets

There are also available two types of welding helmets

• Solar-powered Welding Helmets:
  Will automatically turn off the battery after the helmet has been sitting idle.
  
  


• Battery-operated Welding Helmets:
  Offers the convenience of not having to worry about changing batteries.