During welding, the electric arc emits light identical to that of the sun. This implies UV rays. Without a special protective mask, all welders would receive light burns of the skin and corneas of the eyes. Thanks to this practical accessory, you can protect your face and head from exposure to ultraviolet rays and dross.
Modern masks have a large variety in price and quality. In order not to overpay, but also not to re-buy a protective device after half a year, you should understand the key characteristics of the welding mask and choose the most suitable for a particular type of activity.
Content:
The best manufacturers of masks for welding - which company to choose
For those who do not have time to research this issue, you can opt for the products of one of the following companies-leaders in the production of welding masks:
1. Fubag
2. Inforce
3. Patriot
4. "Bison"
5. "Resanta"
But due to significant differences in specific models and suitability for certain conditions, it is worth getting acquainted with rated best welding masks. This will help you see the pros and cons and narrow the choices.
Well, in order to sort things out independently, weigh the various factors and make a decision, the information below is provided with a detailed analysis of the key parameters.
The principle of operation and the device welding mask
The mask for welding is designed to protect the worker from a number of harmful factors. The electric arc radiates ultraviolet light and a large amount of heat, which harms the skin of the welder. Constant monitoring of suture formation can lead to severe corneal burns and blindness. During the melting of the metal, some impurities can be released and bounce off in the form of burning scales.
Melting electrode with coating and edges of the welded surface emit toxic smoke, necessary to protect the weld pool from the external environment. Inhalation of such gases is also dangerous. Therefore, for more than a hundred years, designers have been working to improve the shape and functionality of the welding mask, designed to protect a specialist from this number of negative factors.
Also, an accessory worn on the head completely frees the hands, so that the welder can independently hold the part and weld it with an electrode in the second hand. This increases productivity and reduces the number of people employed in a single process.
Welding masks are used everywhere: in factories, service stations, repair shops and in the private sector when working at the cottage (setting a fence, wicket, shower tank). A large variety of prices allows you to purchase this accessory for everyone, even if you have to cook once a year.
Most types of welding masks include the following elements:
- a casing with an elongated part to protect the neck and a semicircular neckline at the top for free lifting;
- viewing window with ordinary glass (lens) to block UV rays and monitor the process;
- light filter that protects against bright flashes;
- solar panel for recharging batteries from arc light (for chameleons);
- regulator of degree of blackout of the light filter;
- headgear lock.
The light filter - the main protective element of the mask, is a glass coated with a black coating. In daylight, nothing can be seen in it. But when the electric arc ignites, the edges of the metal being welded and the melting point of the electrode become clearly visible. The outlines of the surrounding parts are partially manifested.Depending on the place of work, the degree of darkening of the light filter also differs.
Some models have a hinged window that allows you to lift a dark glass and look at the seam, without removing the entire mask. This slightly improves performance and facilitates use. But such masks weigh more, which increases the load on the neck.
In other models, the filter is made of two glasses, between which there are liquid crystals. In the normal state, they are perpendicular to the plane and allow the welder to see what is happening as through ordinary sunglasses. But when the arc is ignited, a small current is triggered in the mask device, and the crystals are rotated 90 degrees, which darkens the filter to the desired level, and only welding can now be seen through it.
Modern masks can be made of pressed cardboard or heat-resistant plastic. Most often they are painted in black or gray, but foreign manufacturers use bright yellow and red cases. This contributes to greater light reflection, and also makes the welder more visible to crane beam workers and bridge lifting devices.
Types of masks for welding
Depending on the required safety and convenience of work, there are different types of welding masks. They may be as follows.
Simple (standard) masks
They are made of pressed cardboard or poured from plastic, resistant to high temperatures. Most often have a small viewing window and a budget mount without a soft substrate. Paper models are much lighter than plastic ones. The light filter is installed in a special unit behind the protective glass and is fixed on top of the clamp to prevent precipitation.
To change the darkness of the filter, it is necessary to remove the accessory from the head, unwind the block retainer and replace the black glass with an element with a large value. Such masks are cheap and suitable for novice welders or small organizations where many welding works are performed in the lower spatial position.
Advantages:
- cheap;
- cardboard versions are light;
- protection of the light filter at the proper level according to GOST;
- You can work at any air temperature;
- There are models with observation windows.
Disadvantages:
- heavy plastic cases;
- cardboard mask may swell from moisture;
- head mount hard;
- There are very large covers uncomfortable for welding in hard to reach places.
Chameleons
This is a more expensive type of mask containing a liquid crystal screen. It is convenient because the welder does not need to constantly lift the accessory up after each seam in order to assess the quality of work and see where to start the next joint. The crystals automatically make the glass transparent after the arc is interrupted.
To adjust the degree of darkening, just turn the switch on the left side of the case, which can be done even without interrupting the arc. The electronic circuit is battery operated and fueled by the light of the welding itself. These masks are convenient for those who perform many small seams and who need to move frequently around the product. Especially this kind of protective device is popular with argonists.
Advantages:
- smooth and fast adjustment of light shading;
- soft mount;
- Beautiful design;
- heat resistant case;
- easy;
- lining on the forehead impregnated with antibacterial composition;
- long service life;
- availability of warranty.
Disadvantages:
- crystals do not work well at low temperatures;
- expensive;
- more suitable for argon, due to the rapid contamination of the front glass dusts from welding with coated electrodes.
Masks with forced air supply
During welding, gases are emitted into the air from the molten electrode and the product being joined. Under normal conditions, it is sufficient to have a hood above the workplace to remove harmful smoke. But sometimes welding has to be done inside a closed space (large tank, small basement with no windows).Then it is necessary to use a mask with forced air supply to the respiratory organs.
It works on the principle of a respirator, which is mounted on the back of the worker behind. A small electric motor tightens the surrounding air, filters it through a protective system and delivers through the hose directly below the mask. This design requires additional equipment, but allows you to safely work in specific conditions.
Advantages:
- reliably protects from harmful gases;
- allows you to work in complex technical conditions;
- has good light filters;
- high visibility of the viewing window;
- convenient adjustment of fastening;
- large range of blackout values.
Disadvantages:
- high price;
- you can hook on the sticking objects;
- in some models, the upper nozzle is highly located, which creates additional difficulties for passage into bottlenecks;
- additional costs for the filter and batteries.
Welding mask selection options
The welding accessory has many parameters of choice that determine the place of use of protective equipment and convenience for the welder. To buy the most suitable mask, you need to take into account the criteria below.
The size of the viewing window
Screen welding mask is denoted in millimeters and can be from 90x32 mm to 110x93 mm. It depends on how well the welding bath will be visible to the specialist. For those who perform work in the lower position and have the opportunity to look directly at the welding zone, a small viewing window of 90x30 or 90x40 mm is sufficient.
Employees of public services, who have to cook pipes close to the wall or floor, will need a screen of 110x60 mm. Those who constantly work inside large tanks or with ceiling welding need windows that are enlarged vertically to 100x90 mm. With a small screen, you will have to twist more necks, and because of the limited space it can be difficult, and the muscles will quickly get tired.
Degree of blackout
In standard masks, the filters have numbers from 2 to 5 units. If a similar model is being used, then a maximum indicator No. 5 is required for work in the yard. Indoors through such glass it will be difficult to see what is happening in the weld pool and here they buy masks with a light filter № 3-4. In very dark conditions (basements, boilers of huge furnaces) a protective element No. 2 is necessary.
In chameleons, the scale of light-shading is indicated in DIN and is from 5 to 15. As these masks have an adjustment of the degree of rotation of the crystals, you need to choose an accessory with a range of 9-13. The upper values will be enough to work on the street, and the lower enough for the shop or garage. Indicators from 5 to 8 DIN are used in very dark conditions or by welders with poor eyesight.
Weight
The mass of the welding protective accessory can be from 0.35 kg to 0.9 kg. This is influenced by the type of material of the casing, the thickness of the glasses used, the mount and accessories. The lower the weight, the more convenient the welder. It will also reduce the negative load on the cervical vertebrae, because often experts lower the mask with a sharp nod of the head, because the hands are already occupied by the holder with the details and are set to the exact beginning of the suture. But this is all important for professional use. In the case of giving and welding once a month, any mask will do, even 0.9 kg.
Type of light filter
Conventional tinted glass is well suited for arc welding with consumable electrodes, because it is covered with cheap protective glass for frequent replacement, due to slag splashes on its surface. This is a good option for a beginner or in the case of country use.
Chameleons with LCD screens should choose more welders employed in argon machines, where welding is carried out with tungsten electrodes without spatter. This mask improves productivity, helps to quickly change the welding zone, without removing the accessory, and allows you to accurately begin the place of a new seam without unnecessary traces from the arc. This is a choice for professionals employed in car-care centers, firms for the manufacture of heated towel rails or research institutes for the creation of water treatment systems.
Power type
In the case of a chameleon, the liquid crystal screen must receive energy to trigger the sensors and turn the position of the small particles that darken the filter. All such masks have a built-in battery, which will have to be changed periodically. Other models are equipped with an additional panel for absorbing light rays from welding and a system for recharging batteries, so their life is much longer. But during rare work, the battery is discharged, and the first time, when welding is resumed, the light filter does not work. He needs to give time to recharge from the sun.
For those who buy a chameleon, to create accurate connections, but do not plan to do this every day, fit a model with one battery. This mask is always ready to go. In the case of permanent employment, it makes sense to purchase a security element with a solar panel.
Body shape
This parameter is responsible for security and its properties can only be verified in practice. Visually, the shape of the casing should have a good streamline and an elongated part at the bottom so that the welding smoke does not reach the welder in the face. The upper edge of the mask is desirable with a small semicircle, but of sufficient height to prevent scale from falling on the head. The width of the accessory should not exceed 240 mm for those who work with pipes in bathrooms, boiler rooms or basements in order to maximally press against the wall and see the far edge of the joint. In other cases, the width is unimportant.
Body material
Pressed cardboard is much easier, but it can swell from moisture, so these masks are bought for work indoors or for the warm season and welding in the yard. Plastic covers are massive and last for a long time, but putting them on a just-welded joint can no longer be torn off (plastic melts and sticks to hot metal). They should be purchased for work on the street and for those who have a special place with bedding for storing the accessory during off-hours.
Chameleon Trigger
When the arc ignites, the crystals should instantly turn around and have time to protect the eyes from bright light. Considering that the speed of the latter is 300,000 km / s, the sensors and other elements do this in a very short instant. This parameter can be checked only by personally turning the filter on welding or bright sun. If the eye manages to capture the light, then this is a bad mask from which vision will suffer.
In most chameleons, there is a delay function for 1-2 seconds of the reverse reversal of crystals, which should be taken by working in very dark conditions (large capacities, work in the night shift), since the light from the solidifying metal after the end is very bright and can blind.
Availability of settings
Masks with adjustable electronic dimming have a wheel to select the level of protection from light. In some models, it is inside, next to the frame of the viewing window. For other accessories, the regulator is located outside the left on the case and can be rotated even during welding.
The first option is suitable for working in the same conditions (shop, unit, garage). The second option is useful for work on the road or in shift schedules and allows you to quickly adjust and adjust the blackout to the hike of the new environment.
Convenience mount
The mask is fixed on the head of the welder with the help of two plastic rims, one of which covers the circumference, and the second limits the depth of landing. On budget models such plastic is not insulated and it quickly rubs the forehead. This option is suitable for infrequent work in the country or in the garage.
Professional models are supplied with foam lining, softening friction and pressure from the accessory. Some manufacturers impregnate the material in contact with the forehead, antibacterial composition, which reduces irritation. Of course, these types of fastenings should be chosen for permanent wearing a mask for 6-8 hours.
Lens distortion
Serious sellers accompany the goods with a certificate and documents. In them, as well as on the body of the product, there should be a designation of the degree of distortion of the optical lens. It is written in the first digit in the line through the slash.A value of 1 means minimal distortion and is necessary for those who work with thin products where narrow, precise seams are required (small heat exchangers, oil distributor tubes). For welding thick pipes or metal sheets, a distortion factor of 2 is sufficient.
Light scattering
This parameter indicates the transparency of the screen and the ability to clearly see the details when the arc is burning. It is written in the second digit in the line through a slash. A value of 1 is required for those employed in welding thin-walled metal (less than a millimeter). For all other works, indicator 2 is appropriate.
What kind of welding mask to choose
Understanding the basic criteria of this important accessory, we can single out the optimal values for specific types and conditions of work:
1. For giving or amateur welding in the garage, a mask with a window of 90x32 mm, light filter No. 4, made of extruded cardboard will be suitable.
2. For welding heating or plumbing, a survey model of 100x90 mm is useful, with a light filter No. 3, convenient for working indoors, weighing 400 grams and a foam layer on the mount. Body material - plastic. Good to buy goods with hinged glass.
3. To cook stainless steel, you need a chameleon with DIN 8-13, weighing 500 grams, lens distortion 1 and transparency 2. It is desirable to have a solar panel and foam pad.
4. Thin seams with a non-consumable electrode on metal of 1 mm or less will be convenient to cook in a chameleon with lens 1 and transparency parameter 1. The range of light shading is 5-15 DIN, the solar panel and the weight is 600 g.
5. For work inside tanks, a mask with forced air supply and a viewing window of 90x60 mm, DIN 5-13 is needed.
How much is a mask for welding
Having understood the subtle interrelation of the mask parameters and the convenience of the welding process, it is realistic to single out the approximate cost of each accessory for specific types of work:
1. To give a simple protective device will have a price of 200-400 rubles.
2. To work on the creation of heating or the pipeline, you have to buy a mask for 400-800 rubles.
3. For welding stainless steel, the usual thickness of the accessory will cost 1100-1600 rubles.
4. To make it comfortable to work with thin metals, you need a mask for 1400-4000 rubles.
5. The model with forced air supply is 42000-180000 rubles.
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