Welding in domestic or industrial conditions is a very dangerous operation, which requires high skill and compliance with safety to the maximum. In particular, we can say that the temperature in the region of the welding arc reaches 6-7 thousand degrees, and the current strength is within 200A.
Welding not only needs to be handled with caution, but even looking at the welding process requires a special way, as the brightness of the arc exceeds 10 thousand times that which is acceptable for the human eye. In this case, a welding mask comes to the rescue.
There are a great many varieties of this device for welding, and the following factors should be considered when choosing a device for protecting the face and eyesight:
- type of welding with which you have to work;
- volume of work;
- place of welding (room, open air);
- the presence of harmful substances in the welded surfaces (manganese, zinc).
Welding masks are divided into those that have a fixed light filter (standard mask), masks with a lifting filter, automatic masks of the "Chameleon" class and masks that have an additional supply under the air shield as an additional option.
In household welding , a standard welding shield is usually used. It can be used if the volume of operations is small, because the shield must be held in one hand, the welding machine in the other, which creates a lack of ability to hold or move the part. Another inexpensive form of mask is the hinged design. This type of welding mask is easy to use, durable, but often causes neck diseases, because the mask on the face is lowered with a nod of the head. In addition, the light filter on masks of this class is very dark and before the arc ignites, the welder does not see anything. TIG welding requires a mask of a specific configuration, which differs from semi-automatic welding and MMA welding.
A universal welding mask may have a Chameleon-type filter, which is a multilayer structure made of polarized film and liquid crystals. It allows you to automatically darken the desired level at the very beginning of welding, adjust it to change the brightness, and also has filters to protect against harmful infrared and ultraviolet radiation. The mask filter is powered by lithium batteries - tablets or solar panels. This type of welding mask often has an attractive exterior design that resembles a helmet for a motorcycle racer or an astronaut.
Creative welders order painting masks in one or another style and flaunt on the work site, for example, with the “head” of a tiger or a robot. The technological appearance is also emphasized by the fact that a number of mask settings (darkening, delay time for opening the mask after the welding process is completed, etc.) can be “dialed” directly on the filter.
When protective masks are selected, it makes sense to pay attention to the brand, country of manufacture, the availability of certificates for a light filter (to avoid fakes), the warranty period. The selection of masks must be approached responsibly, as for a poor-quality product or your own stinginess you will have to pay with such a precious gift as good eyesight.