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Amateur welders usually ask questions about how to choose the perfect welding helmet. But before that, you must have some background information. Read on for a detailed guide about welding helmets and their shade numbers.
Welding Helmets
According to MyWeldingYard, Welding Helmets are essential for protecting yourself from harm related to fire, high voltages, and sometimes spatter of molten metal. Welding helmets also provide a shield from sparks and sharp tiny particles that may penetrate your skin. Plus, helmets protect your eyes from harmful radiations that are produced because of shielding gas’s ionization.
What are Welding Helmet Shades
The filter lenses on the welding helmets differentiate them from ordinary helmets. Usually, welding helmets have their characteristic shade number, which represents the allowable intensity of the radiation. It means that the helmet with a higher shade number will be darker. Therefore, it will allow fewer radiations to pass through the filter lens and reach one’s eyes. Welding helmets come in a variety of shades according to diverse welding processes. Above all, keep in mind that before choosing the shade number, welding helmets should meet ANSI standards in the USA and CSA in Canada.
What do Shade Numbers Mean?
Welding helmet shades numbers vary from 4 to 13. The earlier numbers from 4 to 8 are useful in grinding and cutting processes. While the shades from 9 to 13 are mainly used for different welding processes. The larger the shade number, the darker the filter lens.
Fixed and Variable Type Shade Lenses
There are two types of helmets. Some helmets have a filter lens with a fixed shade. In contrast, others have customized lenses with variable shade numbers. You can choose the former one if you are a professional welder of a particular welding process. Whereas, if you own a workshop or welding yard and work with different welding processes, it is better to buy the variable shade helmet. Though it will be a bit costly, it will serve you for all welding processes.
Shade Selection Criteria
We recommend selecting helmets according to the safety requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). To choose the shade number, you need to know the following things about your welding process:
The environment of your workspace:
Most of the welders mention the importance of knowing the environment because it relates to helmets’ auto-darkening capabilities. Your helmet should adopt the optical view as if most of the welding process is done in sunlight. ‘Smart’ helmets come with the auto-darkening filter (ADF) sensors which darken the filter based on the sensed electromagnetic radiations coming from the welding arc. You may find helmets with advanced technologies that eliminate the interference of sunlight and that use ADF sensors.
Operating Current range of the welding process:
As the welding process heats the metal, the temperature of the shielding gas and air surrounding the workspace rises. The welding arc temperature is relatively high can reach up to 6500F. The intense heat ionizes the air, and ultimately radiations of varying frequencies are produced which are hazardous to the eyes. So, you must know the current ratings of the welding gun while choosing the safety helmet.
Electrode diameter of your welding gun or machine:
Some welders recommend considering the electrode diameter for figuring out the perfect welding helmet shade. The bigger the diameter, the more the material will quickly heat up and produce more radiation. Estimate the total time of radiation exposure to choose the darkness (shade) of your welding helmet.
Welding Helmet Lens Shade Selection Charts:
The following are welding helmets shade charts organized according to the welding types.
| Shielding Metal Arc Welding (SMAW): | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arc Current in Amperes | Less than 60 | 60-100 | 160-250 | 250-500 |
| Minimum Protective Shade Number | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 |
| Suggested Shade Number | — | 10 | 12 | 14 |
| Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) or Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW): | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arc Current in Amperes | Less than 60 | 60-160 | 160-250 | 250-500 |
| Minimum Protective Shade Number | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Suggested Shade Number | — | 11 | 12 | 14 |
| Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG): | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc Current in Amperes | Less than 50 | 50-150 | 150-500 |
| Minimum Protective Shade Number | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Suggested Shade Number | 10 | 12 | 14 |
| Air Carbon Arc Cutting (CAC-A): | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arc Current in Amperes | Less than 500 | 500-1000 |
| Minimum Protective Shade Number | 10 | 11 |
| Suggested Shade Number | 12 | 14 |
| Plasma Arc Cutting (PAC): | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arc Current in Amperes | Less than 20 | 20-40 | 40-60 | 60-80 | 80-300 | 300-400 | 400-800 |
| Minimum Protective Shade Number | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Suggested Shade Number | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 14 |
| Plasma Arc Welding (PAW): | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arc Current in Amperes | Less than 20 | 20-100 | 100-400 | 400-800 |
| Minimum Protective Shade Number | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 |
| Suggested Shade Number | 6-8 | 10 | 12 | 14 |
Conclusion:
Deciding the shade number for your welding helmet is crucial, just like determining other factors for your welding process. In this regard, our guide will help you. Make sure you wear safety goggles under your helmet for extra protection. Plus, keep cleaning your helmet to remove slag and spatter for consistent visibility.