[How to choose a Chameleon welding helmet] to minimize the harmful effects of the work process on vision.
The risk of injury during welding is too high.
Here we are talking not only about the impact of harmful radiation on vision, but also about possible poisoning from evaporating gases.
And also about burns that can be obtained from intense thermal radiation and flying scales of molten iron.
This issue is especially relevant for specialists who have to perform welding work five days a week.
Regardless of where the welding process is carried out - on the street or in a building, the presence of a welding helmet is a prerequisite.
Protection from the negative effects of artificial light by using a mask makes it possible not only to maintain health, but also to perform welding work efficiently.
The main characteristics that must be followed when choosing a welding helmet are properly tinted glass and GOST safety standards.
The product must correspond to them. But it will be difficult for an inexperienced person to make a choice and buy a mask if he is unfamiliar with these indicators.
In addition, the market currently offers a wide selection of classic and professional welding helmets from different manufacturers.
But not each of the proposed models is capable of providing adequate protection and safety.
At the same time, the price of helmets will not be an indicator of their quality; it may turn out that a cheap model is much more effective than an expensive one.
Since later in the article we will talk about how to choose a Chameleon welding helmet and do it correctly, first you just need to briefly get acquainted with the characteristics of classic welding helmets, which will allow you to better understand what advantages it brings and how different the modern model is from them.
Characteristics of a classic welding helmet
The traditional welding helmet with a fixed filter was born about 50 years ago.
Initially, natural thick leather was taken as the basis for their production; later, welding helmets began to be produced from compressed plastic.
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Such masks can fully ensure the safety of vision and facial skin, subject to short-term welding work.
It should be noted here that classic welding helmets cannot be classified as professional; they have many disadvantages.
The most basic one is the light filter, which is endowed with an ineffective degree of darkness, which reduces its ability to suppress ultraviolet rays generated during welding.
The remaining disadvantages of classic models relate to the minimal convenience and comfort of their use.
There is only one advantage in this case: the price, which currently amounts to $3-4.
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But since health is more important, no matter what the minimum price, it is better to choose and buy a quality product from a time-tested manufacturer.
Design features of Chameleon welding helmets
The main advantage why a professional welder should choose the Chameleon welding helmet is the regulation and automatic dimming of the light filters.
In addition to this, it is convenient to use a helmet, which does not need to be removed to check the quality of the seam.
The Chameleon mask got its name due to the ability of light filters to independently change the color of the lens under certain conditions.
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This suggests that tinted glass is much more effective than the standard tinted lenses found on conventional helmet models.
During production, the Chameleon welding helmet is equipped with a special regulator, which is responsible for the following functions:
- The lens filter can be changed automatically;
- fixation and regulation of the eclipse level indicator;
- filter switching interval;
- control and regulation of solar battery operation;
- regulation of the perception of the welding electric arc.
The Chameleon welding mask has a liquid crystal lens, while the power to the cartridges comes from a solar and conventional battery.
The presence of sensors that are placed near the lens makes it possible to control the welding electric arc.
When the welding helmet screen is not activated, the LCD filter, which automatically darkens the lens, allows you to see the work area and easily ignite the electric welding arc.
In this case, the effect of vision is formed, as through ordinary sunglasses.
After the electric arc is ignited, the sensors are put into operation, then in automatic mode, before a person has time to blink his eyes, an eclipse occurs.
At the same time, due to the presence of filters and a special coating layer against harmful radiation, the welder’s eyes are completely safe, even when the filters are inactive.
The best budget products
Despite the fact that “chameleons” belonging to this category are ordinary shields designed for short-term work at home, there are also interesting models among them. You should familiarize yourself with them first.
Patriot 400S
This is the most inexpensive mask with external adjustments. It has a small filter - 92x42 mm, but a good response speed. The dimming regulator with parameters 9-13 DIN and the key that turns off the dimming mode are located on the left. You can adjust the sensitivity and select one of three positions of the time selector using the buttons on the right.
The shield weighs about 500 g. The inconvenience comes from the headband, which is made primitively, with minimal adjustments.
Disadvantages include sliders, the size of which makes it difficult to switch while wearing leggings.
Foxweld 5895
One of the lightest weights in the top “chameleon” welding helmets of its class is 370 g. The dimming limits are 9-13 DIN, in addition to the battery, the light filter is powered by solar energy thanks to the built-in battery. Another advantage of the shield was its low price.
The manufacturer stated the crystal response speed is 0.1 seconds. However, due to jumping, this setting cannot be confirmed. Due to the obvious budget cost, there are no additional options in this model.
Quattro Elementi Delta
Another inexpensive “chameleon” with a medium-sized filter (98x35 mm) and without the ability to change parameters. There is no way to even adjust sensitivity and delay. The mask operates in automatic mode with darkening from 4 to 11 DIN. Complete shutdown is also impossible - when using an angle grinder, the visor will blink. Weight – less than 400 g. Mounting on the head is uncomfortable.
“Resanta” masks
The welding equipment of this company is often found in the ranking of the best manufacturers. Among the “chameleon” masks, the following stand out:
- "Resanta MS-1". Although it does not fire quickly enough (in 1 second) and does not have a large window, it reliably protects against arcs and flashes. Meals are combined. It is possible to adjust the darkening within 9-13 DIN. Weight less than 500 g and a comfortable fit on the head are combined with an original design. It is possible to install additional protective glass.
- The “Resanta MS-4 65/34” mask is often copied by little-known Chinese manufacturers, changing only the name. The original has a fixed degree of darkness - 11 DIN, as well as sensitivity adjustment. Lightening mode is delayed by 0.5 seconds. Powered by a photocell and built-in battery. When working in the cold season, all settings change, which became the main disadvantage of this product.
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Fubag Optima
The best welder protection, combining several functions and high-quality components. There are 4 regulators installed and the ability to independently check the light filter, which operates in 0.4 seconds. The shade density varies from 4 to 13 DIN. Among the shortcomings are the lack of splash protection and sliders located inside the case.
What to consider when choosing a Chameleon welding helmet
To choose and buy the optimal version of the Chameleon welding helmet, you need to proceed from the planned type of work.
Almost all welding work comes down to the same operating principle, for example, it can be welding steel sheets of different or the same thickness.
The Chameleon mask, as mentioned above, has a fixation function and control of the darkening level of the lens. Using these capabilities allows you to qualitatively weld metal of different types and with different parameters.
The inside of the mask, in the area where the lens is located, has a regulator that changes the darkening level.
You can also choose a Chameleon welding helmet based on the parameters of the filter switching time; it is this function that the manufacturer focused on when developing products.
It is better to choose a model that is capable of providing the workflow with the maximum switching speed, since igniting the electric arc while slowly changing the light filters will each time negatively affect vision.
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The problem of how to choose a mask for welding work that could provide protection and comfortable working conditions is most often solved by the price of the product.
According to experts, for whom welding work is their main income, it is better to overpay once than to pay for the rest of your life with your health. When choosing a Chameleon welding mask, it is also recommended to pay attention to the charging time of the power source.
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This is another important technical property of the product. Some models of welding helmets are available with a built-in battery, and they can be charged from additional solar panels.
You should not opt for these products, even if their price is more reasonable than others, since the lack of sun rays will cause the battery to quickly run out.
Therefore, it is recommended to choose a welding helmet that comes with a standard type battery.
Now let's talk about the same thing, but only with numbers and letters, or markings, which will be very useful when choosing. Let's start with light filters.
Operating modes
Most chameleon welding helmets have only two operating modes: a darkening mode and a brightening filter mode. The darkened filter is used directly during welding and protects the eyes from negative radiation. The lightening mode is used when assessing the quality of work or when processing metal. In this mode, the viewing window is completely transparent, so you do not need to remove the mask.
In addition, when processing metal, you additionally protect your face and eyes from small particles. The filter itself is not scratched or cracked, since it is protected by a special replaceable glass. If necessary, it can be replaced with a new one.
Features of light filters of the Chameleon welding helmet
The European market has its own standards for welding equipment. In particular, the filters sold must comply with EN 379 standards, which describe their main parameters.
As a result, having picked up a welding helmet, a person will already know that it is in it that he will be comfortable working.
This confidence can be explained by the presence of markings, while the indicators are written through a slash, such as 1/1/1/2, and indicate: optical class, level of light scattering, homogeneity of the darkening layer, angular dependence of the eclipse level.
Characteristics of these parameters:
Optics of welding lenses. The characteristics of the optical class will tell you about the level at which they can accurately and truthfully convey the object being processed. In this case, it is necessary to choose a model with a minimum digital value, which indicates the minimum percentage of distortion;
Light scattering index. The following number will tell the buyer about the degree of transparency of the lens of the Chameleon welding helmet. It is especially recommended to pay attention to this parameter if you need to choose a welding helmet for welding small elements. Here, as in the previous class, the lower the digital value, the better the quality of vision;
Homogeneity. The third number of the marking corresponds to the quality of darkening of the lenses of the Chameleon mask for welding. The darkening layer should be evenly applied over their surface, excluding the presence of light areas in the corners. The minimum figure is the best result;
Viewing angle. Using this parameter, you can find out about the darkening level of the filter at the viewing angle. The normative document EN 379 indicates that the symbols for high class are 1 DIN, low class is 2 DIN.
By studying the above values, you can easily select the suitable Chameleon Welding Helmet.
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Features of dimming level indicators
You can choose a high-quality Chameleon welding helmet, taking into account the degree of darkness of its screen, the quality of which is judged using the DIN scale. This scale is the required standard that allows you to normalize the level of darkness.
At the moment, common scale indicators range from 5 to 15 DIN. The lower the number, the lighter the light filter.
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So, for welding by using different gas mixtures, including argon gas or argon arc welding, you need to choose a mask with a scale from 14 to 15.
At the same time, most models of Chameleon welding helmets allow you to select the desired scale using a regulator marked with Shade or DIN symbols.
Manufacturers in European countries provide this opportunity. For example, the Jackson company - its models are in high demand on the market; the price of masks can be $365.
The Chameleon welding mask from Optrel is equipped with a two-zone dimming feature - turning on this function allows you to have 3 levels of dimming. 4 DIN is a standard darkness indicator at which you can freely work with details.
Then, when the arc is ignited, 13 DIN comes into play.
After completion of the welding process, the intermediate action 6-8 DIN is activated - this mode is necessary when the workpiece is still hot and can adversely affect vision.
The price of masks from the Swiss company Optrel can range from $180 to $300. In this case, the price will depend on the functional parameters of the models.
But no matter how high the darkness class the Chameleon welding mask has, if the radiation source is placed in an area that is inconvenient for the light filter, the light filter may come into effect with a delay or not work at all.
Manufacturers, trying to eliminate the occurrence of this problem, use various measures.
For example, the Swedish company 3M, a manufacturer of professional welding masks produced under the Speedglas brand, solved this issue by covering one filter with another.
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As a result, radiation passing through a layer of different filters is refracted differently at each filter and necessarily reaches the sensor. The price of similar models of welding helmets can be $250.
The external parameters of the welding helmet are also not the last thing you need to pay attention to when choosing.
The smooth curves of the product and the ability to adjust the comfortable fit of the mask are the key to comfortable work.
At the end of the material, we suggest watching the thematic video in our article.
Secrets of choosing a mask
When choosing a mask, you need to check its compliance with the following requirements:
- The housing material is a dielectric, that is, it does not conduct current at all.
- It can protect the welder's face and neck from splashes of molten metal or slag.
- The configuration of the mask prevents light radiation from the welding site from entering the worker’s eyes.
- Possibility of quickly replacing the filter in case of its breakdown.
- Availability of the necessary set of certificates and quality control certificates.
- Modern materials used for most masks are fiber, heat-resistant plastic or split leather (for working in cramped conditions).
