An auto-darkening welding helmet is a key tool for safe practices when welding. It prevents ultraviolet light from damaging your eyes and allows you to see clearly when an arc is established in the weld.
By adjusting the degree of the auto-darkening feature, you can protect your eyes from damage while browsing through or removing shaded areas in your workspace.
More and more welders are turning to auto-darkening welding helmets as a core part of their kit.
But what are they, and how do they work? I’ll be going through everything you need to know on how to use an auto-darkening welding helmet with pro tips.
What is an Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet?
An auto-darkening welding helmet is a piece of equipment that protects your eyes while you weld. It does this by automatically adjusting the lens to match the light level, so you can see what you’re working with clearly.
The helmet has two parts: a baseplate and a helmet shell. The baseplate connects to the welding machine, which sends an electrical current through it, causing it to heat up and glow orange or yellow, depending on its setting.
The shell sits over your head, protecting your face from sparks as they fly off during work.
It also has a dark-tinted lens that blocks out bright light when not in use and allows you to see clearly when welding takes place but only when it needs to block out light!
Keep reading the article to learn about how these helmets work and the effective ways to use these helmets.
How To Use Auto Darkening Welding Helmet? 5 Essential Tips
Here are 5 important tips for using auto darkening welding conveniently:
- Check the Helmet Fitting
- Adjustment of Light Sensitivity
- Adjust the Delay Time
- Sets the Helmet Lens Shade
- Using the Helmet with Additional Features
Now let me explain these in detail one by one, so you can easily get a better understanding.
1. Check the Helmet Fitting:
Make sure that the helmet fits you properly. If it is too loose, it will not be able to protect your eyes from UV light effectively. If it is too tight, it can cause headaches and eyestrain.
Make sure that the helmet sits evenly on your head and does not tilt or move when you move around, especially if you are using a welding helmet with magnification lenses.
2. Adjustment of Light Sensitivity:
The auto-darkening lens should be set so that it turns dark as soon as any amount of light reaches the sensor.
If your helmet has a sensitivity adjustment switch, turn it down until the lens turns dark as soon as any amount of light reaches the sensor (this may take several tries).
If your helmet does not have an adjustable switch, leave it turned up all the ways until you get used to wearing it in different environments, and then turn it down slightly until the lens turns dark when there is very little ambient light present (this may take several tries).
I prefer that you must check the light sensitivity before using the welding helmet.
3. Adjust the Delay Time:
The delay time is the amount of time that the helmet allows before it changes to a darker shade. To adjust this setting, hold down the up and down arrows at the same time until you reach your desired setting.
The helmet will beep and flash to let you know when it’s finished changing. Once you’ve set it, you can tell if it’s working by looking at the LCD screen on the front of the helmet.
The number in the middle tells you how long before it changes to darker shades and flashes green when it does so!
4. Sets the Helmet Lens Shade:
Using an auto-darkening welding helmet is easy. All you have to do is set the lens shade, and you’re good to go.
First, check the shade range on your helmet. There are two numbers: the first number indicates how little light can get through the helmet, and the second number indicates how much light can get through it after it has been darkened by heat.
Next, set the shade range on your helmet. This will be a number between 9 to 13. The higher it is, the more protection you’ll have against UV rays and intense light.
5. Using the Helmet with Additional Features:
Once you’ve got your helmet, you’ll want to know how to use it. That’s easy: just put it on your head and turn it on!
But there are some other features that might come in handy. If you have a battery pack, you can place it in your pocket and connect it to your helmet using an included cable. The battery pack will keep the helmet powered even when not connected to an outlet.
If you don’t have a power source handy, or if you want to keep working while recharging, then I recommend buying the optional rechargeable battery pack. This can be charged using an included cord or via a USB port on your computer.
Also See: Do Auto Darkening Helmets Go Bad?
How do Auto-darkening Welding Helmets Work?
Auto-darkening welding helmets are the best of both worlds. They’re like a regular pair of safety goggles, but with the added benefit of being able to adapt to changing light conditions in real time.
They use special sensors that can detect UV rays and other types of radiation, then automatically adjust their tint so you can see what you’re working on clearly without having to switch between shades or take off your helmet every time the sun comes out.
The way it works is pretty simple: The sensors detect when there’s too much light hitting your eyes and trigger the lens to darken itself, blocking out excess glare so you don’t get blinded while working on a project.
When there’s less light (like when it gets dark outside or when you go inside), they’ll automatically lighten back up again so you can see what’s going on without straining your eyesight or getting distracted by all those bright colors around you!
3 Components of Auto-darkening Welding Helmet Lens
Auto-darkening welding helmet lenses are made up of three main components that help to protect your eyes from the harmful effects of UV and infrared radiation.
Polarization Filter:
The first is a polarization filter, which helps to reduce light intensity by blocking certain wavelengths of light that cause damage to sensitive parts of the eye, such as the retina.
It also helps to increase contrast and make it easier for you to see your weld puddle and work area.
Ultraviolet/infrared Interference Filter:
The second important component is an ultraviolet/infrared interference filter, which protects against these harmful forms of radiation by filtering out 99% of infrared light and 99% of ultraviolet light that can cause damage to your eyes.
It also helps to increase contrast and make it easier for you to see your weld puddle and work area.
LC Cell:
Finally, there’s the LC-cell (liquid crystal cell), which initiates protection when needed by sensing changes in light intensity outside the lens area, such as when a bright light source moves into its path.
Then automatically darkens within milliseconds while still allowing you to see clearly through thinner areas such as around edges or seams where it is not needed most often during daily use since they are typically not exposed much at all.
How does Auto-darkening Welding Helmet Lens Work?
Auto-darkening welding helmets are designed to provide protection from the harmful ultraviolet light emitted by the arc of a welding torch.
They do this through a combination of infrared and ultraviolet filters, which allow only visible light to enter the helmet. When the wearer looks at a bright light source, such as an arc, the lens darkens to protect the eyes from damage.
Auto-darkening lenses work by switching between two states: clear and darkened. In a clear state, the lens allows all wavelengths of visible light to pass through it.
In a darkened state, only wavelengths in the visible spectrum are allowed to pass through.
When exposed to heat or an intense light source like an arc, an auto-darkening lens will switch from clear to dark in less than one second.
Auto-darkening welding helmet lenses are made from glass or plastic and contain several layers.
The top layer is a coating of metal oxides that have been treated with an electrical charge. This allows them to react quickly when exposed to UV rays and become opaque or darken in response to heat.
The middle layer is usually made of glass or quartz crystal which filters out harmful UV rays while still allowing visible light through.
The bottom layer consists of a conductive material like silver or copper, which conducts electricity when heated by an arc from an arc welding torch.
The conductive material passes current through two electrodes attached behind each other on one side of the lens surface, causing them to heat up and trigger changes in opacity at different temperatures depending on how hot they get.”
Welding Helmets Various Shade Level Categories
When you’re welding, it’s important to wear a helmet that offers the right degree of shade. If you wear too much shade, your eyes will be exposed to more light than they should be. This could lead to eye damage and other serious problems.
If you wear too little shade, your eyes will be exposed to too little light, which can also cause problems.
Here are some recommended shade levels for welding helmets:
| No. | Welding Shade Level Categories |
| 1 | Shielded Metal Arc Welding Shade Level |
| 2 | Gas and Oxygen Welding Shade Level |
| 3 | Gas Tungsten or GTAW Shade Level |
| 4 | Plasma Cutting Shade Level |
| 5 | Plasma Welding Shade Level |
| 6 | Carbon Welding Shade Level |
| 7 | GMAW & FCAW Welding Shade Level |
Now, I will explain all these one by one in detail:
1. Shielded Metal Arc Welding Shade Level:
If you’re working with a shielded metal arc welder, you want to be sure that your helmet is set at the correct shade level.
The most common types of shielded metal arc welding are MIG and TIG, but there are also other variations of this welding process.
The recommended shade level for shielded metal arc welders ranges from 7 to 14, according to OSHA. This means that when you look through the lens, it should be about as dark as a cloudy day without any direct sunlight.
2. Gas and Oxygen Welding Shade Level:
The level of shade a welder needs will depend on the type of welding being done. For example, harder materials, such as thicker metals, require the use of an extra level of protection against ultraviolet rays.
The recommended shade levels for gas welding and oxygen cutting are 4 for gas welding and 5 for oxygen cutting, respectively.
With reference to recommended ANSI shade levels, shade 4 to 6 is preferable for oxygen cutting or gas welding projects.
3. Gas Tungsten or GTAW Shade Level:
When operating a gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) system, the best shade level for eye protection should be rated at 8 or 10, according to OSHA.
As a best practice, ANSI recommends that the welder wear an arc welding helmet with a shade ranging from 10 to 14.
4. Plasma Cutting Shade Level:
The shade levels recommended by OSHA for plasma arc cutting are a minimum of 8, and ANSI recommends a shade number of 9 for cutting light duty.
While OSHA requires a minimum shading of 10 for heavy-duty cutting and ANSI requires 14, you may want something more powerful for your specific needs.
5. Plasma Welding Shade Level:
OSHA’s recommended minimum shade level for plasma arc welding is 6, and the maximum is 11.
According to ANSI, shading levels range from 6 up to 14, depending on what kind of material you are working with and what amperage you are using.
This level of protection is advisable when light reflects off the weld surface and is likely to cause glare or other problems, particularly during low-voltage welding and torch starting.
6. Carbon Welding Shade Level:
According to OSHA, a minimum requirement for carbon arc welding is a shade 14 filter lens for protection against ultraviolet radiation.
This is also the same requirement for ANSI. However, many welders are moving toward higher shade levels in order to protect their eyes from intense UV light while welding.
7. GMAW & FCAW Welding Shade Level:
When it comes to the shade factor, the higher the number indicates more protection. In the case of gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and flux core arc welding (FCAW), the shade range is recommended to be an OSHA 7-13 and an ANSI 9-11.
Auto Darkening Welding Helmet Lens: Big Lens & Little Lens
When it comes to auto-darkening welding helmets, there are two main types: big lens and little lens.
The big-lens helmet is the more durable option of the two, and the one that will last you longer if you’re only interested in using it for occasional welding.
However, because it’s larger and heavier than the little-lens version, it might not be as comfortable for long periods of use or for people who have smaller heads.
The little-lens helmet is lighter, more comfortable, and easier to wear for long periods of time than its counterpart—but it’s also more likely to break if dropped or hit by an object.
Big lens helmets have a larger viewing area than their little lens counterparts. These helmets come with a bigger viewing area because they feature two lenses instead of one. They are also typically more expensive than little lens models.
The biggest difference between big and little lenses is the size of their viewing area. This means that if you want to see more of your work as you weld, then you should get a big lens helmet.
If you’re looking for something more affordable and cost effective, then consider getting a little lens model instead. The reason is that big lens helmets are expensive than little lens helmets.
How Fast Are Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet Lenses?
If you’re looking for a welding helmet and you want one that can offer you the best protection possible, then it’s important to know how fast your auto-darkening lens is. This will help ensure that you get the best protection possible from your welding helmet.
The speed of an auto-darkening lens refers to how quickly it changes from clear to dark. The faster the lens, the better it will protect you from UV light and other harmful rays.
The speed of an auto-darkening helmet’s lens is measured in milliseconds (ms). A fast lens will usually be between 120 and 250 ms, while slower lenses may take up to 400 ms or more.
How to Know if Auto-darkening Welding Helmet not Working?
The first thing you should do is check the battery. The battery could be dead, and it’s just not working. The auto-darkening welding helmet has a button that turns on the light inside, so you can see in dark environments.
This button also controls how long it will stay off when you turn it off, so if you press it once and nothing happens, it may be broken.
Another thing to check is the sensitivity of your helmet. If you have a sensitive helmet, it may not turn on at all because there isn’t enough light for it to react with.
A less sensitive helmet might still be working but not turning on until the brightness increases above its threshold level.
I suggest you try adjusting your settings so that the welding helmet works better for your surroundings and uses less power.
If none of these work, then you may need to replace your welding helmet altogether or get it fixed by someone who knows what they’re doing!
Final Words!
Auto Darkening Welding helmets are a must-have tool to use while you are working on building anything.
They are a big advantage and can keep your eyes safe. Just make sure to take a look at the best welding helmets you can find.
This guide on how to use auto darkening welding helmet will help many people make their work easier than before.
FAQs:
How do you adjust the auto-darkening helmet?
To adjust your auto-darkening helmet, first select the proper shade of the auto-darkening lens. They’re available in different shades, so choose the best one for you. Next, fasten the hood of the helmet with as much tension as possible and move it up and down. Adjust it so that it lies flat on your head when you look straight ahead.
Is an auto-darkening welding helmet worth it?
Welding and other light-sensitive activities can be quite dangerous. With all of the necessary gear, you might wonder if an auto-darkening welding helmet is worth the money. If safety is a concern for you, then an auto-darkening helmet would be beneficial. If not, then you probably want to stick with a standard helmet or use sunglasses.
Why can’t I see out of my welding helmet?
To help with your problem, you may want to get a wider lens and even a larger view area. The good news is that many companies make welding helmets with larger viewing lenses, and because they’re customizable to fit your needs, they’re easy to find.
