0 items in your basket
Total £ 0.00 EX VAT
MIG Gloves
TIG Gloves
Baseball Caps
Armguards
TIG Heat Blockers
Shop 55,000 Products
SERVICEDEPT.
RAPID BLOG
FEEDBACK
HIRE
Lenses, filters, visors and fittings for one maker's welding helmets: what the types of part do and how to choose the right one.
The shade depends on the welding process, the current, the material and the working conditions, so there is no single right number. Helmet makers publish shade tables in the manual, and the older EN 169 standard for fixed filters included selection guidance in an annex, but published tables do not all agree.A variable auto-darkening filter lets you set the shade within its range, whereas a fixed lens has one shade only. Check the range or shade marked on the old lens and the maker's instructions. Do not pick a lighter shade just to see better, because too little protection from arc radiation can injure your eyes. Base the choice on the manual and your risk assessment.
Arc welding gives off intense light and radiation that can cause arc eye, an acute injury to the front of the eye. The HSE says welding eye protection, including filters, should conform to the relevant British and European standards, which cover impact resistance, auto-darkening filters and fixed filters.A lens that is not marked to the right standard, or is the wrong type for your helmet, may not protect you properly. Check the markings on the old part and in the manual, and ask our team if you are unsure. Never keep using a filter that is cracked, chipped or damaged.
The HSE advises keeping reusable PPE clean, storing it in a dry, clean place when not in use, using the correct replacement parts and following the manufacturer's replacement schedule. For a helmet that means checking the maker's manual for how often lenses and fittings should be changed, rather than guessing.It also helps to keep spare lenses in their wrapping until needed so they stay clean and unscratched, and to report any obvious defect rather than carrying on with a damaged part.
These are older European standards that are still seen marked on helmet parts. EN 169 covered welding filters that do not switch, meaning fixed-shade lenses. EN 379 covered automatic filters that switch to a darker shade when the arc is struck. EN 175 covered the frames and mountings the filters are fitted into.All three have now been withdrawn and their requirements brought into the EN ISO 16321 series, so newer parts may carry different markings. A marking tells you which type of part it is, which helps when checking that a replacement is the right type. Always check the data on the old part and in the manual before ordering.