Let's Discover the Soul Behind RF Welding Protection

Everything from helmets and gloves to creating a safe welding environment. Proper welding safety starts with familiarizing yourself and other operators with the welding equipment and the manufacturer’s recommendations. Today we would like to discover the soul behind RF welding protection with you and find out what’s the most important when you are welding.

1. Welding Helmets

Auto-darkening helmets provide many benefits, including increased efficiency, decreased chance for repetitive stress injury and responsiveness to changing arc quality. Attractive graphic designs promote safety while allowing the wearer to express his or her personality. Our auto-darkening helmets must meet ANSI standards, the most recent being ANSI Z87.1-2003. When an arc triggers the sensors on an auto-darkening helmet, the lens darkens in a fraction of a second. Some fixed-shade auto-darkening helmets darken to a #10 shade with a reaction time of 1/2000 to 1/3,600 of a second and are not adequate for frequent tack welds, TIG welding and other industrial applications. Industrial grade helmets react at speeds of 1/10,000 of a second or higher to prevent eye fatigue and arc flash symptoms, and have adjustable shades settings of #9, #12 or #13. Adjustable sensitivity is useful when welding at low amperages, especially TIG, when the light isn’t as bright as other processes. Adjustable delay controls how long the lens remains darkened after the arc stops. When tack welding, a short delay may be desired, while a longer delay may be desirable after welding at very high temperatures. Even when not activated, the lens provides UV/IR protection and usually has a light state of a #3 or #4 shade, which is relatively easy to see through. Auto-darkening helmets provide some other important benefits also. With a fixed-shade helmet, the welder positions the gun, torch or electrode and then jerks his head down to bring the helmet into place. This may lead to neck injury through the repeated motion, especially for welders who perform a series of tack welds. For the novice or person who welds infrequently, the jerking action can cause him to move out of position and lead to a weld defect. An auto-darkening helmet allows the welder to keep the helmet in place while positioning the electrode, leading to better positioning and relieving some of the stress from the welder’s neck.

2. Welding Gloves

Welding gloves are now available in different styles to meet the demand of different welding applications. The medium duty MIG gloves shown here (left) offer ergonomically curved fingers and padded palm for increased comfort and rugged construction for increased longevity. The TIG gloves (bottom center) are made from goatskin, which provides excellent dexterity, comfort and durability. Metal working gloves (top center) and heavy duty MIG gloves widen the choices available to the welder. While that may have been true in the past, leading manufacturers now offer safety apparel that address the welder’s comfort and specific needs. Gloves in small to extra-large sizes with ergonomically curved fingers are now available for specific welding processes.

We have a passion for safety welding and we know the challenges of your profession. We share the enthusiasm and pride you put into your welding - so it's natural for us to want to address the ergonomic, safety, and health challenges facing you every day. That’s really the soul behind RF welding protection. Your thoughts and opinions are at the forefront of our continuous search for innovation.