Comparison Procraft SHP100-90 vs Vitals Professional 1.1 Panoramic

General mask type. According to this parameter, nowadays, classic masks, chameleon masks, welding shields and goggles, which can also be chameleons, are distinguished. Here are the main features of each of these options:

— Mask. Conventional Welding Helmets: Head-mounted protective devices that completely cover the wearer's face. The light filter that protects the welder's eyes from the harmful radiation of the welding arc, in this case, has a constant dimming — this is how similar models differ from chameleon masks (see below). In general, classic welding helmets are simple, inexpensive, but at the same time quite reliable and protect well from both radiation and metal spatter. Their main disadvantage can be called a permanently darkened light filter, through which practically nothing is visible until the arc burns. Because of this, in the process of work, the welder has to constantly raise and lower manually either the entire mask or the light filter (if it is folding, see "Functions"); this creates inconvenience and increases the risk of errors in work. Therefore, this variety is becoming less and less common nowadays, giving way to more advanced "chameleons" (which, as technology develops, become more and more inexpensive).
Also note that a common drawback of all masks is poor compatib...ility with respirators and other respiratory protection equipment. So when working in conditions that require such protection, you must either use a mask with a ventilation system (see "Functions"), or combine a respirator with goggles (see below). br>
— Chameleon mask. A variety of welding helmets (see above) equipped with auto-darkening filters. In the intervals between welding starts, such a light filter is almost transparent, and when the arc starts, it darkens almost instantly, providing adequate protection for the eyes. This eliminates the main disadvantage of conventional masks — the need to periodically raise and lower the light filter: the chameleon mask can be constantly kept in the working position (on the face) without sacrificing comfort. In addition, before the moment of ignition of the arc, the welder sees the work area and the welding electrode as clearly as possible, without darkening, which reduces the likelihood of defects in work. The main disadvantages of "chameleons" are the complexity of the design, the relatively high cost and the need for power. However, the first two points are offset by the mentioned ease of use, the cost of the electronic “hardware” is constantly decreasing as technology develops, and the power in most models is provided by solar panels, which eliminates the problems of finding energy sources for charging.

— Glasses. Protective devices covering only the eyes and the area of the face around them; may look like two separate lenses or panoramic glass on both eyes at once. Anyway, goggles without additional equipment are not well suited for electric welding: when using them, most of the face, including the mouth and nose, can lead to burns from intense IR and UV radiation, as well as from hot metal splashes. On the other hand, such equipment can be a real lifesaver when working in hazardous conditions where breathing protection is needed: unlike masks, goggles are compatible with almost any industrial respirator, and the goggles + respirator combination is usually much cheaper than a mask. with ventilation system. Another area of application for such products is work where full face protection is not required (for example, gas welding and cutting). In such cases, another advantage becomes relevant: glasses are noticeably lighter and more compact than masks, due to which they are easier to transport.

— Chameleon glasses. As the name implies, they combine the convenience of classic welding goggles (see paragraph above) and chameleon masks (also see paragraph above). When using them, ytmn needs to remove the model from the face — auto dimming makes the work more comfortable.

— Shield. A device for protecting the face, which is a simplified analogue of the mask. The shield also covers the entire face, but is not attached to the head — it must be held in the hand. Due to this, such products, on the one hand, are extremely cheap, on the other hand, they are inconvenient to use: only one hand of the welder remains free during work. Because of this, shields are quite rare nowadays.

The turn-on time of the filter in the chameleon mask (see "Type"), in other words, the time between striking the arc and darkening the filter to the operating level.

From a safety point of view, the turn-on time should be as short as possible: the faster the "chameleon" works, the less bright light from the arc enters the welder's eyes. On the other hand, reducing the reaction time affects the cost of the product. So for relatively small volumes of work, it is quite acceptable to use relatively “slow” masks — for 100 μs or more(especially since even in the simplest models, the reaction time does not exceed 1200 μs, while theoretically the maximum allowable value is 2000 μs). But for more serious use, you should pay attention to more "fast" options; nowadays, you can find masks with response times from 75 to 100 µs, from 50 to 75 µs, and even less than 50 µs.

Class is a complex indicator that determines the overall quality of the light filter in a chameleon mask (see "Type"). The class is indicated by 4 numbers, each of which describes a specific optical parameter. So, the first number indicates the overall clarity and lack of distortion; the second is the degree of light scattering; third — uniformity of blackout (presence/absence of visible blackout spots); the fourth is the angular dependence (how much the filter brightens when the angle of view deviates from the perpendicular). In each case, the larger the number, the worse this parameter is. The perfect indicator is considered to be 1/1/1/1, but in fact it is very difficult to achieve an perfect angular dependence, and there is no need to. Therefore, an indicator of 1/1/1/2 is considered quite sufficient even for a high-end professional filter.

The size of the transparent part of the light filter — the "working window", the area through which the welder sees the place of work. A larger working window provides ease of use and a wide field of view, but it significantly affects the cost of the mask and somewhat reduces the strength of the light filter.

The overall dimensions of the light filter for which the mask is designed, taking into account the working window, protrusions for mounting, batteries, sensors and other structural elements. This indicator is especially important for models that are not equipped with light filters: without knowing the size, it is very difficult to choose the right cartridge. In other cases, data on the size of the cartridge is needed mainly when looking for a replacement for a failed colour filter.

The range of ambient air temperatures at which the mask is guaranteed to be able to function normally. This parameter is especially important for "chameleons" (see "Functions"), because. the performance of the automatic filter directly depends on external conditions (in particular, at low temperatures, the response time may increase).

The ability to change the sensitivity of the sensors responsible for the operation of the light filter in the "chameleon". Thanks to this function, you can adjust the filter in such a way that it is guaranteed to turn on from the arc and at the same time does not react to extraneous light sources. sensitivity adjustment is especially useful when there is numerous extraneous "flare" (for example, when several welders work close to each other, in bright sunlight, etc.).

The ability to manually set the delay time between the disappearance of the arc and turning off the filter in the chameleon mask. Such a delay is highly desirable in the light of the fact that even after the arc is turned off, the heated metal continues to glow for some time; therefore, it is advisable not to turn off the filter immediately. Adjusting the delay time allows the welder to independently choose the time to return to the non-working (maximally transparent) state.

A special mode of operation of the chameleon mask, in which the light filter sensors are completely turned off — thus, it constantly remains transparent and does not respond to any flashes. This mode is useful for jobs that can produce fairly bright flashes of light, but do not require dimming. A classic example of such work is grinding with a “grinder” or a machine tool, when sparks can fly from the workpiece; hence the name of this function — "grinding" mode.