Welding Screens

Tips On Welding Screens

Welding screens work slightly differently from welding blankets and welding curtains, although they still offer safety protection in the welding environment.

A welders screen is rectangular metal frames with a heat resistant welding screen in the middle of the rectangular frame. The heat resistant screen is usually joined to the metal frame through a metal hook that goes through holes at the top of the metal frame and brass eyelets on the heat resistant screen. At the bottom of the metal frame, at each end, there is a T-section metal frame with two wheels on casters; this gives the welding screen stability and maneuverability.

The idea behind the screen is that it offers an easy and portable screen to protect intrigued onlookers from the potential of arc eye while welding in areas outside of the normal welding environment. This is because many people outside the welding community do not understand the dangers of looking at a welder at work if the eyes are unprotected. The screen also protects people and objects in the area (other than the welder) from welding spatter thus reducing the risk of injury and fire.

Welding screens can be bought in a variety of colors but nearly all are translucent so the welder can be seen for his own protection. They are made of a variety of different materials that are heat resistant and can come in a one part screen or come in sections to make a lamella curtain where the sections overlap to create the armor affect.

Quality screens are customized with different methods of attachment to the metal frame such as Zippers, D-rings or Velcro and can be multilayered for further protection. In higher quality screens the material can be reinforced with silica or Kevlar.

If you are working in a heavy duty environment then a lamella curtain welding screen is advisable as the screen is normally thicker and can withstand more wear and tear. For a less heavy environment a one piece screen is fine.

As welding screens do not go through such stringent testing as welding blankets they do not carry a temperature gauge to know what heat they can withstand, for this reason they should only be used vertically and never used as a substitute for a welding blanket.