Last Updated on December 18, 2019 by Gary Hargrave
You like your job as a professional welder and would like to expand your horizons in the welding field. Your dream
for the near future is to have a large welding enterprise with many helping hands. The first thing that gets into your mind is your own and your workers’ body safety. That’s an automatic thought as welding exposes you to serious bodily harm.
Welding exposes your eyes, neck, face, and other body parts to harmful light, hot sparks, infrared light, and ultraviolet rays. The flash burn or in another name, arc-eye welding flash may likely cause an arc-eye problem also known as Photokeratitis. If welding work is carried out for a prolonged period without proper protection, it may lead to total damage to your retina, meaning blindness. Hot flashes from the welding machine may also cause skin burn.
To ensure your dreams come true without bodily harm to you and your workers, you need the right protection. The essential welding protection equipment you should think of is a helmet. It will protect you from all the dangers mentioned above. Finding the right helmet has its hassles as there’re many types in the market. However, this review recommends you consider looking for an auto darkening welding helmet.
- Panorama field of vision offers a 6 times larger field of vision than standard welding helmets - and is still a lightweight at only 550 g.
- True Color View - specially developed UV/IR filter allows the realistic color perception typical of optrel, bringing color to the welder's world.
- Autopilot - Detection of the arc brightness and fully automated shade level adjustment from 5 to 12. * If preferred, the Autopilot can be deactivated for manual shade level selection.
- Multi-sensor detection - The completely redesigned controls of the 5-sensor array ensure the perfect regulation of the auto-darkening filter.
- State-of-the-Art power technology - With its rechargeable power-pack, changing batteries is no longer necessary.
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Topics Covered in This Article
Why an Auto Darkening Helmet?
Unlike other conventional welding helmets, modern models come with an auto darkening feature. That’s a function that becomes useful in case of welding flashes. It has sensors to detect any sharp rays and trigger the auto darkening function. It’s ideally made such that you don’t need to flip it down as you start working. It automatically senses an arc strike and
activates the shade.
The Auto Darkening welding helmet types have become popular, and many manufacturers are competing hard to come up with new models. This review undertook an in-depth study of auto darkening welding helmets in the market. We recommend the new Optrel Panoramaxx Auto Darkening welding helmet.
The Optrel Panoramaxx Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
All the good qualities of this product back up the positive findings of this Optrel Panoramaxx review. The new welding helmet gives you the opportunity of enjoying a more broad and clear field of vision. That gets achieved through the nose cutout allowing its ADF lens to get closer to your eyes. It offers you a visual ability six-times larger, compared to other conventional helmets. It’s also constructed with an autopilot functionality allowing full automation of shade adjustment.
The helmet is ideal in the following fields –
- Gas welding works
- Plasma cutting
- TIG welding
- Stick welding
- GMAW high melting processes
- Flux Cored Wire welding
- Plasma Arc welding
- Grind Mode welding
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Optrel Panoramaxx Review: Main Features
View Size
If you’re considering buying a high-quality welding helmet, think about the view size. The view size should match with your particular requirements. It depends on the size of your working area and the surrounding setup. Are there any obstructions within the area that may cause view obstruction, extra?
The Optrel Panoramaxx is superior concerning view size with 6-times broader field vision as compared to conventional welding helmets. That gets complimented by a lightweight of only 18.7 ounces. Most of that ability may get attributed to its lens shape with a curved shape.
Shade Option
More lens shape options in a welding helmet allow you more possibilities. You may start anywhere from cutting metal to grinding, extra. The Panoramaxx has a superb shade option that will enable you a lighter and clearer default setting. You’re able to go round the working area without any problems.
It has a shade starting at 2.5 and can be manually switched to 5-12 immediately it detects an arc strike. It, therefore, has an
adequate vision clarity to improve your safety, efficiency, and accuracy as you work. You have the option of manually operating your shades by switching off the autopilot mode. With that kind of shade options, your eyes get well protected from all bright flashes as you work.
Comfort
As compared to standard welding helmets, the Panoramaxx is a step ahead in terms of comfort. It got designed with an optimum weight distribution functionality and a telescopic mechanism to allow adjustments and ensure the best level of field vision. It has a twilight feature that works by gradually
lightening the lens when switching from dark to light to avoid eyes fatigue. The helmet is well padded and with a well-designed nose-point making it rest
comfortably on your head. The lens also swaps out, plus it comes with a unique gasket that keeps dust out.
Clarity Setting
The convenient 2.5 shade setting also contributes to a proper clarity setting of 1.1.1.2. The meaning of ‘2’ in the setting is the lower angular dependency offering the ability for switching shades in a faster manner. The UV/IR filter also allows for better color perception. That ensures colors appear sharper and realistic.
Sensor Detection
The sensors in your helmet will perform the critical task of detecting and arresting any harmful flashes. Some helmets like the standard types have two sensors while modern ones come with four and above. A higher number of sensors has more ability to carry out-of-position welding. The Panoramaxx excels in terms of a high number of sensors as it has 5. The high number gives it more possibilities. It’s able to regulate the auto-darkening function efficiently. The autopilot mode adjusts the correct level of shade automatically. And, finally, it has a continuous and variable sensitivity control that allows for your sensor sensitivity adaptability to your surroundings.
Delay Functionality
The delay function available with the welding helmet is an important comfort feature. The helmet delays the switching from dark to light by long periods to offer maximum safety.
Charging Facility
The helmet features a high performing solar cell together with a lithium-polymer energy pack that gets recharged using a USB cable. The powerful
charging unit charges your helmet within 15 minutes, guaranteeing you 8 hours of continuous working.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- It features a large field of view
- The helmet has a lightweight making it comfortable
- True color function is amazing
Cons
- Welding lens only extends to shade 12. The shade 13 or higher comes in handy while doing high arc, bright light, heavy duty work.
Auto Darkening Welding Helmet: Best Sellers From Amazon
- Great For TIG MIG MMA, Plasma Applications with Grinding Feature
- Super Large Viewing Size 3.93"X3.66" with 4 Premium Sensors
- Better clarity, True color view - 1/1/1/2 Optical Clarity
- Increased battery life
- Superior comfort with the pivot style headgear
- Great For TIG MIG MMA
- Viewing Size 3.64"X1.67" with 2 Premium Sensors
- Better clarity, True color view - 1/1/1/2 Optical Clarity
- Cheater Lens / Magnifying Lens Compatible Design
- Increased battery life,Superior comfort with the pivot style headgear
- ULTIMATE EYE PROTECTION:Auto-darkening filter switches from light to dark in 1/25000 sec, in event of electric failure, the welder remains protecting against UV and IR radiation according to shade 16.1/2/1/2 rating meets ANSIZ87.1-2010 and EN3794/9-13 standards. A smart choice for safety.
- MANUAL ADJUSTMENT MEETS DIFFERENT DEMANDS: Equipped with sensitivity and delay settings for adaptability for different environments and task durations; Enjoy enhanced visibility and color recognition.Light level of filter is DIN4 and the time from dark to bright state within 0.1s to 1.0s.
- CLEAN COMFORTABLE VIEW: Equipped with standard 3.62’’ x 1.65’’ clear visor viewing area; Diffusion of light, variation of luminous transmittance and angular dependence allowing the welder to see clearly at different angles; Light weight (1 LB) suitable for long time working; Balanced with an adjustable and fatigue-free comfortable headgear.
- INTELLIGENT, PRACTICAL AND COST-EFFECTIVE: The Auto Darkening Filter (ADF DX-500S) enables welders to adapt to various working environments by controlling the shade of the lens; Sensitivity adjustments from ambient lighting sources; Battery powered with solar panel technology for longer life (up to 5000 hrs).
- GOOD FOR VARIOUS WORKING ENVIRONMENTS: Recommended to automotive, construction, and food & beverage manufacturing, metal production and fabrication, military maintenance, repair and operation (MRO), mining, oil and gas, transportation, etc.
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Conclusion
In the world of work, man’s best friend is a piece of equipment, gadget, or machine that makes working easier. Our above Optrel Panoramaxx review outlines all the details available with the new helmet. It’s a piece of suitable welding equipment whether you work as a small business owner or a
large welding enterprise firm.
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