What shade lens for MIG welding you should choose: a complete guide

A shade lens of the welding helmet is one of the crucial components in a welder’s protective equipment set. A welder will be shielded from radiation, spatters, and sparks created while welding if they wear the proper shade lens of the welding helmet.

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Over 10,000 eye damage cases are recorded in the USA each year, according to data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. These incidents frequently involve welding.

How to determine the safety of your helmet’s shade number

Make sure a welding helmet serves its intended purpose before donning it and counting on it to shield your eyes.

Always verify the helmet’s quality mark to confirm the specs listed there.

Checking to see if the helmet complies with the ANSI Z87.1 standard is one of the easiest ways to validate.

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This standard lays forth the requirements that every welding helmet must meet to be recognized as safe for use during welding operations. Avoid selecting helmets that fall short of this requirement.

Factors to consider when choosing a welding lens shade

1. The welding lens reaction time

The amount of time it takes a lens to transition from a regular to a protective shade is known as the lens reaction time.

The reaction time is calculated to be around 1/3,600 seconds for a straightforward lens shade. The predicted reaction time for more sophisticated and durable lenses is greater than 1/20,000 seconds.

2. Arc sensors

Most welding helmets have two to four attached arc sensors. The sensors gauge the amount of light present.

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Accurate measurements can be achieved by purchasing a helmet with more than three sensors, especially when dealing with different illumination around.

For straightforward operations, a helmet with two sensors is adequate, but MIG welding calls for helmets with more sensors.

3. Fixed or variable shade of lens

There are two types of welding lenses: fixed lenses and changeable lenses. The fixed lenses, which are typically installed on a passive welding helmet, typically darken to a single shade.

The ability of changeable lenses to darken to various tints makes them the most popular.

When working on a straightforward job, such as welding a single material using a single technique, a fixed shade lens is sufficient. Use a variable lens for difficult jobs, such as MIG welding.

4. The level of amperage

The lens’s color changes depending on how much amperage is used throughout your welding session. You will need to use a lens that is darker the higher the amperage.

Due to employing a higher amperage to weld, the darker lens will have the ability to filter out more dangerous radiation rays. Lighter shade lenses are excellent for low-amperage light welding.

5. The shade number

Based on the type of welding, different lenses have varying shade numbers. For MIG welding, for instance, welders often require lenses in the shade range of 10 to 13.

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Compared to a lens with a lower shade number, such shades tend to filter the majority of radiated light. However, the higher the number, the darker the shade will be.

Factors to consider when determining the best shade number

1. The type of metal

The shade number in that will depend on the kind of metal you plan to weld because various metals have various arc intensities. As a result, different metals require different welding amperages.

2. Eye sensitivity

Do you currently have any eye or general health conditions? Before you even step foot in a welding area, you must receive the all-clear from your doctor. Consult an ophthalmologist if you have sensitive eyes before choosing a welding lens.

3. Amperage

However, as was previously stated, the darker the shade, the higher the amperage is used. To select the appropriate shading number, first, determine the amps you are working with.

How to choose the right lens shade 

Making the appropriate lens selection can be difficult, especially for beginners. You must be aware of the type of welding material, such as mild steel, the amperage, and the lens shade to make the selection process seamless.

Here is a list of recommended lens colors for mild steel welding at various amperages:

  • MIG mild steel welding with 80 to 100 amps uses a lens with shade 10
  • MIG mild steel welding with 100 to 175 amps uses a lens with shade 11
  • MIG mild steel welding with 175 to 300 amps uses a lens with shade 12
  • MIG mild steel welding with 300 to 500 amps uses a lens with shade 13

Use a lens with shade 10 at the very least when welding with lower amperage and thinner steel materials. 180 amps are typically required to welding ¼-inch of mild steel in a single pass.

Lens shading is necessary when welding Flux Core with MIG at various amps, as seen below:

  • MIG Flux Core welding with 125 to 175 amps use a lens with shade 10
  • MIG Flux Core welding with 175 to 225 amps use a lens with shade 11
  • MIG Flux Core welding with 225 to 275 amps use a lens with shade 12
  • MIG Flux Core welding with 275 to 350 amps use a lens with shade 13

Because Flux Core welding with MIG is known to burn much hotter at lower amperages, a stronger shade of the lens is necessary.

The shades of lenses to use at various amperages for MIG welding aluminum are listed below:

  • MIG aluminum welding with 80 to 100 amps uses a lens with a shade of 10
  • MIG aluminum welding with 100 to 175 amps uses a lens with a shade of 11
  • MIG aluminum welding with 175 to 250 amps uses a lens with a shade of 12
  • MIG aluminum welding with 250 to 350 amps uses a lens with a shade of 13

Despite wearing a shade 13 lens, there are occasionally welders whose eyes are too sensitive to fully withstand the bright light from MIG welding. If they frequently experience dry and somewhat burned eyes, you can tell that they are struggling. Get the darkest shade welding lens if your eyes are too sensitive.

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The welding helmets are often purchased separately from these lenses, which are available in shade 14. They are frequently made to order and have improved filters that can block about 98% of radiation light.

Interpreting welding lens’ shade number

The German Industrial Standards used to classify different light filtering levels are referred to as the Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) grade. The lenses become darker and more light is blocked from passing through as the DIN number rises.

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As an illustration, the majority of auto-dark lenses have a mild base level of DIN between 3 and 4. The mildness allows you to see your job clearly without having to continuously lift your hood.

Around 15% of visible light can pass through the lens at a DIN shade 3 level. However, a lens with a DIN shade level of 4 is three times darker than one with a DIN shade level of 3. Only 5% of light can reportedly pass through these lenses.

Auto dark helmets vs. passive helmets lens shade

For the best eye protection, you can utilize a passive helmet or an auto-darkening helmet shade lens. An outline of these two is given below.

1. Auto dark welding helmet

These MIG welding helmets, which are often referred to as Auto-Darkening Filter (ADF), frequently lack a lens. Controlled sensors installed at the front of the helmet enable the lens shade to operate.

The sensors automatically darken the shade to the necessary amount of darkness whenever a welding flash strikes them.

The changeover happens quickly, with a turnaround time of roughly 1/12,000 of a second.

One advantage of using an auto-darkening lens shade is that you can keep wearing your helmet while welding. This skill spares you from having to fiddle with the lens during welding, which can be tedious. When doing numerous brief welds, wearing a helmet is generally advised over employing passive welding lenses.

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The only drawback to employing auto-darkening helmets shade lenses is that bursts of light from surrounding welders can easily cause it to darken. Consequently, a welder needs a big workspace to do his or her job. When working on a single weld, the wide space might not be useful.

2.  Passive welding helmet

Most welding helmets with passive welding lenses are often constructed from a piece of glass or plastic that has been coated to a specified degree to aid in light filtration.

These helmets have the advantage of always remaining dark, which makes them perfect for prolonged passes. Additionally, passive welding helmets don’t require sensors or batteries.

This function eliminates the possibility of burns brought on by underperforming batteries or sensors.

The main drawback to wearing one of these helmets is that it will be tiresome to constantly move your hood, especially when doing short passes.

Factors to consider when using welding lens

1. Check for cracks

Accidents are not ruled out with MIG welding. If you drop your helmet, the lenses may develop a hairline crack. Without your knowledge, the light it lets in will end up burning your face and eyes.

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Welders frequently inspect the lens for cracks while overlooking the helmet. Many welders will either ignore helmet cracks or attempt to patch them using duct tape. Repairing the fracture will only stop it from becoming worse temporarily, but it won’t stop the dangerous light from getting through.

2. Test your auto-darkening helmet lens

Most auto-darkening helmet lenses come with a battery on them to power up the sensors. From time to time, these batteries run out of charge, reducing the shade of the auto-dark lens.

Once the batteries are completely drained, the shade lens of auto-dark helmets becomes functionless.

By repeatedly clicking the auto-darkening filters button on the helmet, you can resolve this problem. The button indicates whether the ADFs in your helmet are functioning and displays the battery’s charge.

Using the infrared (IR) light from a standard television’s remote control is another do-it-yourself method of checking if the sensors in your lens are working.

The IR from the welding arc typically activates the helmet sensors when welding. The IR from the television remote control can also activate the sensors on the helmet.

The sensors in the helmet automatically activate and darken the lens as soon as they recognize the IR coming from the remote.

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This technique efficiently assesses the sensors’ capacity to detect signals coming from the side, below, and above.

3. Always wear your helmet appropriately during welding

Make sure your helmet is completely down during welding, ideally up against your chest. If the helmet isn’t worn properly, light can indirectly reflect off the table and shine up the hood.

Similar to how directly reflected light from an arc or welder’s eye can burn you, this indirect reflection also has the potential to do so. To avoid burns from wearing shorter helmets, get a hood that fits your head properly.

The symptoms of arc eye

An arc eye is a condition that impairs a MIG welder vision as a result of harm from MIG welding’s light flashes. The surface and mucous membrane components of a welder’s eye may be harmed by the UV light of the welding arc.

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Conjunctivitis, often known as an arc eye, is the end outcome and its primary symptom is conjunctival inflammation.

Other symptoms of an arc eye include:

  • Tearing and reddening of the eyelids’ membranes is referred to as bloodshot.
  • Having sandpaper-like eye sensations.
  • Abnormal light sensitivity.
  • Partial photophobia is brought on by the incapacity to gaze at light sources.
  • If not addressed right away, the pain tends to get worse.

FAQ

How do I choose a welding shade?

Ranges of weld shades run from shade 0 to shade #12. With the helmet in the down position and the ability to see it with a flashlight, it is simple to see the welding piece and the surroundings. Depending on your choice, the helmet automatically darkens when welds are impacted.

Conclusion

It is not only the welders’ responsibility to put on a decent welding helmet with the proper lens shade number. The team that is responsible for monitoring and working under them also bears accountability.

It is useful to know if those lenses are compatible with a different type of welding, regardless of the other type of welding you are undertaking.

Start with a higher number and move down to a lower one as you select the best welding helmet shade. This will enable the manufacture of high-quality welds by precisely identifying all of your welding zones. Make careful to stay at least 11 shades, which is the minimum.

I hope we’ve helped you with what shade lens for MIG welding to choose, and now you know the answer.

Aron Russell

If you have come to my page, then you are trying to learn the correct technique for welding various parts. I can confidently say that you can trust me. I have been studying multiple welding techniques for 20 years. In my youth, I got a job at a factory, where my acquaintance with this technique began.

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