3M Speedglas Clear Auto Darkening Filter for use with 3M™ Speedglas™ Welding Helmet Series 9100

3M Speedglas™ 9100XXi Large Auto Dark Lens Welding Filter (without silver cover)

From 3M, this Speedglas™ 9100XXi Large Auto Dark Lens Welding Filter is designed for use with the 3M™ Speedglas™ 9100 series welding helmets. Unlike it's 9100 XX coutnerpart, this fitler is supplied without the silver front panel. The filter fits to all Speedglas welding helmet series 9100, but needs the new silver front to have the outside control functions.

The welding lens offers a choice of 7 user-selectable dark shades to suit a wide range of welding applications. It also features a comfort mode to help reduce eye fatigue.

It can be used with the welding helmets such as the 3M 9100 FX Air (188-9543)

Features and Benefits

• Easy to install welding filter for use with 9100 series helmets • Auto dark
• Seven degrees of shading
• By selecting just the right settings for each task, you help reduce eye strain and can improve the quality of every weld.
• Delay function to set the dark-to-light opening time. Possible to lock-in any shade, e.g. in the light state 3 when grinding
• Switching time (light-dark) 0,1 ms. The sensitivity of arc detection can be adjusted for unsurpassed Switching reliability
• Sensitivity of the arc detection can be adjusted for unsurpassed Switching reliability.

Other welding filters are available:

• 817-9340 is a 3M Speedglas ™ 9100 V standard auto dark welding filter
• 817-9343 is a 3M Speedglas ™ 9100 X large auto dark welding filter
• 817-9347 is a 3M Speedglas ™ 9100 XX extra-large auto dark welding filter
• 188-9546 is a 3M Speedglas ™ 9100 XXi extra-large auto dark welding filter

Applications

This filter is designed specifically to be used with a welding hood, and should not be used by itself or with non-specified equipment. Welding helmets, or welding hoods, are essential personal protection equipment wherever arc welding takes place. The helmet has advantages over goggles in that they also protect the face and neck from flash sparks, and can even serve as face protection PPE when grinding. The 3M™ Speedglas™ 9100 FX Air Welding Helmet is designed to be fitted with auto-darkening lenses.

Auto-darkening lenses have advantages over static polarized viewing lenses, in that you can see as normal when not welding without having to adjust your mask. The viewing lens only darkens in response to the light given off from arc welding. In many countries, an auto-darkening welding mask is an industry safety requirement wherever welding equipment is used, and they are regarded as a standard piece of safety equipment for welders.

What are the disadvantages of auto-darkening welding filters, compared with fixed-darkness filters?

There are two main types of welding filter- those that have fixed-darkness, and those that are auto-darkening l. Fixed darkness filters are usually used with helmets that have a flip-up face shield, so that you can see normally when you are not welding, and then nod your head to put the mask in place once you are ready to weld.

Auto-darkening filters use a polarizing filter that automatically prevents harmful flash burn to the user. This has the advantage that the wearer does not have to adjust their helmet for working, saving them time and effort. As they do not need to be adjusted, they reduce the risk of exposure to harmful light.

The main disadvantage of a darkening welding filter is that they are often more expensive than their fixed-darkness counterparts. It is important to choose the welding filter and mask that is best suited to the job at hand.