OVERVIEW
When a facility wants to isolate a welding or fabrication area without blocking the view, clear welding curtains are often chosen. It is made from transparent material, so you can see what is going on the other side. This can be helpful for supervisors who need to keep an eye on a work area or for employees who need better visibility around equipment and traffic.
But there is one important difference to be aware of. UV light is produced during welding and clear vinyl doesn’t cut the UV light. That is not to say Clear curtains are without their uses in a shop or manufacturing plant. It simply means that the material should be chosen according to what the curtain has to do and where it will be used.
If the curtain is to be used around active welding where people in the vicinity may be exposed to the welding light, tinted or opaque welding materials are usually the better choice.
Why Use Clear Curtains in Facilities?
Welding Curtain Wall Benefits
The biggest benefit of clear vinyl is visibility.
Clear material, unlike an opaque curtain or permanent wall, lets employees see into the work area without opening the barrier. That can make it easier to watch equipment, oversee production, and see people or vehicles moving on the other side.
Clear curtains also help to separate work areas and contain sparks, dust, debris and other materials generated during some shop processes. The curtains can be fitted on sliding tracks or other movable systems, allowing the area to be opened up when equipment, materials or large parts have to pass through.
Clear vinyl is a practical option for many applications where the main objectives are visibility and physical separation.
Easy Install
Clear welding curtain walls come with grommets at the top making hanging the welding curtains quick and easy with our without the curtain track.
Protects Welders
Hanging clear welding curtain walls are ideal for protecting welders from dangerous sparks that present a safety hazard.
Control Noise
The clear welding curtains contain sparks and also reduce noise due to the thick PVC they are made from.
UV Light From Welding, What’s The Deal?
Tinted Welding Curtains
Clear vinyl allows light to pass through the material, which is standard. So it does not block the harmful UV light produced by the welding arc.
If people are regularly working or walking near an active welding area, that exposure should be factored into the curtain material selection.
Tinted vinyl for welding is a choice. It still lets people see through the curtain, but unlike standard clear vinyl, the material is engineered to reduce harmful welding UV light for casual passersby.
Welders and anyone who will be directly or continuously viewing the welding process still require proper welding PPE.
When Should You Choose Coloured Welding Vinyl?
Tinted welding curtains are a good compromise for facilities that need visibility and protection from welding light.
The material is transparent enough to still allow some visibility into the work area, so employees and supervisors don’t completely lose sight of what’s going on behind the curtain.
Depending on the application, a variety of tints are available. This allows facilities to decide what level of visibility and separation is best for their space.
What if you don’t need to see through the curtain?
Some welding areas don't need visibility. In such cases an opaque welding curtain may be a better choice.
Opaque material blocks the view into the welding area, and can also help establish a more defined welding cell or workspace. This is effective when welding is done near other production areas or walkways.
There’s also a choice between fully transparent and completely opaque. A tinted welding vision panel can be used to create an opaque welding curtain that allows employees to see through a certain area without making the whole curtain transparent.
Clear, Coloured, or Opaque?
Selecting The Proper Material For Your Welding Area
Before ordering a curtain,
- Look at how the welding area is used each day.
- Consider where the welding will be performed, and how near the curtain will be to the arc.
- Think about how often employees walk by the welding area.
- Decide how much you want to see behind the curtain.
- Think of exposure to sparks, slag and heat.
- Consider the kind of welding process.
- Compare clear, tinted and opaque curtain options against what each material is designed to do.
- The curtain should be chosen according to the actual use of the space.
Photo Gallery
Rolling Hardware
- 16 gauge galvanized steel tracks
- Nylon roller hooks for easy opening
- 6 mounting styles to connect to various structures
- Free standing hardware for up to 20' in height
Static Mount Hardware
- Aluminum Angle - Use with self tapping Tek screws to pinch curtain to angle.
- Grommets Only - You can then use many DIY methods to hang the curtains.
- Beam Clamps - Clamps onto the flange of beams, joists and purlins.
