Her eyes told a story; I have eyes in the back of my head; eyes are the window to the soul: there are many idioms, proverbs and quotes related to our eyes. It is pretty clear that we are talking about one of the most – if not the most – important organs. For this reason, it is of key importance to protect our eyes. Especially in case of more demanding physical use, for example during industrial work, it is important to wear appropriate protective equipment. Recently, we have had an article on the protection of the ears; now let us see the protection of the eyes!

Why is there a need for protective eyewear?

Our impressions and knowledge of the world primarily come from our vision. The reduction or loss of this ability can mean an unspeakable tragedy. According to labor records of the US, 800,000 eye injuries occur annually only in the United States, and in 90% of the cases, a good protective eyewear could prevent problems.

Our natural and biological characteristics are usually appropriate, meaning that eyelids, the process of tearing and eye sockets normally provide quite sufficient protection. However, during working or a physical effort, small splinters, chemicals and corrosive substances may get into the eyes. Invisible phenomena, such as laser, UV- and infrared radiation can also cause changes to our vision, and we have not even talked about extreme sources of danger yet, such as an arc light during welding. Protection against such impacts in a busy industrial environment can literally save lives.

For this reason, the use of protective eyewear is a simple, natural and safe way to protect our vision. Furthermore, there is such a huge range of products in various forms, colors and abilities that it is a luxury not to use these objects developed and created for eye protection. It is better to prevent than to suffer.
It is essential to know that in Europe, a special related law requires the use of protective equipment – including protective eyewear – in case of certain types of work

The basics of selection

While in case of eyeglasses for everyday use, rational considerations – that is the diopter of the lens, and whether it is myopia or hypermetropia – and aesthetic functions are equally important, in case of protective eyewear, the protection of the eyes is the most important.

Due to this consideration, the most important questions to be answered when choosing are in what type of environment and how the eyewear will be used and what harm it will be used to reduce or prevent. This can be related to a profession, such as in case of carpenters, professionals dealing with assembly and components, athletes and factory workers – in this latter case, the nature of working conditions is conclusive. Light- and optical conditions, the closed or open nature of working, possible light filtering opportunities and the mechanical nature of the work all affect the final decision. It is worth thinking these over and make the decision accordingly.

Types of protective eyewear in details

Based on what has been previously described, it is no wonder that we can find a confusing abundance of products if we are looking for such eyewear.
With regards to lenses, we can choose clear lenses or polarized ones that filter environmental effects excellent. With certain lenses, we can eliminate various reflections – caused either by nature or by screens. Lenses can absorb blue light and they can intensify the colors of nature, while green lenses prevent infrared radiation from making contact with the eyes.
As regards design, we can choose a range of products from simple safety eyewear to lightweight tools of high quality made from plastic that can be used for several hours and that even resist very demanding use.
Protective eyewear includes vented types that eliminate the risk of chemicals or acids.

Of course, those browsing in the website of Flanker can also find very special protective eyewear. For example, the 2890S closed protective eyewear which has a clear, anti-scratch surface, anti-fog coating, polycarbonate lenses, and the size of its frame without vents is increased; it provides an almost full protection against fine particles and gases. From the aspect of occupational safety, the 2890S closed protective eyewear is extremely useful: it has no vents and it includes polycarbonate lenses of a darkness level of 5 as a closed protective eyewear for welding. There is also a solution to when an employee already wearing glasses need vision protection: in this case, the 3M™ 2800 series protective eyewear to wear with vision correcting glasses can be a required and good choice.

It is now officially spring! This season is characterized not only by the awakening of nature but also by getting busy with garden- and house works. The increasingly warming temperature this time tempts many to finally start or finish their long-delayed home improvement tasks. One of these activities usually revolves around sanding – that is often coupled with a lot of noise. In this entry, we will briefly review what is to be known of electric sanding machines for working in the hand.

Vibrating or orbital sanding machines

According to their names, engines built in such types of sanding machines are driven in a vibrating, oscillating, circular movement. The less is the diameter of this circle is, the “finer” the sanding will be. Their sanding surface is usually of rectangular shape, which is covered by sized abrasive cloth well fitted by a spring mechanism or by Velcro. This is a sandpaper-like surface that we fit to size or we buy in specialized stores and in the appropriate sections of supermarkets in the desired size. Orbital sanding machines are suitable to fine sand surfaces larger than average, and in this case, we do not have to remove the whole layer of paint from the surface to be sanded.

A special type of orbital sanding machines is delta sander, which was named after its distinctive triangular shape. This is to be used mainly to sand spots that are difficult to reach with other types of sanding machine, because it is possible to treat more hidden surfaces by using longer and narrower abrasive paper. They can also be used to sand gaps and holes, but they can handle shutters and blinds as well.

We are still in the category of orbital sanding machines when we mention hand sanding machine. The working surface of this small-sized tool that can be easily held in the hand is special because – due to its circular shape – it even rotates around its axis in addition to vibrating. As a result of this, a particularly good result can be achieved with it, for example on curved surfaces.

Belt sanders

As opposed to orbital sanding machines, sanding in this case is conducted by a belt stretched around two rotating cylinders. Sanding in belt sanders are done by a plastic pulley driven with a high speed, and we usually use it for metalworking. Their unique feature is the ability to quickly remove materials, especially when the aim is to fully remove the layer of paint or varnish from large, long surfaces. Belt sanders have a sanding frame that allows to conduct accurate surface sanding.

There are so-called eccentric sanding machines that make it possible to sand really large surfaces extremely fine, and multifunctional machines are also available, although these are mostly devices that need be mounted on tables. Eccentric sanding machines are also special from the aspect that they are excellent also for curved surfaces and they can be used to polish straight or convex surfaces made from various materials – wood, metal or plastic.

Accessories of sanding machines

No sanding machine can be used in itself! As we have seen, we need abrasives, sanding sheets, but brushes, abrasive tools, discs, wheels or polishing and buffing pads can also be found in the range of related products.

Még több cikk a témában

One third of the cooling load in summer is caused by heat flowing through windows. Although the external unit of the air conditioning apparatus can be found on more and more buildings, the air conditioning apparatus installed inside is not a solution for everyone. In some cases, it is difficult to install due to the layout of the apartment, while others rather prefer natural shading. Anyhow, there is an efficient way to prevent the apartment from becoming a sauna in the summer heat waves without the need to drill walls and place wires.

Heat reflective films on windows

As its name suggests, we are talking about self-adhesive heat reflective window films that block sunlight and prevent the accumulation of heat caused by that. The heat reflective window film blocks 45-86% of the heat of sunlight before it enters the apartment.

It is all the Sun’s and the glass surfaces’ fault. Glass admits the light’s range of 280 – 2500 nanometer coming from the Sun due to its structure. This means part of the UV-radiation (UVA and UVB), the whole range of visible light and a proportion of infrared-radiation.

Any type of film for vehicles with a simple color can block the range of visible light and it even provides energy protection, but their filtering in the range of infrared light is very low, around 12%. Why is this fact a problem? Infrared radiation penetrates the skin layer deeper than visible skin, therefore it stimulates receptors more, thus it causes a significantly more intensive heating comfort. So, it can be a good solution to reduce the heating comfort coming from the Sun to a minimum by powerfully filtering infrared radiation. For this reason, we call heat reflective films those products that filter also in the range of infrared.

Heat reflective films on windows contain a group of products that can be classified according to various production processes. The first level of heat reflective window films means colored films with an aluminum metallized structure, which is followed by fully metallized products, less reflecting nickel-chromium films, ceramic heat reflective window films based on titanium-nitrate – these have an excellent heat protection and their infrared filtering is around 80-60%. Finally, there are so-called infrared absorber films as well. The technology was developed in Japan and it is based on a special particle that can absorb infrared radiation.

3M’s product range even offers a heat reflective window film that is of premium quality and is prepared with several layers and by metal-free nanotechnology.

A transparent or colored heat reflective film can be a smart decision because it cools in summer and warms in winter, so it can hold heat inside during the cold period. There is no need to be afraid heat reflective window films will make the apartment darker because they admit sun and they only withstand heat.

The range of heat reflective window films currently available in Hungary is quite wide: we can choose types that provide 40-60-80% of protection against the heat.

Areas of use of heat reflective films

Needless to say, that the primary area of use of this product includes glass surfaces of houses and apartments, so we have to think of windows first. Blinding light is not only a health risk for those being inside, but it can also damage and fade furniture and equipment. The sunlight breaking into the living space can be well controlled with an appropriate film.

In case of window insulating films, it is possible to choose an outdoor type, in which case the film is applied onto the outside of the window, but this is not an optimal solution: outdoor window films have a shorter lifespan than if it was applied indoor, so it needs to be frequently replaced. For this reason, it is generally recommended to install window films onto the inner side of the glass surface: this way, the lifespan of the heat protection film is longer, and it is easier to ensure a dust-free environment during installation.

However, glass plays an important role not only in our homes but also in our vehicles. Driving in bright sunlight can be joyful on the one hand, but on the other hand it can also be annoying: the beam of light coming from the front can limit vision and can blind the driver, especially during a longer drive. With the help of a colored, tinted film, this effect can be reduced, it allows a better utilization to the air conditioning system, and, in the long run, the temperature of the vehicle’s interior space can remain comfortable.

It is true also in this case that by filtering UV-rays, skin damage can be better prevented, and the internal color of the vehicle will not fade either. For example, FX car window films can reflect 46% of the full solar energy penetrating through the car’s windows, they have an anti-scratch protective layer and they are available in various shades. Everyone can find the film that is the most suitable for them.

Another aspect not to be underestimated is that the film does not produce a significant amount of waste, so in case of replacing the window, we do not have to expect an environmental impact caused by the disposal of windows.