Maintaining a safe, comfortable work environment is both a challenge and a priority for welding operations amid changing safety and health regulations. With those realities in mind, Miller is continuously evolving its welding safety products to help safety managers, welding supervisors and operators overcome such obstacles with new, improved and increasingly effective personal protective equipment (PPE), including their all-new lineup of powered air purifying respirator solutions.
The next-generation PAPR systems, PAPR II, provide comfortable, convenient and cost-effective solutions for respiratory protection, ideal for a variety of welding, metal grinding and finishing applications as well as demanding industrial environments requiring hard hat use.
PAPR II has been designed for maximum comfort and visibility so that welders can keep their system on throughout long workdays — furthering compliance while also increasing their arc-on time and productivity.
Maximizing Comfort for Safety and Compliance
Managers and supervisors face many challenges when ensuring their teams are properly protected from weld fume exposure. Finding ways to reduce safety risks and enhance compliance is critical to creating a safer welding environment, and operator comfort should not be sacrificed. Whenever a welder's PPE is uncomfortable or heavy, they are less likely to use it.
That reality is what drove the design of the PAPR II, which merges comfort with effective respiratory protection. The lighter and lower profile blower features upgraded adjustable shoulder straps that distribute the system’s weight evenly across the shoulders and back, helping prevent muscle strain, lower back pain and general discomfort. To further lessen strain and extend wearability, the system’s blower with battery is 21% lighter on average than other systems on the market.
Unlike competitive PAPRs, PAPR II comes with a spare replacement battery that delivers 20 hours of runtime and reduces downtime because one of the batteries can always be charging. The batteries average six more hours of life than competitors. And because the setup features two batteries in lieu of one heavy-duty battery, PAPR II batteries are 65% lighter than competing systems another way extra weight is eliminated and comfort increased for the operator.
Another comfort-related issue for welders wearing PAPRs is potential neck strain and ineffective air distribution. To address this, Miller engineered the patented Dualtec™ manifold system, which connects at the base of the neck and splits to each side of the face instead of pulling down from the top of the head. The Dualtec™ system provides better helmet balance and uniform, adjustable air distribution. This six-point air distribution system also maximizes perceived cooling through targeted air placement and adjustable air vents with three speeds, generating customized airflow. Additionally, PAPR II features audible vibrating alarms that notify the user of restricted airflow or low battery life, along with a quick-release belt for easy, one-handed on and off when it’s time to take a break or when the job is done.
PAPR II systems have an assigned protection factor (APF) of 25 on all models and up to 1,000 with an optional heavy-duty head seal on specific models.
Designed by welders for welders, PAPR II systems promise a tailored experience for all applications and different types of operations. With more versatile options than ever, all five different head assemblies are compatible with the same PAPR II blower and consumables, simplifying logistics and maintenance within your respiratory program. The standardization of replacement parts and consumables across different models can streamline inventory management and ensure consistent worker protection even with diverse application needs.
Optimizing Safety With a Clearer View
When welding in settings with potential hazards like flying sparks, debris and sharp objects, wearing a helmet that allows clear vision is vital to a welder’s safety and well-being — while also giving them a high level of confidence as they’re working to create quality welds.
Delivering enhanced clarity and visibility, PAPR II systems feature the latest ClearLight™ 2.0 Lens Technology, which provides visibility that’s two times better than other welding helmets on the market that have 1/1/1/1 technology. ClearLight 2.0 offers premier clarity, giving the operator the ability to safely and accurately view the workpiece and puddle to create higher-quality welds.
Additionally, this technology allows more of the visible light spectrum to pass through the lens, increasing the contrast and clarity by eliminating the artificial green or yellow tint in traditional lenses and revealing more natural, accurate colors. All of this adds up to welders seeing more clearly before, during and after completing a weld — minimizing their need to raise and lower a helmet during the welding process. This PAPR also has Shade 5.0 side windows that enhance peripheral vision to amplify the welder’s sense of their surroundings.
Distortion adds another layer of challenge welders contend with while wearing PPE, particularly when looking through multiple lenses and at odd angles. To lessen that, PAPR II systems come equipped with Miller High-Definition View (HDV) lens technology, which provides a sharp, detailed view at any angle. Competing models often use multiple layers of lenses, which can cause distortion and reduce clarity for the welder. HDV technology eliminates the issue by creating a clear, undistorted view. This significantly improves the welder’s visibility.
Leading the Way With Innovative Respiratory Protection
Designed for comfort, convenience and compliance, the Miller® PAPR II solutions protect operators and equip them to tackle their work with confidence. This system’s advanced features and multiple head assembly options also offer a level of versatility that makes it convenient for welders to easily transition between tasks throughout their day. In short, when it comes to reducing inefficiencies and offering uninterrupted productivity, PAPR II solutions can be counted on to do both, safely.