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How do auto-darkening helmets work? Put very simply, when you strike the welding arc, the light from the arc is sensed by a photo electric eye on the auto-darkening cartridge. The eye sends a signal to a solid state circuit board in the cartridge that is powered by batteries providing 700 hours of welding time.The circuit board then applies a small electric current to the welding lens which makes it darken. And all of this happens in 1/25,000 of a second – making it the fastest auto-darkening helmet on the planet!
Are they safe? Well, 1/25,000 second is fast, but it's not the speed of light. However, OSHA requires that Auto-Darkening Welding Helmets have a passive safety device (something that will protect you from a flashburn all the time). This is the band pass filter, and it's what gives the lens its blue tint.
What exactly do we mean by "band pass"? It means only certain "bands" or "wavelengths" of light can pass through, while other "bands" can not. Simply put, the "band pass" filter lets visible light through, but filters out the infrared (IR) and ultra-violet (UV) – these are the damaging rays – to a shade 14.
The bottom line is this: if you have a Striker Helmet on your head, start welding, and for some reason forget to turn it on or it fails to darken, you have more protection from a flashburn than you would if you had a conventional helmet with a shade 12 lens in it. Personally, we wouldn't use anything else when welding.
Finally . . . all Striker Helmets use standard cover plates. Strikers are powered by standard batteries which are inexpensive and easily replaced. In addition, all Striker Helmets are backed with a two-year warranty. | 
