Browse the following range, use the web Selection Chart below , or download pdf version here , to find the most suitable Weldclass blanket for your application.
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Australia's best range of Welding Blankets, Drapes and Fabric Rolls for: protection during welding, grinding and cutting, heat treatment/retention, & more.
Not your average welding blanket! PLATINUM WB+ is a 'next generation' high-temperature fabric with a high-tech proprietary coating that provides superior performance and safety/ergonomics. This allows PLATINUM WB+ fabric to be lightweight, whilst offering protection and durability that is superior to other much thicker & heavier fabrics. Provides max working temperature exposure of °c and up to °c short duration exposure.Unlike most other high-temperature welding blankets / fabrics, PLATINUM WB+ is completely non-irritant, does not shed dust or raw fibres, and is very safe and comfortable to handle. Resists fraying and can be easily cut to any required length or shape.
PROMAX WB is a heavy duty high-temperature silica glass fabric for protection against heavier sparks, spatter, slag, etc. Also used for heat treatment / stress relieving / heat retention (wrapping of heated objects to slow cooling). Provides max working temperature exposure of °c and up to °c short duration exposure, with heavier weight for increased durability and insulating properties. Available in blankets and rolls.
PROMAX WB is a &#;medium duty&#; high-temperature fabric for protection against grinding sparks, medium-to-heavy welding spatter, etc. Also used for heat treatment / stress relieving / heat retention (wrapping of heated objects to slow cooling). Specially treated glass fibre to withstand up to 800°c long duration & °c short duration exposure, and to improve insulating properties. Strong, durable, and abrasion-resistant, with heavier weight for longer service life.
PROMAX WB550 is a &#;general purpose&#; high-temperature welding blanket for protection against grinding sparks, light to medium welding spatter, etc. Also used for heat treatment / stress relieving / heat retention (wrapping of heated objects to slow cooling). Withstands up to 550°c long duration & ~700°c short duration exposure. Heat-treated to reduce fraying and irritation, with heavier weight for increased durability and insulating properties. Available in blankets and rolls.
Heavy duty cowhide leather welding blankets / drapes. Sewn with long life kevlar thread & complete with eyelets. At Weldclass, we sell a lot of leather blankets right across Australia, contact us with your enquiry today! Sizes available: 1x2m, 1.8x1.8m, 2x2m, 3x3m. Recommended for protection against grinding sparks and light to medium welding spatter.
Use this handy chart to find the most suitable Weldclass welding blanket / drape / fabric for your application, or download in pdf version here.
*Temperature resistance is indicative only and can vary depending on usage conditions. A safety margin should be allowed for, especially in critical applications. Blankets are not indestructable and will wear and degrade from use over time. If protecting critical or costly surfaces / items, always use more layers initially and test on a non-critical surface first. As applications and usage conditions vary widely, no warranty or fitness for use in any specific application is implied or intended.
A welding blanket is a protective tool used in welding processes to safeguard surroundings from sparks, slag, and spatter. Typically made from fire-resistant materials like fiberglass or silica, these blankets form a barrier that can withstand high temperatures, preventing heat damage to nearby objects or materials. They're especially crucial in confined spaces or when welding near other objects and equipment, providing a reliable shield against potential damage, fire, or burns. Additionally, welding blankets can come in various sizes and thicknesses to suit different welding applications, making them versatile and essential safety equipment in welding environments.
The terms welding blanket and welding drape are often used interchangeably, and in many applications the type of fabric used is, and can be, the same for both applications.
Technically, a welding drape is a specialized protective covering used during welding operations to shield specific areas or pieces of equipment from sparks, heat, and debris. Where welding blankets are often used to provide broad-area protection, welding drapes are designed for targeted coverage, such as protecting vertical or overhead surfaces, machinery, or equipment from welding hazards. They are typically made from similar fire-resistant materials as welding blankets, such as fiberglass or silica, but are tailored for hanging or draping over specific areas that require protection. Ideally, the fabric used for welding drapes should have a smoother surface to allow sparks etc to slide or cascade off.
Best practice for use of welding drapes and blankets will vary depending on the application, however following is a general guide:
While both fire blankets and welding blankets are designed to withstand high temperatures and provide thermal protection, they serve different purposes and have distinct features that make them suitable for specific applications.
Welding blankets are typically heavier and thicker than fire blankets, with higher temperature resistance, to resist penetration from sparks and welding spatter during ongoing use - whereas fire blankets are typically lighter and more compact for emergency use, and designed to smother and quickly extinguish flames.
While a fire blanket may offer some degree of very light-duty protection in a welding environment, it is not specifically designed for this purpose and may not provide adequate coverage or durability compared to a dedicated welding blanket. It's always best to use equipment and materials that are specifically designed and rated for the task at hand to ensure optimal safety and protection.
Welding blankets are not only essential for protection during welding but also play a crucial role in heat treatment and controlled cooling processes, also known as stress-relief. Made from heat-resistant materials such as fiberglass or silica, these blankets are used to cover and wrap around metal parts during heat treatment to retain heat, ensuring uniform temperature distribution. This helps in achieving the desired metallurgical properties by preventing rapid cooling and reducing thermal gradients, which can lead to warping or cracking. Additionally, welding blankets facilitate controlled cooling by gradually reducing the temperature, thereby minimizing internal stresses and enhancing the structural integrity of the treated metals. Their versatility in managing heat makes them invaluable in various industrial applications beyond welding.
Care has to be taken in selection of suitable blankets for this application, especially if the blanket has a coating as some coatings give off gases when in contact with heat that can contaminate the surface being treated, and depending on the coating used these fumes are often hazardous / toxic. Most Weldclass blankets are suitable for use in this application & give off very little or no gases/fumes, see above chart for more details.
Welding blankets are made from different types of fabric, which offer different levels of temperature resistance, different price levels, and particular attributes and advantages. Following are the basic materials that most welding blankets are typically made from:
Material
Some Advantages
Some Disadvantages / Further Comments
Weldclass
Blanket
Examples
Cowhide Leather
Glass Fibre (Fibreglass)
PROMAX WB550
PROMAX WB
Silica Glass
Carbon Fibre / Felt
Bespoke Materials
The following video is a demonstration featuring the PLATINUM WB+ welding blanket. Using an oxy cutting machine to cut 10mm steel plate, the blanket was exposed to heavy sparks and molten slag. All sparks etc were retained by the blanket, and the blanket fabric was not penetrated.
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Welding is a complex and varied practice, with everything from hobby-level art welding to industrial welding, shipbuilding, and even underwater welding available to skilled tradespeople.
The welding method uses high heat and electric currents, produces spatters of molten metal, and can even cause open flames. While proper welding procedures can minimize many of these risks, there&#;s always the potential for danger, so adequate safety equipment is essential.
A welding blanket is one piece of safety equipment that can be essential to keep on hand. What is a welding blanket, what is it used for, and what considerations should you give to your selection? Read on to learn more.
What Is a Welding Blanket?A welding blanket is a large sheet of material the size, shape, and flexibility of a blanket you might put on your bed at home. Unlike a traditional blanket, however, a welding blanket is thick, heavy, and made of heat-resistant, flame-resistant materials, such as fiberglass.
When welding or performing related tasks like plasma cutting, grinding or sandblasting, your work can spray gobbets of hot metal away from a weld pool or cutting surface. These drops of hot metal can be anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 degrees, capable of lighting other materials on fire, burning the operator, and causing all kinds of damage.
The operator will typically be protected by safety equipment such as heavy-duty gloves, a face shield, and a thick jacket that resists burns.
What about the rest of the environment? What if you&#;re welding in an area with flammable floor surfaces, furniture nearby, a hazardous materials cabinet, or other items nearby that can&#;t easily be moved but need protection from fire?
A welding blanket protects the environment around the welding operation from the spatter and heat of welding. The blanket can be laid on the floor to protect it from contact with spatter, draped over items like furniture, gas tanks, or other items that need to be protected, or hung up like a curtain to segment off the welding area from the rest of a workshop.
What&#;s the Difference Between a Welding Blanket and a Fire Blanket?You may have heard of a fire blanket and even consider it roughly the same.
After all, a welding blanket and a fire blanket are thick and fire-resistant; are they the same?
Not quite.
A welding blanket is a protective screen that stops sparks and spattered molten metal from burning or igniting other surfaces.
A fire blanket is similar and can be used for the same purpose. However, a fire blanket is often used as an emergency tool to smother and extinguish fires that ignite in a disaster. Cutting off a supply of oxygen to a fire douses itself because it cannot continue to burn; this is especially relevant in cases where fires of many different types can occur, and specific fire extinguishers might not be able to extinguish every kind of fire. Fire blankets are suitable for small-scale fires, often in the home, but can also be used as part of an emergency kit in a workshop.
Want more information on welding fire blanket rolls? Feel free to contact us.
So: a fire blanket can be used as a preventative or a reactive item; a welding blanket is generally only used as a preventive item.
Can you use a welding blanket as a fire blanket or vice versa? Truthfully, only in one direction. Fire blankets are meant to be single-use blankets to extinguish a fire and be discarded. Welding blankets can serve this purpose. Conversely, a fire blanket is not generally heat-resistant enough to be used as a welding blanket.
What Are Welding Blankets Made Of?One of the most significant considerations when looking into welding blankets is the materials it is made out of; different materials have different levels of durability, fire resistance, material properties, and safety.
For example, one of the best materials for a welding blanket was highly fire-resistant, soft and supple enough to be woven into the fabric, and extremely easy to work with.
However, over time, it was discovered that the material shed extremely cancerous fibers; it is asbestos, and it has since been banned in virtually every situation. Old welding blankets
may still use asbestos and can be floating around in older shops, so be careful to examine any safety equipment you use and eliminate the ones that can cause health issues.
Other materials that can be used to make a welding blanket include:
Leather is safe for softer materials (like wood and human skin), can be fire-resistant, and can be very protective against certain kinds of damage. However, leather is also very expensive, quite heavy, deforms under stress, and can be damaged by oils, solvents, and other chemicals.
Felt is a fiber shredded, carbonized, and pressed into a dense material. The resulting material is resistant to temperatures up to around 1,800 degrees, is mostly safe for skin contact, and can easily be cut to size for various purposes. However, it could be more durable and must be replaced frequently.
Also known as glass wool, fiberglass has been melted and extruded into thin, flexible strands to be woven into fibers and textiles. It&#;s commonly used as insulation due to its heat resistance and insulative properties. However, fiberglass can irritate the skin (the glass strands can break, and tiny sharp shards embed in the skin for a pervasive itching rash), so most fiberglass is coated in something like plastic or silicone to help make it safer for the touch.
Similar to glass, silica fabric is safer than fiberglass and has a very high level of resistance to heat shrinkage and damage. However, it&#;s also quite expensive, so it tends only to be used in industrial settings.
Ceramics are among the most heat-resistant materials known to man while also being very lightweight and safe for humans. Making a ceramic blanket can be difficult, however, and the resulting blankets are quite expensive. As such, ceramic welding blankets are typically only seen in industrial settings where heavy-duty protection is necessary.
Vermiculite is a very useful material that expands when heated to form something with a lot of beneficial properties used in everything from gardening to industrial machinery. It&#;s very heat-resistant for short periods, so it is most often used for welding curtains and other vertical protection where a spark or spatter will hit, bounce off, and fall away rather than settle on the surface. Welding blankets made of vermiculite are usually made of another material that contains vermiculite woven into it.
Acrylics, black slag, and even aluminum fiberglass can all be used as welding blanket materials and can be found for various niche purposes.
Welding blankets may also have an external coating that helps provide further heat-resistant properties. Coatings can include silicone, neoprene, acrylics, ceramics, and graphite.
Different coatings are suitable for different purposes, some better for horizontal usage and others for vertical curtains.
Five Categories of Welding BlanketsWelding blankets can be divided into five categories based on their intended purpose.
The first category is light-duty blankets. These are meant for relatively low-temperature spatter, heat exposure, and temporary exposure for moments. They&#;re most useful to drape over items that need protection or hang as curtains for temporary protection around a project. However, they aren&#;t durable against high heat spatter and prolonged exposure, so a flying gobbet of slag can burn through them or fuse to them. They are usually meant to be used a couple of times and then replaced, as well.
The second, among the more common welding blankets, are the medium-duty blankets.
These are usually coated with a more heat-resistant material like graphite and are usually made of fiberglass.
They&#;ll resist temperatures up to 1,000 degrees and can resist spatter and typical heat exposure. They are, however, still mostly used in the vertical position to segment off a welding project and protect the rest of a shop or environment and are not suitable for horizontal use.
The third is the heavy-duty blankets. These are often made of vermiculite coated in other materials or woven into fiberglass or silica. They can resist temperatures up to 1,800 degrees and offer longer protection with more durability than lighter-duty blankets. They can withstand heavy spatter, lengthy exposure to heat, and droplets of molten metal, so that they can be suitable for horizontal and prolonged use.
The fourth category, which offers even more protection and long-term durability than heavy-duty blankets, is industrial blankets. These can also be larger and more resistant than other blankets and are meant to be used for an extended period without needing replacement.
The fifth and final category is special-use blankets with specific properties and purposes.
For example, some special blankets are made of very soft materials to help prevent abrading or scratching sensitive materials, and others are very insulative, so they can be used to help cool down a project slower than air exposure would.
Related but tertiary are induction heating blankets, which are used to warm up a project before welding.
What to Consider When Choosing a Welding BlanketThere is much to consider when you&#;re examining different welding blanket options to purchase something for your manufactory, shop, or outside project.
The four main considerations are:
Obviously, price is always a consideration. Often, the more expensive a blanket is, the more durable, long-lasting, and flexible it will be.
Most blankets are meant to be hung vertically to offer protection to everything around a project but the floor. More expensive and resistant materials are needed for horizontal usage.
Some materials are heavy. Some are thick and stiff and difficult to move. Some are abrasive or irritating to handle. Picking the right balance between protection and usability is critical.
If you want your blanket to be resistant to chemicals, oils, water, or other materials like acids, you will have special considerations in addition to pure heat resistance.
For most welders, a fiberglass blanket will do the majority of the work necessary to protect one&#;s surroundings from a welding project. That, combined with proper safety, like positioning, will be plenty.
Always make sure that, even if you&#;re creating a protected space with curtains, you have adequate ventilation for your project. Shielding gasses and metal fumes is no joke.
How Do I Properly Care For My Welding Blanket?Caring for your welding blanket is essential to ensuring its longevity and safety. You&#;ll need to perform regular maintenance on your welding blanket to do this. Here are some tips for proper care:
You can do this by brushing away any dirt or debris that has built up on the surface of the blanket. It&#;s also essential to vacuum the blanket from time to time to ensure any small particles are removed.
Regularly inspect your welding blanket for signs of wear and tear, such as rips, tears, or holes. If you notice any damage, you must replace the welding blanket immediately to keep your workspace safe.
When not in use, store your welding blanket in a cool, dry place away from extreme temperatures and direct sunlight. You should also ensure the blanket is not exposed to moisture or dampness.
Inspecting your welding blanket for any loose threads or fraying that can lead to further damage is essential. If you notice any signs of wear and tear, it&#;s best to replace the blanket.
When working with any welding equipment, safety should always be the priority. Welding blankets are no different. There are certain precautions to take to ensure your safety and that of those around you when using a welding blanket.
First and foremost, be sure to wear the appropriate safety gear when working with a welding blanket, such as protective eyewear and gloves. As the sparks from your welding process can be extremely hot and potentially cause serious harm, you should also wear flame-resistant clothing and shoes. Additionally, if the area you&#;re welding in is extensive or you&#;ll be working for an extended period, consider wearing a face shield and respirator.
It is also essential to check your welding blanket for any signs of wear and tear before each use; this includes looking for holes, rips, tears, or weak spots that could compromise its effectiveness. If your welding blanket is not in good condition, replace it immediately.
When laying out your welding blanket, be sure to do so in a manner that leaves plenty of space around the welding site; this will help to protect bystanders from sparks and other hot materials. Additionally, pay attention to the type of surface the welding blanket is on; avoid wooden surfaces whenever possible, as they can easily catch fire. If you are working in an area particularly vulnerable to spark damage, consider adding extra layers of protection, such as a heavy canvas sheet or fire retardant material.
Finally, thoroughly inspect your welding blanket once you are done using it. Pay particular attention to any spots that appear burned or discolored due to contact with sparks or molten metal. If any part of your welding blanket is damaged, dispose of it immediately and replace it with a new one.
Following these simple safety measures when using a welding blanket can help ensure your welds are successful and your workspace remains safe.
Do You Need a Welding Blanket?Maybe! A welding blanket is a protective item used to protect things like furniture, chemical storage cabinets, other equipment, vehicles, or even the floor from being burned, scorched, or spattered with molten metal.
You will need some protection, depending on what you&#;re doing. Sometimes, welding blankets are the appropriate kind of protection. Other times, you&#;re better off using an isolated shop configured to itself be resistant to welding. For example, a concrete floor may be scorched by welding, but you may not care enough to protect it. You only need to protect furniture if you have furniture within reach, and so on.
A welding blanket can be essential for shops with multiple purposes, for travel welding, and for many industrial applications. Reviewing your projects to determine if you need such protection is always a good idea.
Do you have additional questions about welding? Are you interested in renting or purchasing welding equipment? Feel free to reach out; the Red-D-Arc team is here to answer any questions you may have and help guide you toward successful welding.
Whether you need small shop tools and equipment, or full industrial turn-key solutions, we&#;ve got you covered.
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