In molten metal environments, effective face and eye protection must do more than meet minimum standards—it must perform reliably under extreme thermal stress while maintaining visibility and worker confidence. OSHA requirements and ANSI Z87.1 standards provide the framework for protection, but real-world conditions in steel mills and foundries demand continuous innovation.
For decades, Paulson Manufacturing has set the benchmark in heat-reflective face protection with 99.99% pure gold-coated face shields. These shields have delivered industry-leading performance by combining exceptional radiant heat reflectivity with high visible light transmittance (VLT)—a critical factor for maintaining clarity and reducing operator fatigue in high-risk environments.
However, as the cost of gold remains elevated and subject to market volatility, the need for a more cost-stable solution has become increasingly important for safety managers and procurement teams alike.
Introducing Helios™: A New Approach to Heat Reflective Protection
Helios™ is Paulson’s newest advancement in high heat face shield technology—a proprietary heat reflective coating engineered specifically for molten metal applications, using only trace amounts of gold in the formulation. Designed to deliver comparable heat resistance and durability to traditional pure gold-coated shields, Helios™ represents a strategic evolution in how high-heat face and eye protection can be manufactured and deployed.
Advanced Reflective Performance Without Pure Gold
The primary challenge in developing Helios™ was clear: provide similar thermal performance as pure gold without using pure gold. Through advanced material engineering, Paulson has achieved this goal, with some of the key features and benefits including:
- High-Level Heat Reflectivity: Helios™ shields provide excellent radiant heat reflection, enabling workers to operate safely near molten metal processes without sacrificing thermal protection.
- Durable in Extreme Environments: Engineered for steel mills and foundries, Helios™ maintains structural and optical integrity under prolonged exposure to high temperatures, molten splash, and harsh industrial conditions.
- Cost Stability and Accessibility: By significantly reducing the amount of gold in the heat reflective coating, Helios™ shields remove the pricing volatility tied to precious metals, offering a more predictable and cost-effective solution for large-scale PPE programs.
- Made in the USA: Unlike many competitive alternatives, Helios™ shields are manufactured domestically, supporting supply chain reliability, consistent quality, and faster availability.
Understanding the Trade-Off: Visibility vs. Reflectivity
In high-heat PPE, material performance is always a balance of key characteristics. To achieve a similar level of heat resistance as pure gold coatings, Helios™ shields are manufactured with a slightly darker tint, resulting in lower visible light transmittance (VLT) compared to gold-coated shields.
This distinction is important when selecting the right solution:
- Pure gold-coated shields remain the optimal choice where maximum visibility is critical.
- Helios™ shields are ideal where operations can accommodate slightly reduced VLT in exchange for significant cost advantages and comparable thermal performance.
This flexibility allows safety professionals to tailor PPE selections based on specific operational needs, rather than being constrained by a single solution.
A More Flexible Future for Molten Metal PPE
With Helios™, Paulson Manufacturing delivers a new category of heat-reflective face shields—one that preserves the performance standards workers rely on while addressing the economic realities of today’s industrial environment.
In molten metal safety, innovation isn’t just about pushing performance forward—it’s about making that performance more accessible, more reliable, and more adaptable than ever before.
Expanding the Face & Eye Protection System
As discussed in Part 1 of this series, Paulson’s Aylon™ cap bracket system strengthens the foundation of face shield performance in high-heat environments. Helios™ builds on that foundation by advancing the protective shield itself, creating a more complete, scalable system for molten metal safety.
Together, Aylon™ and Helios™ represent a system-level innovation—improving not only protection, but also usability, durability, and cost efficiency.
For more information on our next-gen Helios™ heat reflective face shields with Aylon™ cap brackets, contact us today.
