LASER SAFETY
108
AREX™ 400
CLASSIFICATION AND DANGER LEVEL
Regulations have established different classes of Lasers, based on their ability to cause
human injury. These classes ranges from Class 1 (basically safe in all conditions) to Class
4 (dangerous in several conditions).
Lasers that can produce risk to human being, not only from direct or reflected radiation
but also from scattered radiation, belong to Class 4. These lasers sources can also pres-
ent risk of causing fires through ignition of flammable materials. For these reasons the
Customer must, when integrating the laser marker into their machine, implement all
necessary measures to contain laser radiation and ensure compliance with applicable
safety regulations. All operators using lasers systems should also use appropriated indi-
vidual protection devices such as goggles, etc.
DEGREE OF RISK WITH RADIATION VIEWING CONDITIONS
If F-Theta scan lens is removed from scan head the output radiation is a collimated
intense coherent laser beam. The image of such a beam, created by any lens is then a
very small spot with extremely high power and energy density. Such a beam is also
focalized by the human eye and thus result in irreversible damage to the retina. The out-
put radiation of the laser marker, with the F-Theta scan lens, is not a collimated beam
but a convergent (before focus plane) and divergent (after focus plane) laser beam. The
degree of convergence and divergence depends on the F-theta scan lens specifications
and thus varies with the different laser marker models. While marking the laser radia-
tion is typically scattered at the object being marked. Special attention must my taken
with objects with high reflectivity to the laser wavelength range since such objects may
not only reflect the laser radiation but also change its characteristics according to the
shape of such surface (that can work as a lens element). Thus the risk related with laser
radiation depends on the characteristics of the beam at which the human is exposed.
In the following sections the risk degree to human eye, related with different viewing
conditions, is qualitatively described. Please note that this is intended only as aware-
ness on such risks.
Direct viewing of the laser beam
This type of viewing is the most danger for human eye and can occur if looking directly
into laser output aperture. Risk is higher in case F-Theta scan lens is removed since out-
put laser beam is, in such conditions, collimated.
WARNING
The Arex™ 400 laser marker contain Class 4 invisible laser sources. Refer
to applicable regulations (including Laser Safety and Machine safety) for
recommendations for compliance of your machine with integration and use
of such Class lasers type.
WARNING
It is responsibility of Customer to makes an independent risk evaluation
and to implement the necessary safety measures, according to applicable
regulations, pertinent to Class 4 Lasers.
WARNING
Do not look directly to laser beam. Individual Protection Devices such gog-
gles do not warrant protection for direct exposure to laser radiation.