laser safety
7
Synrad
Firestar i401
operator’s manual
Agency compliance
Laser safety standards
Under the Low Voltage Directive, 2006/95/EC, the European Norm (EN) document EN 60825-1 was de-
veloped to protect persons from laser radiation by imposing requirements upon manufacturers of laser prod-
ucts to provide an indication of laser radiation; to classify laser products according to the degree of hazard;
to require both user and manufacturer to establish procedures so that proper precautions are adopted; to
ensure adequate warning of the hazards associated with accessible radiation through signs, labels, and
instructions; to improve control of laser radiation through protective features; and to provide safe usage of
laser products by specifying user control measures. Table 1,
Class 4
safety features
, summarizes Firestar i401
product features, indicating the type and description of features and whether those features are required by
European Union regulations.
OEM models
Firestar i401 OEM lasers are OEM products intended for incorporation as components in
laser processing systems. As supplied by SYNRAD, these lasers do not meet the requirements
of EN 60825-1 without additional safeguards. European Union Directives state that “OEM
laser products which are sold to other manufacturers for use as components of any system for
subsequent sale are not subject to this Standard, since the final product will itself be subject
to the Standard.” This means that Buyers of OEM laser components are solely responsible for
the assurance that the laser processing system sold to an end-user complies with all laser safety
requirements before the actual sale of the system. Note that when an OEM laser component is
incorporated into another device or system, the entire machinery installation may be required
to conform to EN 60825-1; EN 60204-1:2006,
Safety of Machinery;
the Machinery Directive,
2006/42/EC; and/or any other applicable Standards. In cases where the Buyer is also the end-
user of the OEM laser product, the Buyer/end-user must integrate the laser so that it complies
with all applicable laser safety standards as set forth above.
Electromagnetic interference standards
The European Union’s Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive, 2004/108/EC, is the sole Direc-
tive developed to address electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues in electronic equipment. In particular,
the Directive calls out European Norm (EN) documents that define the emission and immunity standards
for specific product categories. For Firestar i401 lasers, EN 61000-6-4 defines radiated and conducted RF
emission limits while EN 61000-6-2 defines immunity requirements for industrial environments.
SYNRAD’s Firestar i401 lasers have demonstrated performance characteristics that have met or exceeded
the requirements of EMC Directive 2004/108/EC.
