In recent years,the application of solid-state lasers in the industrial field has beenincreasing rapidly with the improvement of laser technology, especially inlaser cutting and laser welding applications. Whether the traditional Nd: YAGlamp pump laser (wavelength 1064nm), or in recent years the popularity of fiberlasers (wavelength 1070 ~ 1090nm), with the increase in power and beam quality,laser processing technology and equipment in the automotive, Aerospace,machinery, electronics and other industries are gradually replacing thetraditional processing technology, a new manufacturing process standards.
At the same time,the safety of laser processing is also valued. Solid-state lasers are moresusceptible to damage to the human body due to their wavelength range. Solidlasers in the near-infrared band have a significant effect on vision. The humaneye focuses the laser beam onto the retina and damages the retina. Theprinciple of focusing sunlight on paper can be the same, and the laser powerdensity focused on the retina is 100,000 times the laser power density on thecornea. Retinal burns or damage can cause permanent vision Hurt or even blind.For most lasers, usually a second time will cause harm. When the human face ofsuch a laser beam, even the blink of an eye is too late. Under normalcircumstances, the skin is more tolerant than the eyes of the laser radiationfor a long time, but the solid laser infrared light radiation damage to theskin, can make the skin scorch, burn, tan, if the laser power is high will makesubcutaneous Organ damage.
In order to ensurethe safety of laser processing, on the one hand requires laser equipmentmanufacturers to design and manufacture high-security laser equipment, on theother hand the use of laser equipment users need to strictly comply with thesafety of laser equipment operating practices.
Specifically, thelaser processing safety can be divided into the following categories: laserradiation safety, equipment, radiation protection devices, equipment safetydesign, safety practices and engineering management.
1. Laser radiationsafety
The laser's ownradiation safety is the first step, and most solid-state lasers are fullyenclosed in order to avoid direct laser radiation. Laser light interface mustalso be sealed design, such as a variety of optical fiber interface havedeveloped a unified interface standard, is to laser and laser head can beseamless docking, to avoid external radiation, wear Laser safety glasses also effectively protect the laserradiation damage.
2. Deviceradiation protection device
Laser processingequipment is often divided into two kinds of machine structure and robotstructure. The laser radiation from the device comes mainly from the reflectionbetween the laser head and the workpiece. Machine-type laser equipment mainlyuses integrated protective cover and professional protective glass to reduceradiation.
The overall designof the hood and the machine tool is usually made of opaque sheet metalmaterial, effectively blocking the laser radiation on the operator may bringharm, but also to isolate the machine and the human body to prevent high-speedmovement on the possibility of personal impact.
Professionalprotective glass is often installed in the protective window of the observationwindow position, easy to observe the operation of the machine operator.Protective glass requires a certain wavelength range of laser radiation, so theuse of carbon dioxide laser and solid laser equipment, the type of protectiveglass is different, the former mainly filter the absorption of 10600nmwavelength laser, which is mainly filtered around 1070nm laser.
3 equipment safetydesign
Equipment safetydesign is more through the control of the laser to achieve.
Protective cover:Each laser product must be fitted with a protective cover to prevent personnelfrom touching more than one class of laser radiation.
Baffle and safetyinterlock: The contact emission level is not lower than the reachable emissionlimit AEL of a given category. The laser product requires a safety interlock,and the safety interlock design must prevent the baffle from being removed.
Key controllers:Any laser system belonging to Class 3B and Class 4 must be fitted with a keycontroller, and the key controller is a key switch operated by a key. The keymust be removable, and to be kept by hand, the key can also be a magnetic card,password system.
For the four typesof laser products should be used remote control operation, to avoid the staffdirectly into the laser radiation area.
Laser safety chaincontrol, protective door switch and safety light bar design can effectivelyimprove the equipment safety level, the laser light control signal must be withthe machine emergency stop button and protective door switch signalcombination, and through the safety relay control. Laser safety chain controlprevents laser misfeeds, ensures that the emergency stop button is pressed, orthe protective door is turned off immediately after turning off the laseroutput. When the protection door is opened or the safety light bar istriggered, the machine will be stopped unless the laser output is disabled.Safety relay is independent of the main control system outside the controlunit, which real-time monitoring of emergency stop button, protective doorswitch and other signals, the laser light control signal chain control toensure safe and reliable laser control.
4, safe operatingpractices
The personnel whooperate the laser must be professionally educated and trained. They must befamiliar with the entire working process of the laser system, perform personalprotection during the operation, perform the hazard control procedurescorrectly, use the warning signs correctly, establish the accident reportingprocedure, understand the laser eye and skin The biological effects.
5, engineeringmanagement management The use of lasers must be carried out by professionalstaff, without training personnel shall not open the use of lasers. In thelaser equipment on the trigger system installed interlock key switch to ensurethat only with the key to open the interlock switch to trigger start, pull outthe key can not start. In the room where the laser is placed, there is a brightlight. In the bright light, the pupil of the eye will shrink and reduce theamount of light transmitted to the retina when the laser beam enters the eye.For the height of the laser placed, the laser beam path should avoid thehorizontal position of the line of sight when the person is standing orsitting, and the visual axis of the eye can not be parallel to the exit port.
In addition,operating the equipment according to the device operating specifications is thekey to ensuring personal and machine safety. The machine operator and theobserver must wear a 1.08μm OD8 goggles to protect the eyes from radiationwhile preventing splashing from splashing into the eyes; the operator should beequipped with gloves to keep the material cut on the workbench Injury or burns;the operator should also be equipped with steel boots to prevent the processingof materials falling injury feet; to protect other parts, the operator is bestto wear uniforms or cotton clothing; in high pressure gas cutting, the operatorto wear ear Cover, to prevent the occurrence of tinnitus.
Laser cutting orwelding is a heat treatment process, there is a fire hazard, if the auxiliarygas used for oxygen is more risky, it must be in the nearest barrier-free fireextinguisher device. At the same time, the need to open the equipment system toreduce the laser processing of waste generated by the process of personalinjury.
The machine hashigh voltage, the operator in the maintenance period, close to the cable or inthe electrical cabinet must be careful when operating.
Before cutting anynew material with a laser, the operator must carefully understand the materialdata sheet provided by the material manufacturer or supplier to anticipatewhether there will be some dangerous by-products at the time of cutting or takesafety precautions in advance to ensure that The safety of the operator andother personnel in the cutting area. The following are some of the commoncutting materials Note:
With laserprocessing galvanized or electroplated metal will produce gas-like zinc oxide,if the body inhalation may cause poisoning.
Laser cuttingstainless steel, it will produce chromium oxide, irritating to the skin andcorrosive, and even likely to cause cancer.
Laser processingTeflon (PTFE), the material will release toxic gases fluoride, great harm, ifthere is no strict protection measures and a good smoke and dust removalsystem, must not be Teflon processing.
When used in theprocessing of this type of material, it is necessary to use a good ventilationand dust removal system.
PVC (polyvinylchloride) laser cutting will produce HCl toxic gas, the gas dissolved in waterServe hydrochloric acid, metal and tissue have a damaging effect.
Laser cuttingasbestos will produce a lot of dust, it is recommended not to any environmentin the laser equipment directly asbestos processing.
In addition, someof the material on the coating or oil in the laser processing will produceharmful smoke, plastic paper layer will burn.
As a nationallaser standard secretariat, Huagong Laser has established the NationalSubcommittee on the Application of High Power Laser Applications by theNational Committee for the Standardization of Radiation Safety and LaserEquipment, and has taken the lead in organizing the relevant national standardsfor laser. We call on the global focus on laser safety issues, and jointlycreate a healthy and safe laser processing environment, promote the healthydevelopment of the laser industry.
This article isprovided by the laser screen technology, reproduced please specify, laserscreen technology to provide laser protection glasses, photon safety glasses,laser goggles and other products, laser glasses official websitewww.laserpair.net.
In recent years, the application ofsolid-state lasers in the industrial field has been increasing rapidly with theimprovement of laser technology, especially in laser cutting and laser weldingapplications. Whether the traditional Nd: YAG lamp pump laser (wavelength1064nm), or in recent years the popularity of fiber lasers (wavelength 1070 ~1090nm), with the increase in power and beam quality, laser processingtechnology and equipment in the automotive, Aerospace, machinery, electronicsand other industries are gradually replacing the traditional processingtechnology, a new manufacturing process standards.
At the same time, the safety of laserprocessing is also valued. Solid-state lasers are more susceptible to damage tothe human body due to their wavelength range. Solid lasers in the near-infraredband have a significant effect on vision. The human eye focuses the laser beamonto the retina and damages the retina. The principle of focusing sunlight onpaper can be the same, and the laser power density focused on the retina is100,000 times the laser power density on the cornea. Retinal burns or damagecan cause permanent vision Hurt or even blind. For most lasers, usually a secondtime will cause harm. When the human face of such a laser beam, even the blinkof an eye is too late. Under normal circumstances, the skin is more tolerantthan the eyes of the laser radiation for a long time, but the solid laserinfrared light radiation damage to the skin, can make the skin scorch, burn,tan, if the laser power is high will make subcutaneous Organ damage.
In order to ensure the safety of laserprocessing, on the one hand requires laser equipment manufacturers to designand manufacture high-security laser equipment, on the other hand the use oflaser equipment users need to strictly comply with the safety of laserequipment operating practices.
Specifically, the laser processing safetycan be divided into the following categories: laser radiation safety,equipment, radiation protection devices, equipment safety design, safetypractices and engineering management.
1. Laser radiationsafety
The laser's own radiation safety is thefirst step, and most solid-state lasers are fully enclosed in order to avoiddirect laser radiation. Laser light interface must also be sealed design, suchas a variety of optical fiber interface have developed a unified interfacestandard, is to laser and laser head can be seamless docking, to avoid externalradiation, wear Lasersafety glasses alsoeffectively protect the laser radiation damage.
2. Device radiation protection device
Laser processing equipment is often dividedinto two kinds of machine structure and robot structure. The laser radiationfrom the device comes mainly from the reflection between the laser head and theworkpiece. Machine-type laser equipment mainly uses integrated protective coverand professional protective glass to reduce radiation.
The overall design of the hood and themachine tool is usually made of opaque sheet metal material, effectivelyblocking the laser radiation on the operator may bring harm, but also toisolate the machine and the human body to prevent high-speed movement on thepossibility of personal impact.
Professional protective glass is ofteninstalled in the protective window of the observation window position, easy toobserve the operation of the machine operator. Protective glass requires acertain wavelength range of laser radiation, so the use of carbon dioxide laserand solid laser equipment, the type of protective glass is different, theformer mainly filter the absorption of 10600nm wavelength laser, which ismainly filtered around 1070nm laser.
3 equipment safetydesign
Equipment safety design is more through thecontrol of the laser to achieve.
Protective cover:Each laser product must be fitted with a protective cover to prevent personnelfrom touching more than one class of laser radiation.
Baffle and safety interlock: The contactemission level is not lower than the reachable emission limit AEL of a givencategory. The laser product requires a safety interlock, and the safetyinterlock design must prevent the baffle from being removed.
Key controllers: Any laser system belongingto Class 3B and Class 4 must be fitted with a key controller, and the keycontroller is a key switch operated by a key. The key must be removable, and tobe kept by hand, the key can also be a magnetic card, password system.
For the four types of laser products shouldbe used remote control operation, to avoid the staff directly into the laserradiation area.
Laser safety chain control, protective doorswitch and safety light bar design can effectively improve the equipment safetylevel, the laser light control signal must be with the machine emergency stopbutton and protective door switch signal combination, and through the safetyrelay control. Laser safety chain control prevents laser misfeeds, ensures thatthe emergency stop button is pressed, or the protective door is turned offimmediately after turning off the laser output. When the protection door isopened or the safety light bar is triggered, the machine will be stopped unlessthe laser output is disabled. Safety relay is independent of the main controlsystem outside the control unit, which real-time monitoring of emergency stopbutton, protective door switch and other signals, the laser light controlsignal chain control to ensure safe and reliable laser control.
4, safe operatingpractices
The personnel who operate the laser must beprofessionally educated and trained. They must be familiar with the entireworking process of the laser system, perform personal protection during theoperation, perform the hazard control procedures correctly, use the warningsigns correctly, establish the accident reporting procedure, understand thelaser eye and skin The biological effects.
5, engineering management management Theuse of lasers must be carried out by professional staff, without trainingpersonnel shall not open the use of lasers. In the laser equipment on thetrigger system installed interlock key switch to ensure that only with the keyto open the interlock switch to trigger start, pull out the key can not start.In the room where the laser is placed, there is a bright light. In the brightlight, the pupil of the eye will shrink and reduce the amount of lighttransmitted to the retina when the laser beam enters the eye. For the height ofthe laser placed, the laser beam path should avoid the horizontal position ofthe line of sight when the person is standing or sitting, and the visual axisof the eye can not be parallel to the exit port.
In addition, operating the equipmentaccording to the device operating specifications is the key to ensuringpersonal and machine safety. The machine operator and the observer must wear a1.08μm OD8 goggles to protect the eyes from radiation while preventingsplashing from splashing into the eyes; the operator should be equipped withgloves to keep the material cut on the workbench Injury or burns; the operatorshould also be equipped with steel boots to prevent the processing of materialsfalling injury feet; to protect other parts, the operator is best to wearuniforms or cotton clothing; in high pressure gas cutting, the operator to wearear Cover, to prevent the occurrence of tinnitus.
Laser cutting or welding is a heattreatment process, there is a fire hazard, if the auxiliary gas used for oxygenis more risky, it must be in the nearest barrier-free fire extinguisher device.At the same time, the need to open the equipment system to reduce the laserprocessing of waste generated by the process of personal injury.
The machine has high voltage, the operatorin the maintenance period, close to the cable or in the electrical cabinet mustbe careful when operating.
Before cutting any new material with alaser, the operator must carefully understand the material data sheet providedby the material manufacturer or supplier to anticipate whether there will besome dangerous by-products at the time of cutting or take safety precautions inadvance to ensure that The safety of the operator and other personnel in thecutting area. The following are some of the common cutting materials Note:
With laser processing galvanized orelectroplated metal will produce gas-like zinc oxide, if the body inhalationmay cause poisoning.
Laser cutting stainless steel, it willproduce chromium oxide, irritating to the skin and corrosive, and even likelyto cause cancer.
Laser processing Teflon (PTFE), thematerial will release toxic gases fluoride, great harm, if there is no strictprotection measures and a good smoke and dust removal system, must not beTeflon processing.
When used in the processing of this type ofmaterial, it is necessary to use a good ventilation and dust removal system.
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) laser cutting willproduce HCl toxic gas, the gas dissolved in water Serve hydrochloric acid,metal and tissue have a damaging effect.
Laser cutting asbestos will produce a lotof dust, it is recommended not to any environment in the laser equipmentdirectly asbestos processing.
In addition, some of the material on the coatingor oil in the laser processing will produce harmful smoke, plastic paper layerwill burn.
As a national laser standard secretariat,Huagong Laser has established the National Subcommittee on the Application ofHigh Power Laser Applications by the National Committee for the Standardizationof Radiation Safety and Laser Equipment, and has taken the lead in organizingthe relevant national standards for laser. We call on the global focus on lasersafety issues, and jointly create a healthy and safe laser processingenvironment, promote the healthy development of the laser industry.a