Post: Choosing the Right Laser Safety Glasses for Metal Cutting Applications

Choosing the Right Laser Safety Glasses for Metal Cutting Applications

Using appropriate laser safety glasses or goggles is crucial when working with lasers, including metal cutting lasers. These machines usually have high power, ranging from 200 Watts to over 4000 Watts, and use either CO2 lasers operating at 10,600 nm or Fiber YAG lasers operating at 1064 nm. Even though the laser beams are usually shielded by guards and beam guides, it is still important to wear protective glasses for safety.

TOP LASER SAFETY GLASSES FOR METAL CUTTING LASERS

If you are working with CO2 lasers, it is important to choose the right laser safety glasses to protect your eyes. Phillips Safety offers various laser safety glasses with the CD2 filter, for example, which is a great option as it provides an OD of 6+, ensuring that you are shielded from any potential harmful effects of diffuse reflection.

Additionally, CD2 laser safety glasses are ideal for indirect viewing of the laser, which means that they will protect you from any potential hazards when viewing the laser from right angles. While it is important to never look directly into a laser beam, it is comforting to know that these glasses are so effective that the lenses would vaporize within a second if you were to accidentally do so.

The KG5 laser safety glasses are designed to provide greater protection to technicians who work with open laser paths. These glasses offer a high optical density (OD), making them an ideal choice for CO2, YAG, NdYAG, Holmium, and other types of lasers. In fact, the KG5 is one of the most versatile lenses available, making it a popular choice among technicians who work with different types of lasers.

In addition to their high level of protection, KG5 laser safety glasses have been tested and proven to protect against direct strikes from laser beams. In the video demonstration below, the purple streak seen on the camera was caused by latency of the CCD and not the laser beam itself.

While it is important to never look directly into the path of a laser, accidents can happen, and having the appropriate protective gear can greatly reduce the risk of injury. The KG5 laser safety glasses provide an extra layer of protection for technicians working with open laser paths, giving them the peace of mind to work safely and confidently.

Unlike other laser glasses that use a coating that can easily scratch off and render the glasses useless, our laser lenses have full integrated protection. This means that the protection runs through the entire lens from front to back, ensuring optimal safety for the user. Even with minor scratches, the protection level remains unaffected, making our laser glasses a durable and reliable choice for any laser application.

IMPORTANT FACTORS TO CONSIDER FOR LASER SAFETY GLASSES

If you’re new to the world of laser safety glasses, the term “Optical Density”, or OD, may be unfamiliar. Put simply, OD is a measurement of how much energy of a particular wavelength can pass through a lens. For instance, an OD of 7 indicates that only a minuscule amount of energy is being transmitted through the lens, blocking the majority of the laser’s output.

Another important factor to consider when working with lasers is plasma flare. This occurs when the material being heated reaches a plasma state and generates a very bright light. In such cases, it may be necessary to wear shaded eyewear to observe the work as it progresses, just like for conventional welding. To address this, we offer a range of welding clip-on lenses that can be attached to the laser glasses. Typically, a shade 5 or 6 is sufficient.

Thanks to lasers, new worlds and processes have opened up in manufacturing and development. By taking the proper safety precautions and using the right equipment, lasers will continue to be one of the greatest tools for these industries. For the appropriate level of protection, Phillips Safety offers an extensive selection of laser protection filters, available with either polycarbonate or glass lenses.

If you still aren’t sure which laser safety glasses are right for you, it’s a good idea to give us a call at 1-866-575-1307 or talk to us through our chat or e-mail us at service@phillips-safety.com

Our laser experts will be able to tell you what you need for your application.

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