ILSC 2009 Paper #804 (Laser Safety Training in a Large University)

Laser Safety Training in a Large University
Authors:
Sandu Sonoc, University of Toronto; Toronto ON Canada
Presented at ILSC 2009

University of Toronto has over 230 class 3B and class 4 lasers and laser systems. Few hundreds users work with open beam on daily basis. Due to the large turnover at the university we have to train every year more than 100 new users.

The new user training has two parts. First part consists of six hours in class including presentations, discussions and calculations followed by a short video and a test. The second part is a follow-up in the laser laboratory. During the follow-up we discussed the results of the test ensuring 100% understanding of the test questions,...

ILSC 2009 Paper #901 (High Powered Lasers - Using International Standards in Industrial Laser Robot Safety Compliance Design)

High Powered Lasers - Using International Standards in Industrial Laser Robot Safety Compliance Design
Authors:
Thomas Lieb, L*A*I International; Elk Grove CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

There are several obvious hazards associated with laser end-effectors which are manipulated by robots (5-axis motion systems). But there are also risks which may be more subtle. Robot software is still subject to going berserk. Containment systems, unless properly designed, can complicate as many problems as they are intended to reduce. High powered Fiber Lasers, capable of utilizing very long focal lengths, present another element, which is becoming of increasing concern, as users of conventional...

ILSC 2009 Paper #902 (Practical Assessment of Laser Processing Machines)

Practical Assessment of Laser Processing Machines
Authors:
Michael Barrett, Pro Laser Consultants; Abingdon Great Britain
Presented at ILSC 2009

The safety of Laser Processing Machines is an important part of the machine design and the validation process. International standards such as ISO 11553 Parts 1, 2 and 3 give excellent guidance but within the European Union further measures must be taken to ensure compliance with established EU Directives. Although the Directives themselves are not a legal requirement, their enactment into the law of individual EU countries effectively makes them a legal requirement. The purpose of these safety related Directives is the enhancement of the health, sa...

ILSC 2009 Paper #903 (Laser Safety Measures in the Work Environment of a Laser Manufacturer)

Laser Safety Measures in the Work Environment of a Laser Manufacturer
Authors:
Nadia Capolla, StockerYale, Inc.; Montreal QC Canada
Presented at ILSC 2009

Since the environment of a company that manufactures lasers is different than other industrial environments where lasers are simply used, it is often difficult to implement the standard safety measures that are proposed in text books. For example, the lasers that are built on the production floor, and that need to be characterized at different stages of fabrication, are not yet classified and often not yet adjusted to their final output power. Also, the production floor needs to be an open space in order to optimize flow efficiency, so the la...

ILSC 2009 Paper #904 (Risk Assessment, Guarding and Control Reliable Interlocking)

Risk Assessment, Guarding and Control Reliable Interlocking
Authors:
Paul R. Daniel Jr., Delphi Corp. Energy & Chassis; Flint MI USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

An experienced Manufacturing Controls Engineer and Laser Safety Officer (LSO) from the automotive parts supplier industry shares some of the ways he applies laser safety to building custom industrial laser machines. The engineering controls considerations will cover selected topics from risk assessment, guarding and control reliable circuits. These considerations may apply to custom laser machines built in your facility, or at a machine tool company. It also may be used to evaluate standard off the shelf laser machines.

ILSC 2009 Paper #905 (Qualification of Technical Safety Measures for the Safe Use of Hand-held Laser Processing Devices)

Qualification of Technical Safety Measures for the Safe Use of Hand-held Laser Processing Devices
Authors:
Thomas Puester, Laser Zentrum Hannover E.V.; Hannover Germany
Andreas Ostendorf, Laser Zentrum Hannover E.V.; Hannover Germany
Dirk Herzog, Laser Zentrum Hannover E.V.; Hannover Germany
Erik Romanus, Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Dortmund Germany
Martin Brose, Employer�S Liability Insurance Association, Electrical Engineering, Textile Industry, Precision Mechanics; Cologne Germany
Presented at ILSC 2009

From an occupational safety point of view the market launch of hand-held laser processing devices (HLDs) should...

ILSC 2009 Paper #C101 (Properties of Optical Frequency Combs)

Properties of Optical Frequency Combs
Authors:
Steven T. Cundiff, JILA, NIST and University of Colorado; Boulder CO USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

Optical frequency combs have become a very active area of research over the last decade. Their primary applications have been optical frequency metrology and optical atomic clocks, however they are also being applied to chemical sensing, length metrology, optical waveform generation and extreme nonlinear optics. I will briefly introduce frequency combs, how they are produced and why they are useful for these applications. Typically frequency combs are produced by using nonlinearity in optical fiber to spectrally broaden the output of a mode-locked laser....

ILSC 2009 Paper #C102 (Laser Uplink Safety for Future NASA High-bandwidth Spacecraft Communications)

Laser Uplink Safety for Future NASA High-bandwidth Spacecraft Communications
Authors:
Keith Wilson, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Pasadena CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

JPL has been continually developing optical communications technologies to support future highbandwidth communications from NASAs deep space probes. Optical communications at ranges out to Jupiter will use a laser uplink that will serve as both an uplink command link and a beacon to identify the location of the downlink receiver. Uplink laser beams are at near-infrared wavelengths, and the command data rates are megabits/sec with laser beam powers of kilowatts to mitigate the beam spreading effects of the atmosphere. This paper ...

ILSC 2009 Paper #C103 (Laser Safety Management for the ORION High Intensity Laser Facility)

Laser Safety Management for the ORION High Intensity Laser Facility
Authors:
Graham White, Awe; Reading Great Britain
Steve Melton, AWE; Reading Great Britain
Presented at ILSC 2009

This paper describes the continuing development of safety arrangements for Project ORION. ORION is a high intensity MOPA configuration Nd doped glass laser facility for plasma physics research, currently in construction at AWE in the UK. In a four storey building measuring some 100m long by 60m wide by 30m high, the facility includes 10 long-pulse beams of 300mm aperture delivering 5kJ in 1ns at 351nm to target and 2 short-pulse beams of 600mm aperture utilising CPA to deliver 1PW each at ...

ILSC 2009 Proceedings Soft Bound Book

The 2009 International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC) Proceedings and Program covers the comprehensive four-day conference on all aspects of laser safety practice and hazard control. All Technical sessions and workshops that addressed developments in regulatory, mandatory and voluntary safety standards for laser products and for laser use are included.