Monthly Archives: January 2016

Introducing LIA’s New Desktop Evaluator Software

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EvaluatorProductwebOrlando, FL (Jan. 29, 2016) – You asked and LIA responded! After the inception of the web-based Laser Safety Hazard Analysis System, The Evaluator, LIA created an alternative platform of the product – the Desktop Evaluator – to further meet the specific needs of Laser Safety Officers (LSOs) in the field.

Unlike the web-based Evaluator, the Desktop Evaluator will be available for purchase on a USB drive, from which users can download the software to their computer. Once it is stored on users’ PCs, LSOs will be able to perform a number of repeated calculations based on the ANSI Z136.1 American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers – including maximum permissible exposure (MPE), optical density (OD), nominal ocular hazard distance (NOHD), nominal hazard zone (NHZ) and laser hazard classification – without worrying about being connected to the internet. This feature will be especially beneficial for military users whose firewalls often restrict continuous access to online content.

The format of the Desktop Evaluator most closely resembling the advanced subscription level of the web-based Evaluator, continues LIA’s tradition of offering users an easy and seamless experience. The program’s accompanying User Guide, located in the Help menu, provides an overview of the program, from explanation of how to perform an evaluation to parameter descriptions and calculated results. Additionally, you can double-click any input parameters for an instant definition.

Similar to the web-based Evaluator, Desktop Evaluator users will be able to effortlessly switch between CW, Single Pulse, or repetitively pulsed lasers, as well as adjust the beam profile (circular, elliptical or rectangular). This simplified format allows LSOs to record a number of variables in the left-side panel – including wavelength, pulse width, focal length and more – which will yield final calculations on the right-side panel. In addition, intermediate calculations will be displayed throughout the process. The Desktop Evaluator also provides the classification of the laser and safety calculations for the eye and skin, including MPE, NOHD, NHZ, OD, Specular NHZ and Diffuse NHZ. Once these safety calculations are completed, users can print the report or save the information to a file for later review.

“The Evaluator Laser Hazard Analysis Software will benefit LSOs or companies that work with sensitive or classified laser systems where calculations must be kept within the control of the user,” according to LIA’s Education Director, Gus Anibarro. “This software is a standalone product, simple to use and simple to load on a computer. It will serve as a nice addition to the tools that a Laser Safety Officer needs for verifying hazard calculations.”

To learn more about the Desktop Evaluator, and to purchase a copy for your company, visit: www.lia.org/store.

 

About LIA
The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professional society for laser applications and safety serving the industrial, educational, medical, research and government communities throughout the world since 1968. www.lia.org, 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Ste 128, Orlando, FL 32826, +1.407.380.1553.

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Train Employees Easily & Effectively with LIA’s Updated Mastering Light: An Introduction to Laser Safety & Hazards Video

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Orlando, FL (Jan. 20, 2016) – With the ever-increasing number of laser end-users, companies are continuously looking to implement cost-effective and efficient laser safety programs for new and current employees. In an effort to offer Laser Safety Officers (LSOs) the best training tools available, Laser Institute of America (LIA) has updated its 2009 Mastering Light: An Introduction to Laser Safety & Hazards training video. LIA aims to provide the best methods for successful laser safety training in the constantly changing, fast-paced field of laser technology and has done so once again with the 2016 edition of Mastering Light: An Introduction to Laser Safety & Hazards — now available for pre-order.

For years, the Mastering Light: An Introduction to Laser Safety & Hazards DVD has provided LSOs with a training tool that is not only easy to administer, but also effective in properly training employees, researchers and students alike. Like its predecessor, the new version will still outline the important safety rules and regulations employees must know in the field. However, the latest edition of the video will now feature new footage and updated information to provide employees with the best safety training possible. In addition, LIA is continuing its tradition of striving to improve the training process – both for trainees and the LSOs tasked with the critical job of educating employees –  by offering both a DVD and a digital version with the purchase of the video. The digital version will be available for viewing at lia.org, where it will appear under users’ downloads.

Written and produced by LIA, Mastering Light: An Introduction to Laser Safety & Hazards fulfills both the ANSI Z136.1 Safe Use of Lasers and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) laser safety requirements for employees who routinely work with or who potentially could be exposed to Class 3B or Class 4 laser radiation.

This video informs viewers on a multitude of important concepts to ensure their safety in the field. It reviews the physics of a laser, the classification of lasers by hazard potential — Class 1M, Class 2, Class 2M, Class 3R, Class 3B, and Class 4 — and the definition and duties of a Laser Safety Officer. It discusses the two categories of laser hazards: beam and non-beam. It includes a clear explanation of labels and signs, specifically the new sign design and the grandfathering of the old sign designs in previous versions of the ANSI Z136.1. Viewers also receive information about control measures — from administrative and engineering to personal protective equipment, as well as fiber laser applications. In addition, the video features revised information and footage of Class 1M and 2M military lasers.

“LIA included more information on fiber and diode lasers,” Jeannette Gabay, CAE, stated. “We also included clearer descriptions of the differences between signs and labels, as well as differences between regulatory agencies, such as FDA/CDRH and OSHA.”

These revisions will provide LSOs with an even more thorough training tool to ensure employees’ safety in the field. And, to further aid in the training process, LIA has created an additional facet to the Mastering Light: An Introduction to Laser Safety & Hazards program: A quiz. This quiz — included in the DVD packaging — gives LSOs the ability to effectively determine employees’ understanding of the video’s concepts and safety information. By implementing this new addition, LIA hopes to further increase the effectiveness of its training tool.

The new Mastering Light: An Introduction to Laser Safety & Hazards video will be available for purchase in early 2016. LIA members can purchase the single user product for $450 or the site license version for $850, while non-members can purchase the single user product for $495 or the site license version for $895.

To learn more about LIA’s well-known training tool, Mastering Light: An Introduction to Laser Safety & Hazards, and to purchase a copy for your company, visit: www.lia.org/store.

About LIA
The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professional society for laser applications and safety serving the industrial, educational, medical, research and government communities throughout the world since 1968. www.lia.org, 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Ste 128, Orlando, FL 32826, +1.407.380.1553.

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American Laser Enterprises, LLC – January’s Featured Corporate Member

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American Laser Enterprises, LLC (ALE) is an integral force in today’s laser industry, providing optoelectronic engineering, intuitive design and manufacturing services for laser beam delivery components and systems for CO2, Nd: YAG, Fiber, Solid State, Diode and Disc laser sources. In addition to an inventory of laser spare parts – including lenses, mirrors, nozzles, tips and insulators, sensor cables and wires, sensor bodies and the company’s full line of laser process heads – American Laser Enterprises consists of a veteran engineering staff, encompassing over 120 years of experience in the industry. Respected for their success in designing, manufacturing and installing a variety of first-time laser processes for new material applications for machine tool builders or integrators, ALE’s engineers have been involved in a number of laser system development activities for both manufacturing and military use.

American Laser Enterprises arrived on the market in 2007, after American Laser Spares – originally founded in 1996 – purchased the assets of American Laser Enterprises, Inc. The melding of the two companies resulted in the creation of a new destination for customers, where they can not only have beam delivery consumables and spare parts serviced, but also purchase both off-the-shelf and custom-designed beam delivery systems. Located in Wixom, MI, CEO Susan Sprentall oversees the employees that make up the company’s two departments: Aftermarket Spare Parts and Optics.

Over the years, ALE’s numerous contributions to the laser industry have proven revolutionary and have established the company as a vital presence in the field. The company developed the first Automated Laser Alignment System (ALAS), which aligns multiple CO2 beam delivery components in the span of a few minutes. This system – which ALE can use remotely – eliminates days of downtime that can ultimately prove costly for customers. American Laser Enterprises continued improving equipment with the creation of the first mini-series laser process heads for fiber laser systems to cut, weld or clad. After this development, the company created the ALE combo head, which gives customers the ability to use their laser for a variety of applications, simply by alternating the nozzle assembly in order to cut, weld or surface treat. Additionally, ALE’s engineers developed a height sensor – the ArmorDillo™ Sensor Cable line – and aftermarket quick replacement nozzle assemblies for various OEM products.

Today, the laser industry relies on American Laser Enterprises for its full line of aftermarket spare parts and optics, ArmorDillo™ Sensor Cable line, repair and on-site training services and a selection of over 40 ALE laser processing heads – available with or without height sensing. The company’s services have extended to the U.S. Government, where ALE has proven integral to laser ablation coating removal development activities. As a result of this work, ALE will create a new company – SurClean, Inc. – which will commercialize ALE’s original laser process control technology and announce a complete product offering later in 2016.

While American Laser Enterprises continues to grow and adapt to the changing laser industry, it remains dedicated to its niche business: providing product development design services and application solutions for systems integrators, machine tool builders and end users. This dedication is reflected in ALE’s response to the increased presence of fiber lasers in the market. The increase – which has allowed small and medium-sized job shops the flexibility to include laser processing – has increased the market’s need for new beam delivery components and education for end users. While machine tool builders offer off-the-shelf products to meet these needs, numerous applications require custom tools that are specifically tailored to customers’ needs. “This is where ALE excels,” said CEO, Susan Sprentall. “We are small, we listen, we focus on the customer and deliver an intuitive, cost-effective solution.”

ALE’s predecessor – American Laser Spares – joined LIA in 1996, and both companies have been involved with the organization in the years since. LIA is an integral resource for American Laser Enterprises and the work the company does. From the Laser Safety Program – which ALE regularly refers its customers to – and the ANSI standards, to the up-to-date information on advanced research and development activities across the globe and LIA’s numerous conferences, American Laser Enterprises values the opportunity LIA offers industry professionals to network with, and learn from, one another.

For more information, visit www.a-l-e.net.

ANSI Z136.6 Safe Use of Lasers Outdoors is Now Available!

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Orlando, FL (Jan. 5, 2016) – After ten years, the long awaited revision of the ANSI Z136.6 Safe Use of Lasers Outdoors is here! This standard, now available for purchase, sees updates to nearly the entire document – expanding and modernizing the established topics and sections.

The 2015 revision of the ANSI Z136.6 Safe Use of Lasers Outdoors is the premier safety standard and a necessary tool for anyone operating a laser system in an open-air environment. This newly revised document provides guidance for the safe use of potentially hazardous lasers and laser systems (180 nm to 1 mm), where the establishment of open beam paths is necessitated. When used in conjunction with the ANSI Z136.1 Safe Use of Lasers, the Z136.6 ensures that your outdoor laser applications are in conformity with the latest safety guidelines.

This latest edition was created with the goal to update, clarify, and streamline an already established, recognized standard to better reflect today’s outdoor laser operator’s needs.

Some of the changes to the 2015 edition include:

  • Single column format and index for improved readability and searchability, and color added to figures for ease of use.
  • Added definition of “Control Measures” with explanation of preferred categories.
  • Complete rewrite of the Control Measures section to include the removal of most manufacturer-specific requirements, and the addition of an expanded and standalone military-specific section.
  • Metric unit standardization across the standard means no more pesky conversions.
  • New definitions and expanded content for visual interference zones around airports and general critical tasks.
  • FAA coordination requirements clarified.
  • Laser hazard classification revised to include a comparison table between 2000 & 2014 version of ANSI Z136.1 and better explain the purpose and types of hazard classification.
  • General section and formatting updates to better reflect today’s jargon.

Order your copy today and be one of the first to own this long awaited revision of the ANSI Z136.6 standard. For more information, visit www.lia.org/store to see this and all the other ANSI Z136 laser safety standards.

About LIA
The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professional society for laser applications and safety serving the industrial, educational, medical, research and government communities throughout the world since 1968. www.lia.org, 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Ste 128, Orlando, FL 32826, +1.407.380.1553.

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