I’ve got a generic 100 watt DSP1060 laser (no manufacturer identification at all as far as I can tell) with two big windows on top, and I’m a little nervous about their safety.
I’ve got a German-made marking laser (5 watt CW, q-switched) and it has a Class 1 enclosure with warnings on all sides and a small viewing window that has its safety ratings displayed on a tiny sticker.
My 1060, on the other hand, came with only this marking on the window material:
Google Translate tells me that this says it’s acrylic, and the color is ‘tea color’. No special safety ratings.
Is ‘tea color’ acrylic a suitable material for a 100-watt laser viewing window? Engraving stuff like anodized aluminum is bound to cause some reflections. I’ve been wearing my laser goggles while watching it, but that’s not an acceptable solution for routine use.
Acrylic is opaque to the wavelength of a CO2 laser. It blocks 100% of the infrared beam. By the time the reflected beam gets to the acrylic window it is so far out of focus that it can not burn through the acrylic as well. If you still have concerns, wear a pair of polycarbonate or acrylic safety glasses while running the laser. That would add one more layer of protection if for some reason, the planets, moon and stars all align while simultaneously you win the lottery, and a beam somehow makes it through the acrylic window
The logical part of my brain knows that everything should be “safe”, but you can’t undo an eye oops.
Acrylic windows on the machine, plus wrap-around glasses, plus my normal prescription glasses.
Since the lid is open if I’m aligning the mirrors or for some other reason, I figure it’s a good habit to get into (wearing extra glasses) in case something wants to give me that aforementioned oops.
I’ve got at least one pair of proper laser safety goggles rated at OD 4+ for 10,600 nm, thanks to a laser dealer friend. I’m keeping those nearby just in case, but if acrylic is IR-opaque I guess I won’t worry too much. I couldn’t find any transmission spectrum diagram that went beyond about 2,000 nm.
