Amada Ensis 3015 AI Installation and operating manual

Laser Cutting Machine Safety Guide
(For employers and employees)
Fourth A edition
April 2018
This safety guide is an English translation of Japanese safety guide based on
Japanese laws and regulations.
Please co ply with your country's laws and regulations if you are outside of Japan.

Preface
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This safety guide provides e ployers and e ployees with i portant general safety infor ation
they should know when they use laser cutting achines. Safety infor ation for using laser
cutting achines is also available in the operator’s anuals of laser cutting achines and the
warning labels affixed to laser cutting achines. Before you use your laser cutting achine, fully
understand all of these pieces of safety infor ation.
When your laser cutting achine is co bined with a CNC turret punch press, also see the CNC
Turret Punch Press Safety Guide. The CNC turret punch press belongs to the category of power
presses (auto atic presses) in the Industrial Safety and Health Act.
The safety guide describes residual risks of laser cutting achines. Fully recognize risks
associated with achine installation, worksheet setup, achine operation, inspection, cleaning
and aintenance, and other associated tasks. I ple ent risk reduction initiatives to suit the
environ ent of your shop and the ethods of using your achine, and conduct safety education
for your workers at your responsibility as e ployer. The Industrial Safety and Health Act states
that e ployers ust take achine safeguarding easures. (See “Responsibilities of e ployer”
on the next page.)
When a safeguarding device is retrofitted to your already installed achine, odification of the
achine and its control ay be required. When you study what safeguarding devices to adopt,
please contact AMADA.
For risk reduction procedures by the e ployer, refer to the “Guidelines for the
Co prehensive Safety Standards of Machinery” published by the Ministry of Health,
Labour and Welfare (LSB Notification No. 0731001, revised on July 31, 2008). To see the
guidelines, go to the website of the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association
(http://www.jaish.gr.jp), click the “Laws, Regulations and Notifications” button, enter “No.
07310001”, and find the LSB Notification No. 0731001.

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(1) Appointing laser safety officer
Establish an occupational health anage ent syste under the Industrial Safety and
Health Act. Also appoint a laser safety officer fro a ong e ployees with sufficient
knowledge and experience about the operation of laser cutting achines and about the
prevention of laser bea hazards. The duties of the laser safety officer are specified in the
notification “Su ary of Measures for Preventing Laser Bea Hazards” by the Director-
General of the Labour Standards Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
(2) uties of laser safety officer
- Preparation and i ple entation of plans for easures for protecting e ployees fro
laser bea hazards.
- Set and control the laser controlled area (area where operators are likely to be exposed
to laser bea s fro the laser cutting achine).
- Control keys and other devices for operating the laser cutting achine.
- Inspect and aintain the laser cutting achine, and keep the inspection and
aintenance records.
- Inspect and aintain personal protective equip ent, and onitor the usage conditions of
personal protective equip ent.
- Conduct occupational safety and health education and keep the education records.
- Take easures for preventing laser bea hazards.
When you ust appoint a health and safety officer at the workplace, you ust have the
duties of the above- entioned laser safety officer perfor ed under the supervision of the
health and safety officer.
(1) Responsibilities of employer
The Industrial Safety and Health Act, Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health and Radio Act
i pose certain obligations on the e ployer who uses the laser cutting achine. To protect fro
laser hazards those e ployees who are constantly engaged in jobs that involve the use of laser
equip ent or exposure to laser bea s, the Su ary of Measures for Preventing Laser Bea
Hazards was for ulated under the LSB Notification No. 39 of the Director-General of the Labour
Standards Bureau of the then Ministry of Labour on January 27, 1986 and revised by the LSB
Notification No. 0325002 on March 25, 2005. The su ary provides detailed instructions for the
protection of e ployees fro laser hazards.

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(3) Implementation of safety and health education
Provide education under Paragraph 1 or 2 of Article 59 of the Industrial Safety and Health
Act and Article 35 of the Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health when you e ploy
operators for laser operations, change the job content of operators and engage the in
laser operations, or change the laser cutting achine to use. The safety and health
education ust cover the following:
- Nature, hazardousness and har fulness of laser light
- Principle and construction of laser cutting achine
- Operating ethods of laser cutting achine
- Perfor ance and operating ethods of safeguarding devices and personal protective
equip ent
- E ergency easures and evacuation
(4) Appointing laser operators
- Appoint laser operators fro a ong operators given safety and health education
described in (3) above.
- Prohibit the operation of keys on control panels by other than the appointed laser
operators and laser safety officer. This also applies to the setup and aintenance of the
laser cutting achine.
- Operate the laser cutting achine by following the precautions and procedures
described in the operator’s anual supplied with the laser cutting achine.
- Installation and repair tasks not described in the operator’s anual are potentially
hazardous. Do not allow such tasks to be perfor ed by unqualified operators. Report
these tasks to the laser safety officer, have the perfor ed by expert operators who have
received special education and training, or ask the AMADA service engineer to perfor
the .
(5) Application for permission to use high-frequency utilization equipment
- Apply to the Regional Bureau of Teleco unications for per ission to use the oscillator
as high-frequency utilization equip ent. (Article 100-2 of Radio Act)
(6) Investigation of hazardousness, harmfulness, etc.
- Investigate the hazardousness and har fulness of tasks and duties (or assess the risks
of tasks and duties). Take necessary easures to prevent hazards to workers or prevent
the health disorders of workers. (Article 28-2 of Industrial Safety and Health Act)
- For data concerning residual risks peculiar to specific achines and required to perfor
risk assess ent, contact AMADA.

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(7) Implementation of safeguarding measures at your responsibility as employer
- Take necessary easures to prevent the following hazards (Article 20 of Industrial
Safety and Health Act):
1.Hazards due to achines, devices and other equip ent (hereinafter referred to as
achines, etc.)
2. Hazards due to explosive aterials, ignitable aterials, fla able aterials, etc.
3. Hazards due to electricity, heat and other energy sources
- Take necessary easures to prevent the following health disorders (Article 22 of
Industrial Safety and Health Act):
1. Health disorders due to raw aterials, gases, fu e, dust, oxygen-deficient air,
pathogens, etc.
2. Health disorders due to radiation, high te perature, low te perature, ultrasonics, noise,
vibration, abnor al air pressure, etc.
3. Health disorders due to instru ent onitoring, precision achining, etc.
4. Health disorders due to exhaust gases, waste solutions or waste residues
- When the stroke ends (travel ends) of the achine are liable to cause hazards to
operators, take necessary easures to prevent the hazards. (Article 108-2 of Ordinance
on Industrial Safety and Health, enforced on July 1, 2011)

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Mechanism of laser cutting (oxygen cutting)
Iron is an easy-to-burn aterial. Once it starts to burn, it generates a large a ount of the heat of
reaction and continues to burn unless extinguished anually. This pheno enon is utilized by
gas cutting.
Laser cutting is a achining process that forcibly re oves the aterial by using the reaction of
oxidation with a laser heat source and by using an assist gas.
With the laser cutting of ild steel, a laser bea is delivered by irrors and a fiber to the cutting
spot, and focused and irradiated by a lens on the worksheet. The worksheet surface is rapidly
heated to a te perature well above the ignition point. A olten puddle is for ed as a result.
Injection of the assist gas (oxygen gas) into the olten puddle for s a hole there by the
oxidation reaction. As the laser bea is oved, the kinetic energy of the injected assist gas and
the oxidation reaction with the oxygen gas forcibly re ove the aterial successively in the depth
direction and for a continuous cut groove. Laser cutting akes use of this principle.
Roles of assist gas
The assist gas has the roles of generating the heat of oxidation reaction and re oving the
olten etal fro the cut groove (kerf). It also prevents the conta ination of the cutting lens
and cools the cutting lens.
If spatter ( etal particles scattered at high speed fro the olten puddle) and fu e ( etal
vapor) build up on the cutting lens, the laser bea is absorbed by the conta inated area as it
passes through that area. The consequent te perature rise of the cutting lens changes its
refractive index and laser focusing capability. This is called the ther al lens effect and is one of
the ain causes of cutting defects. Further conta ination quickly raises the te perature of the
lens, pushes up the laser absorption coefficient of the lens, and further increases the laser
absorption. Eventually, the lens is da aged or broken by the ther al stress. This is called the
ther al runaway.
Keeping the lens clean is ost i portant to arrest the ther al runaway. How to cool the lens is
also i portant. The ost effective cooling ethod is to cool the lens with water. Water cooling is
possible around the lens, but not at the center of the lens where the laser light passes. The lens
is instead cooled with the assist gas.
(2) Principle of laser cutting

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Types of lasers
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser
A discharge tube is for ed between two opposed irrors that co prise a resonator. A gas
ixture laser ediu of CO2, N2 and He is injected into the discharge tube. The gas olecules
are excited by the discharge. The laser light resonates between the irrors and is a plified. The
a plified light is re oved fro a partially trans itting irror designed to trans it so e of the
light.
- Fiber laser
The fiber laser is a laser that uses a fiber (waveguide) as laser oscillator. Mirrors are not used. A
diffraction grating, called the fiber Bragg grating (FBG), is for ed. The FBG reflects particular
wavelengths of light and serves as the resonator irror. Usually, a se iconductor laser is used
for excitation.
- Guide lasers (He-Ne laser and se iconductor laser)
A He-Ne laser is a gas laser that uses a He-Ne gas ixture as laser ediu . Visible He-Ne
lasers are available in green, yellow and orange colors, depending on their wavelengths. A red
He-Ne laser is ost popular.
A se iconductor laser consists of se iconductor PN junctions. When electric current is injected,
positively charged holes and negatively charged electrons co bine to produce a laser light. The
laser light is passed back and forth in the resonator and a plified. Blue, blue violet and red
visible laser lights are produced, depending on wavelengths.
Visible He-Ne and se iconductor lasers are used as guide lasers for checking the cutting
position during setup, etc.
Hazards of lasers to human body
The carbon dioxide laser has a wavelength of 10.6 µ and is invisible to the hu an eye. The
CO2 laser light is absorbed well by water. When it enters the eye, it ay burn the cornea. When
direct or scattered CO2 laser light shines on the skin, it ay burn the skin.
Fiber lasers have a wavelength of 1.06 to 1.08 µ and are invisible to the hu an eye like CO2
lasers. When the fiber laser light strikes the eye, it passes through the cornea and lens. When
the light is focused on the retina by the lens action of the cornea and lens, it ay do serious
da age to the retina. When the skin is exposed to direct or scattered fiber laser light, it ay be
burned as done by the CO2 laser light. The burn ay penetrate deeper.
He-Ne lasers and se iconductor lasers have a wavelength of 0.6 to 0.7 µ and are visible to
the eye. When these laser lights fall on the eye, they pass through the cornea and lens, and ay
da age the retina.
On laser cutting achines that use the lasers described above, operator safety is ensured by
protective devices or shield devices co posed of special windows to absorb specific laser light
wavelengths, safeguarding devices to provide a safety distance, and protective goggles to
protect the eyes. Every day, check all protective devices, safeguarding devices and personal
protective equip ent for holes, burn arks and other defects.
(3) Types and hazards of lasers

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Hazards of toxic gases to human body
- When polyvinyl chloride is laser cut, it releases toxic hydrogen chloride gas. This toxic gas
powerfully corrodes equip ent. Do not laser cut polyvinyl chloride.
- The laser cutting of nylon and polyurethane generates toxic hydrogen cyanide gas. Do not
laser cut the .
- When laser cut, plastics produce carbon onoxide and other toxic gases. When you laser cut
aterials whose safety is not verified, ask their anufacturers if they generate toxic gases and
dust and if they present fire or explosion hazards. When you laser cut such aterials, take
necessary easures on your own responsibility.
Fire hazards
A fire occurs only when three conditions, a heat source, oxygen and a co bustible aterial, are
all co bined. Of these conditions, the heat source is olten spatter fro laser cutting or the
laser light itself. Oxygen is used as assist gas. Effort ust be ade to eli inate the co bustible
aterial.
- Do not bring co bustible aterials around the laser cutting achine.
- Constantly watch for the occurrence of a fire during laser cutting. Install a fire extinguisher
against fire e ergency.
- Oil , dust and protective fil powder built up on the brush table and conveyor ay burn. Check
and clean the brush table and conveyor every day.
- Failure to clean the dust collector filter or dust box ay lead to a fire. So e dust collectors
co es with a fire extinguishing function. Contact AMADA for such a dust collector.
- Be sure to install your laser cutting achine in a fire-resistant shop building.
-If you continue to operate the laser cutting achine for any hours of arking or with cutting
defects uncorrected, there ay be a fire hazard due to reflected laser light. Pay attention to this
possibility.
-Do not laser cut acrylics, plywood, and other co bustible aterials.Doing so always carries a
risk of fire.
- Do not cut fil -coating aterials (including paper and resin) with oxygen assist gas since it
ight cause a fire accident.
(4) Hazards of laser cutting machines

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ust explosion hazards
Dust fro laser cutting presents dust explosion hazards as well as fire hazards. Dust explosions
occur the instant three conditions, oxygen, dust above the lower explosion concentration and
ini u ignition energy, are all et. If dust is accu ulated, the first dust explosion scatters the
accu ulated dust and ay develop into a secondary explosion of greater scale.
- Clean scrap boxes, pre-boxes, and dust collector dust boxes every day.
- Dust fro the laser cutting of agnesiu and agnesiu alloys has the highest risk of dust
explosion. Do not laser cut agnesiu and agnesiu alloys.
Thermite reaction hazards
When a ixture of dust with alu inu and iron oxide or other oxide ignites fro so e cause,
the alu inu generates high heat and explodes. This is called the ther ite reaction and is a
very dangerous che ical reaction.
- Dust fro the laser cutting of titaniu , alu inu , zinc and their alloys causes the dangerous
ther ite reaction when ixed with dust of oxidized iron or copper. Use dedicated achines for
laser cutting specific aterials, co pletely re ove the dust before and after laser cutting other
aterials, and control so that dusts fro laser cutting of different aterials do not ix together.
When these etal dusts react with water, they generate high heat and hydrogen gas and also
present the risk of explosion. Never use water on etal fires. Be sure to install fire extinguishers
for etal fires.
Hazards of machine’s moving parts to human body
Enclosures, fences, light curtains and other safeguarding devices are required to prevent the
oving parts of the laser cutting achine fro i pacting or crushing the operator’s body parts
while the laser cutting achine is operating. When worksheets overhang the table during
repositioning, for exa ple, it is necessary to install an auxiliary table. Optional safeguarding
devices are available. Contact AMADA.

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