MoBeam: Focus on Safety

 Safety

Clearly, the MoBeam needs to have safety considerations included in the design. 

The core design goal is for this machine to be portable able to lay on top of various size targets for the purpose of engraving on them. 

Safety considerations include:

• Protection from the beam in normal operation
• Protection from the beam if the machine is lifted off the surface
• Interlocks on any covers that open horizontally placed relative to the laser.

Head-Sheild

My current approach is to use a light shield under the diode head made of filter material. The body of the machine may be made from clear acrylic. I do not think the body needs to use filtered materials when combined with the head-shield.

Caution: I have not tested this concept. It seems logical that the placement of the shield [close to the surface] would make a dangerous reflection unlikely. Also, this approach
is being used by others that I judge to know what they are doing.

JTech 

JTech is one of the best sources I have found on Laser Diode safety, engraving, cutting, and technique.

J Tech Photonics, Inc.

Sheild Material

I plan to replace the prototype shield [disk under head] in the picture with this material as soon as I get the specifications for focus discovered. 

These are:

• Practical FL
• Practical DOF

250nm to 520nm Laser Shielding – 12″ x 12″

The shield may also serve as the focal adjuster.

Lift Interlocks

To further make this safe I also plan to have the means to turn off the laser if the machine is lifted off the surface. You could also accomplish this with a full enclosure but I am trying to make MoBeam capable of laying on top of various thicknesses of materials, mostly wood. Therefore the bottom of mine will be open.

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Don

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