Does Glow forge have the regulatory certifications for the PRO at this point? I remember from earlier discussions that there were some complications with the laser specification and the pass through. That is why the glasses are now included. However I don’t know if this solution met the regulatory requirements or not.
Since one PRO notice when out, I would expect regulatory to be fully completed, however since to the best of my understanding it has not shipped yet. One thing that could hold up shipment is regulatory certifications.
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I’ve worked with devices that have all the same basic things as a glowforge, less the 40/45W laser head, and I can’t think of anything in the Pro that isn’t in the Basic requiring external testing and certification. From my Googling on lasers in the US I haven’t seen anything about manufacturers having to obtain formal certs; just certify it as belonging to a certain legally defined class. If past posting is any indication of future company posts, the best answer will be a crowd sourced one from people who have worked on similar projects. My answer is, if they can ship the Basic they can ship the Pro from a regulatory standpoint (on a country by country basis.)
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I believe that there are additional certifications required for the Pro because it is a class IV laser.
I though that this was more due to the pass-through slot than the power, as this made it potentially not fully-enclosed.
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those are by and large required by buyers, not the makers of the laser.
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A naked laser is class IV, so I don’t think they need anything other than a plate that says it is class IV. On the other hand the basic needs covers and interlocks to be certifiable as class I.
It is the user that has obligations while working around class IV lasers. They can be inherently extremely dangerous.
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Correct. Those responsibilities vary by state & federal regs as appropriate - e.g. OSHA requirements for lockouts, etc., safety equipment (glasses) for operators…the manufacturer self-certifies it as a Class IV and labels it as such and then the buyer needs to take appropriate precautions as pertains to their use case.
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Perhaps covering the slots counts as “appropriate precautions” so that is all one needs to do.
I haven’t researched the commercial regulations in detail since I’m not operating it in a business, but the Redsail only requires laser safety glasses for everyone in the same room if the pass through doors are open. They do specify everyone vs just the operator which I expect is to make sure people realize it’s not just the guy right in front of the machine that’s at risk.
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