Due to the unique characteristics of laser radiation (i.e. coherent, collimated and monochromatic) there is an increased danger to the eyes. To protect the humans’ eyes special optical filters for laser safety glasses or laser safety windows are used. Since laser light has a specific wavelength which is dependent on the laser active medium that emits light, protective filters that match the wavelength and power of the specific source of laser radiation are needed. These filters transmit “normal“ light, viz. visual light, beyond the particular laser wavelength. The filters coevally feature a block function with an ±30° vertical defined incidence angle.
Plastic filters and technology
In order to meet the requirements of its customers in all fields of laser technology and to be able to offer high quality and norm consistent acrylic laser safety products even for new applications laservision is continuously developing, producing and testing in close cooperation with its mother company uvex-safety and other partners new materials, manufacturing technologies and absorber colours. Raw materials for several products are therefore processed in house and produced in the appropriate manner. At the same time an intensive design development takes place in order to continuously improve wearing comfort and features of our eyewear. Within the area of plastic windows laservision was able, for the first time ever, to develop windows at a size of 3000mm x 2000mm for laser safety at a wavelength range 1064nm.
Glass filters and technology
Since almost four decades laservision broads experience in the field of glass processing for laser safety eyewear. Lamination of different glass types or filter materials allows to offer customized protection filters with individually designed protection ranges for different wavelength. On the other hand lamination with neutral glass ensures increased thermal stability and break resistance as a particular requirement with larger cabin windows. A large number of laservision glass filters are also available in a curved shape (basis curve). These filters while being laborious to make provide a very good field of view and offer the user a high level of wearer comfort.
Reflection filters and coating technology
Due to the long standing experience and research in the field of coating technology laservision is able to produce reflective coatings on glass as well as on acrylic substrate in its own coating facility. In the case of a laser hit most of the laser energy is reflected from the filter, the protection is highly independent of the chosen substrate. Therefore with this technology it is possible to achieve the kind of high protection levels with plastic filters that have previously only been available with glass filter technology. Reflective filters offer improved colour vision as required in most medical applications. The combination of coatings with absorbing filters allows a nearly unlimited number of variations for all possible wavelengths.
