Clamshell – A New Approach to Optical Table Laser Safety
An optical table can be the centre of an advanced laser set-up, but it can also make conventional enclosure design difficult. The equipment needs to be protected when the system is in use, yet it must still be accessible for set-up, adjustment and day-to-day work.
Lasermet designed, manufactured and installed Clamshell, our custom laser safety enclosure around the optical table. The Clamshell slides in and out both sides when access to the optical table is needed.
The enclosure is also interlocked with the ICS-Magellan Interlock Controller sitting at the center of the system. Moreover, the Clamshell is fitted with Laser Jailer® Active Guarding System whereby the laser is shut off when active tiles are hit.
Designed around the Installation
The Clamshell was designed specifically for the space and equipment it protects. Laser-blocking panels form the enclosure walls and roof, while the paired clamshell sections give the customer a practical route to access the optical table without relying on a conventional fixed-wall arrangement.
The project uses laser-blocking panels similar to the panels used for our Laser Castle and has an enclosure footprint of approximately 3 m by 2 m. The format demonstrates how a compact laser-controlled environment can be engineered around the way the equipment needs to be used.
Opens in three ways for easy access to Optical table
The Clamshell opens three ways: slide left, slide right, or open the doors.
A new Laser Jailer Active Guarding Tile Design
This installation is one of the first to use Lasermet’s new design of Laser Jailer® Active Guarding tiles. The rigid black tiles are fitted to the internal enclosure surfaces and the clamshell door sections, replacing the flexible active guarding format used in earlier installations.
The tile design gives the enclosure a more robust and clean internal finish. It also makes the active guarding arrangement easy to see and understand when looking inside the enclosure. The guarding circuits are monitored by the interlock system, so an unexpected strike on a guarded surface can be detected by the controller. Any stray laser beam strikes will immediately shut down the laser within 150ms, ensuring system safety.
ICS-Magellan Controller
The project is also among the first installations worldwide to feature the ICS-Magellan, Lasermet’s touchscreen Laser Interlock Controller. The controller provides a clear view of the configured interlock system, including its inputs and independently controlled outputs, from one modern control point.
The touchscreen interface makes the system condition easier to understand at a glance, while the hardware-based interlock architecture keeps critical safety functions independent of the touchscreen software interface.
NFC keycard access gives authorised users controlled access to the system.
The ICS-Magellan is integrated with the enclosure’s active guarding, access sensing and emergency-stop functions. This gives the installation a coordinated approach to laser safety rather than a collection of separate devices.
A Complete Laser Safety Installation
This project shows what is possible when the enclosure is designed around the application rather than treated as a standard box around a laser. The custom clamshell structure provides the access the optical table requires, while the laser-blocking panels, rigid active guarding tiles and ICS-Magellan controller work together as one complete system.
For organisations working with optical tables and other complex laser set-ups, the installation offers a practical example of how flexible access and robust laser safety can be designed into the same environment.
