What do the CE and OD on laser safety glasses mean?

The "CE" and "OD" on laser protective glasses are of vital importance, representing different but indispensable characteristics and certification information.

The CE mark is a safety certification mark and a mandatory certification mark in the EU market. It indicates that the laser protective glasses meet the basic requirements of relevant EU directives and harmonized standards. These requirements cover many aspects, including health and safety, environmental protection and many other fields.

① Human safety protection: In terms of human safety, the design and material selection of laser safety glasses must be strictly considered. For example, the material of the frame must be non-toxic and harmless, and will not irritate or allergic to human skin. At the same time, the overall structure of the glasses must ensure that during normal use, it will not cause pressure or discomfort to the wearer's face, and in some possible unexpected situations (such as minor collisions or falls), the glasses will not cause damage to the wearer's eyes and surrounding tissues.

② Laser protection performance meets standards: For the core function of laser protection, glasses must have corresponding protection capabilities for lasers of different wavelengths and powers in accordance with EU standards. This includes being able to effectively block laser radiation and prevent laser energy from causing damage to the retina, cornea, lens and other parts of the eye, such as thermal damage, protein denaturation, cell necrosis, etc., thereby protecting the health of the user's eyes.

③ Environmental compatibility: In addition to paying attention to the safety performance of the human body and the product itself, the "CE" certification also takes into account the compatibility of the product with the environment. Laser protective glasses must not cause pollution or harm to the environment during production, use and disposal. For example, the production materials of glasses should be recyclable or degradable environmentally friendly materials as much as possible, and the production process should also meet environmental protection requirements to reduce energy consumption and waste emissions.

The "CE" mark is equivalent to a "pass" for manufacturers to open and enter the European market. As long as the product is affixed with the "CE" mark, it means that it meets the unified safety standards of the European Union and can be sold freely in the member states of the European Union without having to meet the different special requirements of each member state. The "CE" mark of laser protective glasses ensures that consumers can buy laser protective glasses that meet safety standards in different regions of the European Union.

OD (Optical Density) Light Density

OD, or optical density, is a key indicator for measuring the attenuation ability of laser safety glasses for lasers of a specific wavelength. The calculation formula is OD=log10(P0/P), where P0 is the incident light power and P is the transmitted light power. The OD value represents the attenuation ability of laser glasses for laser radiation. The higher the OD value, the stronger the attenuation ability of lasers, which means the stronger the protection ability. For example, the transmittance corresponding to OD2 is 1%, the transmittance corresponding to OD3 is 0.1%, and the transmittance corresponding to OD4 is 0.01%. By analogy, for every increase of 1 in the OD value, the transmittance decreases by one order of magnitude.

In different laser application scenarios, protective glasses with different optical densities are required. In a low-power laser environment, such as a demonstration of laser principles in a school laboratory (the laser power is usually between a few milliwatts and tens of milliwatts), protective glasses with lower optical density (such as OD2 - OD3) may be sufficient. In high-power laser processing environments, such as industrial laser cutting (laser power may reach several kilowatts), protective glasses with higher optical density (such as OD5 - OD7) are required to effectively attenuate laser energy and prevent eye damage. The optical density is directly related to the protective ability of protective glasses. Users need to choose protective glasses with appropriate optical density according to the actual laser intensity they are exposed to.

In summary, the "CE" mark and "OD" value on laser safety glasses are both extremely important indicators for evaluating their quality and performance. The "CE" mark is a strong proof that the product meets the strict safety requirements of the European Union, ensuring its legality and safety in the European market; while the "OD" value intuitively reflects the protective ability of the glasses against lasers, helping users to choose appropriate protective products according to the actual working environment. Together, the two provide important guarantees for the user's eye safety and work efficiency.