Laser Classes: how they work and what they mean for your company

If you are considering buying a laser marking machine, sooner or later you will have come across a label such as "Class 1" or "Class 4" on the machine's data sheet. It is information that has a real impact on how you will need to manage that machine in production.

In this guide you will find:

• What laser classes are
• Laser classes one by one
• Class 1 vs Class 4: the practical differences
• What US regulations require for a Class 4 laser
• The advantages of a Class 1 laser machine
• When you need a Class 4 laser
• How to choose the right laser class for your company
• Frequently asked questions

What are laser classes?

The laser class is a safety label, defined by the international standard IEC 60825-1, that indicates how dangerous the beam emitted by a machine is to the eyes and skin of people working near it. It ranges from Class 1 (virtually no risk) to Class 4 (the highest level).

The class is a direct result of how the machine is built. A laser source, on its own, is almost always Class 4. It becomes Class 1 only if it is enclosed in a cabinet that physically prevents the beam from escaping during normal use.

This detail determines whether you will need to set up a dedicated area, train operators, buy protective equipment or appoint specific roles in your company. In other words, it affects the real cost and complexity of managing the machine, not just the purchase price.

Laser classes one by one

Here is an essential summary of the laser classes you will come across most often in industrial marking:

• Class 1 – the safest. No risk to eyes or skin in normal use, no protection required.
• Class 2 – low-power visible lasers (e.g. laser pointers). Hazardous only if you deliberately stare into the beam for a long time.
• Class 3R – low but not zero risk: prolonged exposure, especially through optical instruments, can be harmful.
• Class 3B – a real eye hazard even from brief direct exposure; requires specific precautions.
• Class 4 – the highest level. It can injure eyes and skin and, in some conditions, ignite materials. This is the class of laser sources used for industrial marking, cutting and welding when they are not enclosed.

Class 1 vs class 4: the practical differences

In industrial marking, in practice, the two extremes that matter most are Class 1 and Class 4: they are the ones that decide which machine you choose. Here is what concretely changes in production:

What US regulation require for a Class 4 laser

If your company has (or is about to buy) a Class 3B or Class 4 machine, ANSI Z136.1, the safety standard OSHA enforces through the General Duty Clause, sets out a number of obligations for the employer:

• assess the risk associated with laser use;
• provide suitable personal protective equipment (PPE);
• train operators;
• designate a Laser Safety Officer (LSO) to monitor and enforce the control of laser hazards, as required by ANSI Z136.1.

These steps require time, training and, in some cases, the involvement of an outside consultant. It is worth factoring them in when you choose the machine.

The advantages of a Class 1 laser machine

Choosing a Class 1 laser marking machine means moving all this risk management upstream, directly into the machine design. In practice:

• no dedicated area to set up on the shop floor;
• no specific laser safety training for operators;
• no PPE to buy and enforce;
• the machine can sit in departments shared with other processes.

A special, less common case is the portable Class 1 laser marker: without a fixed enclosure, a handheld machine rarely reaches this safety level. Automator makes Colibrì, a portable Class 1 laser marker, designed to mark directly on the part, even large or fixed parts, without setting up a protected area.

In the benchtop and cabinet range, Class 1 is also available on EOS, EOS Pro, UBI Basic, PRIMA2 and AURA.