Fire Warden
Flame Reduction System
Introducing the Fire Warden from Kern Laser Systems: a groundbreaking innovation designed to enhance your laser cutting operations with unprecedented safety and efficiency. Tailored specifically for the challenges of cutting acrylic, the Fire Warden employs a sophisticated air knife mechanism which attaches seamlessly to the top gantry vacuum tray of the OptiFlex, LaserCELL and MICRO laser systems. As the laser is cutting, it directs a powerful stream of high-pressure air underneath the acrylic sheet, drastically minimizing the flames caused by flammable gases released during the cutting process. Not just a safety feature, the Fire Warden also ensures the quality of your cuts by reducing thermal stress on the material. Its versatile design allows for effortless adjustment along the X-axis, ensuring it fits perfectly with any job you undertake.
Control & Flexibility
One of the challenges in creating the Fire Warden was making it compatible with a variety of acrylic sheet sizes and thickness. The Fire Warden device attaches to the top gantry vacuum tray and can be positioned to the outside of the acrylic sheet being processed. Height adjustments to the air nozzle are made by adjusting a simple thumb screw, allowing the air flow to reduce fumes and flames on acrylics up to 1 inch thick. Lastly, the air pressure is controlled by an air regulator, delivering the perfect amount of air to the bottom side of the sheet.
Other Factors
A honeycomb bed serves as an indispensable tool, ensuring that the acrylic remains flat during the cutting process. Spacers are generally placed in the honeycomb cells to lift the acrylic sheet off the honeycomb structure. This important step minimizes the appearance of undesirable tick marks caused by laser beam reflections off the honeycomb bed.
The work area is to be covered with a thin layer of paper increasing the efficiency of the vacuum blower. The area directly below the acrylic sheet should be cut out and removed, allowing any fumes to be pulled into the down draft table and ducted away from the machine.
Even with the Fire Warden installed, Kern recommends a fire extinguisher be kept near the laser system. The fire extinguisher should be carefully chosen to extinguish flames from the material types being processed.