GELA, “Gehör-, Lärm und Arbeitsschutzmittel GmbH“, was founded in the German city of Heusenstamm in 1977. It is a leader in the fields of noise and welding protection.

Current products are constantly refined through research about new processes and techniques. A close collaboration with research institutions as well as an active cooperation in national and international committees for standardization lead to an early adoption of new safety features to the benefit of our customers.

GELA Laser – A model of success

From 1985 to 2006 GELA GmbH was very successfully developing laser protection plants, especially for industrial use in chained machine lines.

GELA’s founder, Erwin Heberer, developed active and passive laser protection walls with single- and multiple –chambers for class 4 lasers that were patented not only in Germany and requested by many well-known companies.

Research and development of these protection systems took place at the same time as laser outputs grew. Heavier use of laser in manufacturing lead to much stricter safety regulations as compared to laboratories. The maximum time safety walls would resist exposure needed to be determined according to EN 60825-4. This is information which leads to a classification into classes where class 1 is not dangerous and class 4 is very dangerous.

Our Know how

Research at the “Lasermedizin-Zentrum” – Laser medicine center in Berlin, Germany that was supposed to lead to a norm identified problems that led to even more tests and experiments. Varying types of lasers were tested at the Force Institution in Kopenhagen (12 KW CO2) and the Fraunhofer Institution for Laser Technology (3 KW Nd-YAG and 8 KW CO2).

Experiments were brought in agreement with the “Berufsgenossenschaft” – Employer’s Liability Insurance Association so that the results could be widely accepted and practically relevant. Erwin Heberer’s participation in national and international committees such as the IEC TC 76 Laser Guards, VDE AK 841 laser safety, EN 12254 as well as 60825-4 led to them interpreting the results of these experiments.

After parallel hot spots with up to 85% of the irradiated power were found and their implications inside of laser cabins were clear, varying norms and rules were supplemented and revised. This is also true for the maximal permissible radiation dose.

Some of our customers

In the field of laser protection, GELA GmbH had, among others, these companies as their customers:

• AUDI in Ingolstadt, Germany
• BMW
• Fraunhofer Institute in Aachen, Germany
• Laserzentrum in Hannover, Germany
• Opel in Rüsselsheim, Germany and Antwerp
• SLV in Halle, Germany
• Steyer in Graz, Austria
• Vienna University of Technology, Austria
• Technologiezentrum Nord
• University of Bayreuth, Germany
• University of Erlangen, Germany
• Vauxhall in Luton
• Volvo in Ghent and Gothenburg
• Volkswagen

Know How Transfer

As of January 1, 2007 GELA GmbH has transferred all of their know how and their production capabilities to EDAG/FFT Systemtechnologie in Fulda, Germany and focuses now on their core competency of noise and welding protection systems.

Erwin Heberer is, besides his position as CEO of GELA GmbH, also consultant for laser safety and construction of laser protection cabins. He is a publicly certified and sworn expert for laser safety of lasers for material processing since 2004. In this capacity he gives expert opinions and consults companies regarding planning and design of laser plants. Erwin Heberer is also a member of the task force AK841 laser safety and ist he chair of its sub-task force high output laser. In addition to this, he is the German representative in the IEC TC76 for High Power Lasers.

More information about laser safety at: www.lasergutachten.eu