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Scrapping a Laser

| General Electronics Recycling
  1. #1
    street_sweeper started this thread.
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    Scrapping a Laser

    Has anyone scrapped a laser machine? It's free for the taking just wondering what I might be getting into as far as hazardous materials? Thanks in advance for any advice.:confused:



    This item is *part* of an Epilight IPL medical hair removal laser. Some of it's innards have been scavenged for use in another machine, so it no longer functions.
    What remains is a fully enclosed and lockable beefy metal housing on wheels, with a variety of cool 1990's-era electronic circuitry inside (including a bank of 12 enormous capacitors, each about the size of a 1-liter bottle!)


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    Never heard of such a thing..sry no help but would love to see what lays inside

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    street_sweeper started this thread.
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    The guy took the ad down and I'm second in line. A 44" by 40" metal cabinet on wheels 5- 10 motherboards inside power supply tons of thick cables and giant capacitors. There must be something hazardous in there.

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    a good payday can be hazardous

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    I say do it and become the expert here on laser hair removal systems scrapping.. I missed a chance last week to be the resident expert on Gamma Ray Camera scrapping.... Ask the doctor guy that operated it what is toxic or hazardous. If he cant tell me what is and isnt dangerous, he is not allowed to remove any of my hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    have fun

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    The capacitors might be hazardous, I wouldn't open them up. they also might hold an electrical charge,other than that you sould be good to go.

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    I don't know the product but I have worked for a medical laser company. The only hazard you should have would be if you could turn it on. CO2 and NdYAG can burn and blind you. HeNe cannot. Other than the non-visible energy they produce, there is nothing hazardous in there.

    There should be a decent amount of stainless steel.

    Better than scrap value would be the optics.

    Electronics should include digital control boards and high voltage power supply.

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  10. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by happyscraper View Post
    The capacitors might be hazardous, I wouldn't open them up. they also might hold an electrical charge,other than that you sould be good to go.
    If you have any doubt on any bigger capacitors just take your long screwdriver and carefully short it out across the terminals. If there's anything left it will spark and pop.
    P & M Recycling - Specializing in E-Waste Recycling.
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    They use big capactors in car stereos, depending on the values (size & voltage etc) they could be worth something.

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    If the caps are 2 farad I will buy 2 of them from you $20 each and ill pay shipping.


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