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Incident Report Details
Attachments (3)
IMG_9115.jpg IMG_9165.jpg ducting.jpg
Report Summary

37 YOF consumer reports that the laser cutting machine has design flaws and is unsafe for consumers. The design reduces cooling and the unit overheats, is easy to damage while cleaning and the insulation wears off. The poor design is a fire hazard.

Product Details
  • Product Description: Glowforge laser cutting system Model Glowforge Pro I own a Glowforge laser cutting system. The company is based out of Seattle. After a little over a year of use I have come to the conclusion that these machines appear to be built using very unsafe design practices and their use could lead to catastrophic fire. Electrical faults are rife. The component layout is dangerous. The tube cooling capacity is poor and susceptible to overheating. The main cable that controls the laser head is exceptionally easy to damage during cleaning or maintenance, and the insulation wears off alarmingly quickly, exposing the conductor traces. The main cable also runs very close the stepper motor. These motors run very warm and there is not adequate separation between it and the cable to ensure safety (or reliability). The cable then runs through the drag chain, where it is subject to a great deal of friction and wear. In addition, the machine is advertised as a 'Pro' device that is able to cut wood, acrylic and more. However, the electronics, heat sink and exhaust fan are all located next to each other in the same area of the machine. The accumulation of dirt in fumes in both the fan and over those critical components is alarming. The design reduces cooling capacity over time. Finally, there is a red tension cable that carries around 26,000 volts and feeds the laser tube. This cable is not designed to be flexed or strained at all and is very fragile. However, the high tension cable is installed next to the main ribbon cable (mentioned above) which carry control signs. Mains and high voltage signals should also be separated by a considerable margin for safety - the potential for noise and errors passing between the cables could cause glitches, faults and represent a fire hazard. The final area I am concerned with is the ducting supplied with the system. The ductwork expands every time the machine is in use and the creasing and uncreasing cause punctures in the duct, allowing cutting fumes to vent into the user's work space. The ductwork is not rated for fume extraction. Overall, all of these flaws combined means not only is the machine being falsely advertised as a 'Pro' commercial production unit, it's incredibly unsafe. The vast majority of these lasers are sold and marketed to at-home hobbyists, teachers, and students who would not typically be familiar with the threat of electrical failure and fire these design flaws could lead to. The Glowforge Owner's forum (which the company runs) is filled with many comments/tickets about fires in these machines, so the company knows these can lead to life-threatening problems but has done nothing to correct these issues. I feel very strongly there should be a recall on these machines.
  • Manufacturer/Importer/Private Labeler Name: Glowforge Inc.
  • Brand Name: Glowforge
  • Model Name or Number: Glowforge Pro
  • Serial Number: QBQ-622-4
  • UPC Code:
  • SKU#:
  • Date Manufactured:
  • Retailer: https://glowforge.com/
  • Retailer State:
  • Purchase Date: 8/16/2020
  • Product Category: Home Maintenance and Structures
  • Product Type: Tools & Hardware
  • Product Code: Cutting Torches (874)
Associated Recall
Incident Details
  • Incident Description: I own a Glowforge laser cutting system. The company is based out of Seattle. After a little over a year of use I have come to the conclusion that these machines appear to be built using very unsafe design practices and their use could lead to catastrophic fire. Electrical faults are rife. The component layout is dangerous. The tube cooling capacity is poor and susceptible to overheating. The main cable that controls the laser head is exceptionally easy to damage during cleaning or maintenance, and the insulation wears off alarmingly quickly, exposing the conductor traces. The main cable also runs very close the stepper motor. These motors run very warm and there is not adequate separation between it and the cable to ensure safety (or reliability). The cable then runs through the drag chain, where it is subject to a great deal of friction and wear. In addition, the machine is advertised as a 'Pro' device that is able to cut wood, acrylic and more. However, the electronics, heat sink and exhaust fan are all located next to each other in the same area of the machine. The accumulation of dirt in fumes in both the fan and over those critical components is alarming. The design reduces cooling capacity over time. Finally, there is a red tension cable that carries around 26,000 volts and feeds the laser tube. This cable is not designed to be flexed or strained at all and is very fragile. However, the high tension cable is installed next to the main ribbon cable (mentioned above) which carry control signs. Mains and high voltage signals should also be separated by a considerable margin for safety - the potential for noise and errors passing between the cables could cause glitches, faults and represent a fire hazard. The final area I am concerned with is the ducting supplied with the system. The ductwork expands every time the machine is in use and the creasing and uncreasing cause punctures in the duct, allowing cutting fumes to vent into the user's work space. The ductwork is not rated for fume extraction. Overall, all of these flaws combined means not only is the machine being falsely advertised as a 'Pro' commercial production unit, it's incredibly unsafe. The vast majority of these lasers are sold and marketed to at-home hobbyists who would not typically be familiar with the threat of electrical failure and fire these design flaws could lead to. The Glowforge Owner's forum (which the company runs) is filled with many comments/tickets about fires in these machines, so the company knows these can lead to life-threatening problems but has done nothing to correct these issues. I feel very strongly there should be a recall on these machines.
  • Incident Date: 11/2/2021
  • Incident Location: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Victims Involved
  • Injury Information: Incident, No Injury
  • My Relationship to the Victim: Self
  • Gender: Female
  • Victim's Age When Incident Occurred: 37 years
Comments from the Manufacturer/Private Labeler
  • Glowforge Inc.: We are in receipt of the complaint submitted to CPSC on November 3, 2021. This is the first CPSC concern Glowforge, Inc. (“Glowforge”) has received. Glowforge has examined the complainants’ concerns regarding electrical safety, cooling, wear, material buildup, and duct strength. Each of these areas was subject to extensive design review and testing. In use, all of these areas have proven safe and reliable across many tens of millions of usage cycles to date. The complainant previously contacted Glowforge to inform us that she had damaged the wiring of her Glowforge, but that the operation of the machine was not affected. Specifically she said that “when [she] took [the laser head] off the track to clean it [she] accidentally crimped the white flat cable.” She indicated her machine was still working and she was still printing. She requested Glowforge send her components to replace the wiring. Because the wiring is not user-replaceable, Glowforge declined, and instead offered to perform the repairs. The complainant was unhappy with the resolution and threatened to take further action. In her customer support ticket as well as in the complaint given to CPSC, the complainant made no reference to any injury or incident. This is consistent with our exemplary safety record. Glowforge takes the safe operation of our machines and the safety of our customers very seriously. As a company we follow all applicable safety regulations and have our units tested to ensure we are meeting or exceeding relevant safety standards. These include FCC ID: Z64-WL18SBMOD Class B, NRTL (cTUVus) 31872051.002 UL 60950-1: 2007 R10.14, CB (TUV) IEC 60950-1:2005+AMD1:2009+AMD2:2013, IEC 60825-1:2014, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1-07+A1: 2011+A2: 2014, CDRH Classified EN/IEC 60825-1 2014 & Classified IEC 30825-1 2007 USA, IEC EN 61000-6-3: 2006 + AMD1: 2010, IEC EN 61326-1:2012, EN 62311:2008, EN 301 489-1 V2.1.1: 2017, EN 301 489-17 V3.1.1: 2016, EN 300 328 V 2.1.1: 2014, EN 300 328 V 2.1.1: 2014, and ISO EN 13849-1:2015. As no incident or injury is alleged, Glowforge recommends the complainant send her unit back to have the wiring she damaged repaired.
Additional Details
  • Submitter has product?: Yes
  • Product was damaged before incident?: Yes
  • Product was modified before incident?:
  • If yes to any, explanation: As pictured above, the cable wear from normal use is appalling and dangerous. My cable looks like that after just over a year of use.
  • Have you contacted the manufacturer?: Yes
  • If Not, Do you plan to?:
  • Report Number: 20211103-59ED4-2147358962
  • Report Date: 11/3/2021
  • Sent to Manufacturer/Importer/Private Labeler: 11/19/2021
  • Report First Publication Date: 12/6/2021
  • Category of Submitter: Consumer