Review · Class4Lasers 2026

Practise virtually, work safely: Class4Lasers connects welding training and laser safety

How can welding training reach more people and be safe from the very start? At Class4Lasers on 7 October 2026 at the FH OÖ DigiSpace in the Museum Arbeitswelt Steyr, representatives of the Austrian Welding Society (ÖGS), occupational safety, industry and educational institutions discussed this with technology provider Dig in Vision. The training providers had been invited by AMS Upper Austria.

As best practice, FH-Prof. Mag. Christian Stadlmann, PhD (University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria) presented the Junior Maker Pioneers project. His findings: start early, bring young people into contact with technology several times and let them do it themselves. Digital offerings such as virtual welding lower the barrier to entry, real practice builds experience. The result is an education chain from school through extracurricular making to skilled worker.

Guido Reuter (ÖGS board) showed that occupational safety is not negotiable and begins with avoiding near misses. DI Domenic Fromme (AUVA) explained why handheld laser machines are so dangerous: they work with class 4 lasers, focus high energy precisely, and the radiation is invisible to the eye. ISO 11553-2:2026 therefore also recommends training. This is exactly where Dig in Vision comes in: in the simulator, laser welding and safety-relevant procedures can be practised without exposure to radiation. Thanks to AI-supported evaluation, every learner has a personal trainer looking over their shoulder.

In the live experience, guests tried this out for themselves. The simulation does not replace the workshop, it prepares for it.

Class4Lasers was initiated and moderated by Steyr-based digitalisation consultant Ing. Patrick J. Pammer (Digital Consulting).

Fotos: class4lasers.at