CO2 Lasers Make the Cut
With system revenues well above $2 billion last year, laser cutting remains the major industrial market for high-power laser sources. In fact, advances in machine dynamics and beam delivery systems have led to cutting speeds, and ultimately production costs, that make lasers unrivaled for flexible cutting of sheet metal up to 1 in. thick. Plasma and water jet cutting are orders of magnitude slower and are limited to excessive thickness or nonmetals. Punch presses, which laser cutting systems...
Photonics Spectra, June 2003