CO2-Laser – The ultimate laser power

Abstract

Since the introduction of laser cutting technology for sheet metal at the end of the 1970s, CO2 lasers have developed into the most successful high-powered beam sources. Laser cutting of steel requires 1 kW of laser power, which was a considerable challenge back then. Today, 6 kW is state-of-the-art; CO2 lasers with up to 20 kW are available for laser welding and for other applications that require high power. Although the fundamentals of the CO2 laser concepts have remained unchanged for nearly two decades, today's beam sources have technically very little in common with the first generation of lasers.