High Power CO 2 Lasers

Within the power range 0.01~22kW, commercially-available CO2 industrial lasers now incorporate microwave, RF, AC and/or DC electrical excitation technologies, with a correspondingly wide variety of gas flow and optical extraction geometries. This paper summarizes from an applications viewpoint some of the advantages claimed for the various approaches, making brief comparisons with Nd:YAG performance. Particular emphasis is given to the importance of laser brightness, reproducibility, and fluctuation-stability for uses such as the heat-treatment, cutting, or welding of steels in the thickness range 10-25mm.