CO2 Laser Cutting
CO2 lasers use carbon dioxide as a laser medium to cut, engrave, weld and heat treat a wide range of different materials. It is considered the most powerful continuous wave laser, and has a wide range of applications. Carbon dioxide makes up almost 10% of the laser, while 13.5% is nitrogen and 77% is helium. The energy absorbed by the nitrogen ignites the CO2, which produces the laser, and the helium helps the CO2 return to a ground state and also furthers the heat transfer. All sorts of materials are altered by CO2 lasers, including plastic, wood, foam, aluminum, sandpaper, acrylic, velvet, Styrofoam, polyester, cardboard, ceramic and paper. Industrial welding and cutting of metals is often done by a carbon dioxide laser treatment. In the medical field, surgical procedures like facelifts and dermabrasion are done by CO2 lasers. Cutting and engraving machines, laser marking systems and laser processing tools all use automated CO2 laser systems to mark or cut products and materials.
Since there is such a low heat input into the material, CO2 lasers rarely if ever cause distortion or warping of material. They are also able to cut very soft materials like fabric and hard materials like metal. Currently, three types of CO2 lasers exist-axial gas-flow, transverse gas-flow and sealed tube. Axial gas-flow lasers continuously pump fresh carbon dioxide, and nitrogen and helium to increase efficiency, in and out of a tube. Transverse gas-flow lasers have a horizontal gas flow, which causes higher power ratings. In sealed tube lasers, the gas is preserved inside the tube and is not refilled while in use. These lasers have a much longer wavelength than the other types.