Laser fabrication is any cutting, welding, etching, engraving or other fabrication process performed by a laser. Laser fabrication equipment is capable of processing work pieces with extreme precision. In industrial contexts, lasers are used to cut sheet metal and some kinds of tubing.
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The main advantages of using laser fabrication, or laser-cutting to be specific, over other metalworking methods are related to the way in which lasers cut through materials. No blades or other cutting machinery come into physical contact with work pieces during laser cutting. This eliminates the possibility of causing warping, burring or other deformations during processing. Also, because there is no physical contact between the laser and the work piece, there is no possibility that the work piece will become contaminated by the cutting equipment, as can be the case with other cutting methods. Certain industrial operations require access to materials that are absolutely contaminant free, and using laser cutting reduces the number of opportunities a work piece has to become contaminated. Lasers are limited in their capacity as cutting tools, though, because the depth of the cuts they can create is quite shallow; lasers are not used for heavy fabrication for this reason. Manufacturers have used this property to their advantage by putting lasers to work as etching tools. Electronic components, fasteners and other very small parts that require labeling or other marking are easily marked by laser beams without the risk of product damage, which is often possible when engraving with tool bits or other contact engraving methods.
"Laser" is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A laser beam is, in the simplest terms, amplified light. A laser beam is generated in a reflective optical cavity, which consists of an electrified gain medium and mirrors. A gain medium is a light amplifier; when light passes through it, its intensity increases. The light that passes through the gain medium bounces off of the mirrors within the optical cavity and then back through the gain medium. With each passage, the light becomes more intense. One of the mirrors in the cavity is designed to allow some light to pass through it, which is where the beam of amplified light exits the cavity. If light is amplified enough, it can produce intense heat. This heat, in cutting, etching and welding applications, is enough to melt metals. Depending on the desired laser intensity and application, various gasses are used to assist the process of laser creation and to help clear work pieces of debris caused by cutting. CO2 lasers are the most commonly used lasers for industrial fabrication processes, but neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet lasers and a few others enjoy moderate prominence in industrial laser fabrication processes.
