How Does Laser Cutting Work?
Laser cutting is a highly specialised manufacturing process. It requires specialised equipment which is often expensive, as well as knowledge of lasers and technical knowledge. This post looks at the way lasers work to carry out their function.
A laser beam is composed of a column of very high intensity light, consisting of a single wavelength or colour. In the case of a typical CO2 laser, that wavelength is in the Infra-Red part of the light spectrum, so it is invisible to the human eye.
The beam itself is only around 3/4 of an inch in diameter. It travels from the laser resonator, which creates the beam, through the machine’s beam path.
After this stage it may be bounced in different directions by a number of mirrors, or “beam benders”, before it is finally focused to a smaller size onto the plate. The focused laser beam goes through the bore of a nozzle right before it hits the plate.