Though laser cutting offers a variety of options when it comes to the type of lasers that can be used, the two common ones are the CO2 and Nd:YAG lasers. Both lasers generate high intensity beams of infrared light which is narrowly focused and used for cutting a wide range of materials. For general cutting applications, CO2 lasers are considered to be most effective and so there are fewer Nd:YAG laser cutting machines used. These laser cutting machines are only opted for use when the three following conditions are present.
Very fine, more detailed work is demanded in very thin workpiece such as the case of ornamental clock hands. This is because the Nd:YAG laser light can be focused narrowly down to a smaller spot than CO2 lasers.
Materials to be cut regularly are highly reflective like silver alloys or copper as this laser light is less easily reflected by metal surfaces.
The laser beam requires optical fiber to be carried through relatively long distances to the material. Also, Nd:YAG light can travel through glass while the CO2 laser light can’t.
Those properties make Nd:YAG lasers the top choice for automobile production lines where availability of space is of utmost importance. However, Nd:YAG lasers are not suitable for laser cutting services that have to work with most organic materials such as wood, natural rubber, leather, and plastics. These materials are transparent to the light of Nd:YAG laser, and so CO2 lasers are more suitable for cutting them. CO2 lasers are also capable of cutting through polymers and metals, making them widely used for general engineering purposes. They are also a cheaper option. One particular application where both types of lasers are suitable is the profiling of ceramic substrates for the electronics industry.
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