Light is one of the most valuable resources that humans have access to. Surprisingly, many of us fail to realize how its uses go beyond mere illumination. From playing a key role in communication, such as fibre optics, to medical diagnostics, its uses are multiple.
Light travels 299,792,458 meters every single second. When you consider this fact, it’s no wonder that people have been tempted to harness its power. Today, a large number of industries have managed to take advantage of light in the form of lasers for unique applications.
Learning how and where they are used is an interesting theme. In this article, we will be exploring the fascinating world of laser processing solutions.
What Are Industrial Lasers Used For?
Laser tools are widely used in manufacturing, where their precision is critical for delicate equipment. Laser glass processing, for instance, is one of the most effective methods of working with glass. However, lasers are used for a number of applications.
Let’s take a quick look at the most popular areas below.
- Laser cutting
- Laser welding
- Laser marking
- Laser engraving
- Laser drilling
- Laser cladding
- Laser cleaning
- Laser micromachining
- Heat treatment
- Texturing or surface modification
- Peening
- Scribing
- Deposition
Industrial lasers are quite different from the ones you use to get your cat to play. Even thick metals like steel become vulnerable to laser cutting, especially those in the 3 to 12 kW range.
One of the key benefits of laser processing is that you can find options for almost any requirement. If your needs don’t include cutting through inches of steel, you can find more appropriate ones.
Manufacturing work like marking and engraving can be carried out with less powerful laser processing equipment. Also, laser cleaning, scanning, and measuring don’t require extremely powerful laser beam delivery systems. Virtually every field will have scenarios where laser processing solutions can help.
In situations where precision is critical, lasers are the only way to go. The best example would be in healthcare. Medical laser processing is extremely popular, both in terms of treatment methods and during equipment production. LASIK, a popular surgical procedure for vision correction, uses laser ablation. Similarly, lasers are often used in advanced research, such as when studying cellular processes.
What Types of Lasers Are Used in an Industrial Context?
As you can imagine, each industry has its own unique needs. Recent advances in the laser processing of materials have led to the growing popularity of femtosecond lasers and ultrafast lasers. That said, there are other types that are more popular and commonly used. Let’s explore some of them.
1. CO2 Lasers
This is probably one of the most common laser types that can be found in many industries. From architects and fabricators to the aerospace and semiconductor industry, CO2 lasers are a common piece of equipment that you can find being used.
They deliver a continuous, high-power beam at a wavelength of 10.6 micrometres.
2. Ultrafast Lasers
According to Novanta Photonics, ultrafast lasers produce extremely short pulses of light. This type of laser is often used in medicine for applications like skin rejuvenation and pigmented lesion treatment. It also finds extensive use in scientific research during experiments. With their pulse durations occurring within picoseconds (one trillionth of a second), their applications have become highly specific.
3. Solid-State Lasers
This type of laser uses a crystal or glass that is doped with ions. When excited, it emits light. They are highly precise, and as a result, are often used for sensitive medical procedures. Eye surgeries and dental treatments would be two obvious examples.
Similarly, they are often used in advanced light detection and ranging systems in the form of LIDAR and remote sensing.
4. Excimer Lasers
Often used in semiconductor manufacturing, excimer lasers allow for precision laser processing as well. Unlike solid-state lasers, where their precision is important during cutting applications, excimer lasers are used for their precision in surface removal. They have the ability to remove extremely thin layers of material at a time, which makes them perfect for fine ablation needs.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that laser processing solutions represent the future of many industries. In fact, as humanity begins to explore space and space travel, the use of lasers is only going to increase. We already use them extensively in heat-treating aeronautic components that need to withstand high stress.
Considering how ubiquitous laser processing has become in manufacturing and healthcare, other industries will soon find ways to use it. If you are an investor of sorts, this would actually be a great time to start looking into laser processing companies as a potential future investment.