Present and future of lasers for fine cutting of metal plate

This paper describes the present state and future prospect of the art of industrial lasers used or to be used for fine cutting of metal plates. The cw-CO2 lasers are widely used for the fine cutting of the steel plate in the automotive, electric, and electronic industries. The CO2 laser for the fine cutting has the characteristics of high power output, high beam quality and highly controlled power-mode, which well meet the user's demands. On the other hand, a 250 W Nd:YAG laser with as good focusability as the CO2 laser's has been developed. It is now gradually replacing the CO2 laser of that power level in the cutting and welding fields. The CO2 laser will be further replaced by the Nd:YAG laser as the output power of the Nd:YAG laser increases in the future. Innovative technologies, such as the novel laser resonator for the CO2 laser and the LD (Laser Diode) pumping for the Nd:YAG laser, will make the improvement of both CO2 lasers and Nd:YAG lasers on the output power and the beam quality, which widen the application field of respective lasers in industry.