Blog

Three Main Types of Lasers for Cutting

Laser cutting is one of the most used processes in industrial applications. The precision and ease offered by laser cutting make it a highly-preferred method in the metal fabrication industry. Laser cutting uses a steady beam of light to create heat and pressure, resulting in reshaping/cutting the surface. 

It serves multiple purposes like cutting, drilling and engraving. Metal-Tronics is a trusted name when it comes to laser cutting in Toronto. In this blog, we introduce you to three main types of lasers used for cutting.

 

Three Main Types of Lasers for Cutting

 

CO2 Lasers: 
A CO2 laser runs electricity through a gas mixture-filled tube to produce light beams. The gas mixture-filled tube contains a fully reflective mirror on one end and a partially reflective mirror on the other. The gas mixture is usually nitrogen, CO2, hydrogen and helium. CO2 lasers are best used for non-metallic materials. They can also cut thin sheets of aluminum and other non-ferrous metals with ease.

Fibre Lasers: 
Specially designed glass fibres that derive energy from pump diodes are used to amplify the beam in fibre lasers. Fibre lasers are generally expensive. However, they are durable and it costs less to service them. . Fibre lasers can manage intensities 100 times more than CO2 lasers. This type of laser offers multiple functionalities. They are widely used in metal engraving, annealing and glass cutting.

Nd:YAG/Nd:YVO Lasers: 
Nd:YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet) and Nd:YVO (neodymium-doped yttrium ortho-vanadate, YVO4) are parts of crystal laser cutting processes. These devices allow extremely high cutting power. However, these machines can be expensive and their lifespan is shorter compared to other types. Nd:YAG/Nd:YVO lasers are useful in the medical industry. 

You can rely on Metal-Tronics for quality laser cutting works in Toronto. We are renowned for our advanced machinery, trained labourers and also custom metal fabrication works in Toronto. Contact us today!