Lasers are an essential component in modern laser processing systems.
As laser processing technology advances, lasers themselves are also evolving, leading to the emergence of new types.
Initially, the main types of lasers used for processing were high-power CO 2 gas lasers and lamp-pumped solid-state YAG lasers.
The focus of development has shifted from increasing laser power to improving beam quality once power requirements are met.
The development of semiconductor lasers, fiber lasers and disk lasers has brought significant progress in areas such as laser materials processing, medical treatment, aerospace and automobile manufacturing.
The five most prevalent lasers on the market are CO 2 lasers, Nd:YAG lasers, semiconductor lasers, disk lasers, and fiber lasers. Can you provide information about its characteristics and scope of application?
CO 2 laser
Application:
The wavelength of a CO 2 laser is 10.6 micrometers and has low absorption when it comes to metallic materials.
It is typically used for cutting non-metallic materials and welding metallic materials.
Its applications are widespread and include welding in aviation, electronic instruments, machinery and the automobile industry.
Nd:YAG laser
Application:
Nd:YAG lasers have a high absorption coefficient for metal, making them suitable for cutting, welding and marking applications.
Thanks to their high energy, high peak power, compact design, durability and reliable performance, they are widely used in sectors such as defense, medical treatment, scientific research and more.
S emiconductor laser
Application: Due to high laser beam uniformity and low penetration, semiconductor laser is not suitable for metal cutting, but its spot characteristics are suitable for metal surface treatment such as coating, hardening, 3D printing, etc.
It can be widely used in aerospace, medical and automotive fields.
D laser isk
Application: Disk laser is a spatial optical path coupling structure, so the beam quality is very high
The laser is suitable for laser materials applications such as metal cutting, welding, marking, coating, hardening and 3D printing.
It is widely used in the automobile manufacturing, aerospace, precision machinery and 3C electronics industries.
fiber laser
Application: Due to high electro-optical conversion efficiency, good metal absorption coefficient and high beam quality, fiber laser can be used for metal cutting, welding, marking and metal surface treatment applications.
Laser technology is widely used in industries such as aerospace, automobile manufacturing, 3C electronics and the medical field.
However, to determine the most suitable laser product, it is necessary to consider the performance and application of each type of laser.
Below is a table that presents the characteristics and applications of the five types of laser mentioned.
| Type of laser | Nd:YAG laser | CO2Laser | fiber laser | Semiconductor laser | Disk laser |
| Laser wavelength (μm) | 1.0-1.1 | 10.6 | 1.0-1.1 | 0.9-1.0 | 1.0-1.1 |
| Photoelectric conversion efficiency | 3%-5% | 10% | 35%-40% | 70%-80% | 30% |
| Output power (kw) | 1-3 | 1-20 | 0.5-20 | 0.5-10 | 1-20 |
| Beam quality | 15 | 6 | <2.5 | 10 | <2.5 |
| Focus on performance | The beam divergence angle is large, it is difficult to obtain a single mode, the focused spot is large, and the power density is low | The beam divergence angle is small, the base film is easy to obtain, the focused spot is small, and the power density is high | Small beam divergence angle, small spot after focusing, good single-mode and multi-mode beam quality, high peak power and high power density | The beam divergence angle is large, the focused spot is large, and the spot uniformity is good | The beam divergence angle is small, the focused spot is small, and the power density is high |
| Cutting features | Poor and low cutting capacity | Generally, it is not suitable for cutting metal materials. When cutting non-metal materials, the cutting thickness is large and the cutting speed is fast | It is generally suitable for cutting metal materials with fast cutting speed, and can adapt to cutting plates with different thicknesses, high efficiency and large cutting thickness | Due to the uniform spot and poor beam penetration, it is not suitable for cutting and metal surface treatment applications | It is generally suitable for cutting metal materials, with fast cutting speed, and can adapt to cutting plates with different thicknesses |
| Welding features | It is suitable for spot welding, three-dimensional laser welding and welding of high-reflection materials | It is suitable for laser brazing and welding of high-reflection materials | It is suitable for spot welding, brazing, laser compound welding, laser scanning welding and high reflection material welding | It is suitable for brazing, composite welding, laser cladding welding, gold room surface treatment and high reflection material welding | It is suitable for laser spot welding, brazing, composite welding, laser scanning welding and high reflection material welding |
| Type of processing material | Copper, aluminum | Non-machinable high-inversion material | High inversion material | High inversion material | High inversion material |
| Metal absorptivity | 35% | 12% | 35% | 35% | 35% |
| Volume | Small | Maximum | Compact and compact | Small | Small |
| Maintenance cycle | 300 hours | 1000-2000 hours | No maintenance required | No maintenance required | No maintenance required |
| Relative operating cost | High | High | Low | commonly | high |
| Processing portability | Good flexibility and adaptability | Inconvenient to move | Good flexibility and flexibility | Good flexibility and adaptability | Good flexibility, strong adaptability, but sensitive to earthquakes |
| Technology | used | used | the newest | new | new |
| Service life | >300 hours | >2,000 hours | >100,000 hours | >15,000 hours | >100,000 hours |
Performance and Application Comparison
Semiconductor lasers have clear technical advantages compared to traditional CO2 lasers and solid-state YAG lasers, such as small size, light weight, high efficiency, low power consumption, long service life and high metal absorption.
With continued advances in semiconductor laser technology, other semiconductor-based solid-state lasers such as fiber lasers, direct-output semiconductor fiber lasers, and disk lasers are also growing rapidly.
Fiber lasers, particularly rare earth doped fiber lasers, have experienced rapid growth and are widely used in areas such as fiber optic communication, laser material detection and processing.
