Laser Material Processing

aser material processing utilizes laser energy to modify the shape or appearance of a material.
This method of material modication provides numerous advantages to customers such as the
ability to quickly change designs, produce products without the need for tooling, and improve
quality of nished parts.
Another advantage of laser material processing is compatibility with a multitude of materials.
Compatible materials range from non-metals such as ceramics, composites, plastics/polymers
and adhesives to metals including aluminum, iron, stainless steel and titanium. This document
describes the eects produced by laser energy interacting with a material and the laser
processes that can be applied to almost any material.
Laser Energy-Material Interaction
The eects produced by laser energy interacting with a material strongly depend upon the
wavelength and power level of the laser, and the absorption characteristics and chemical
composition of the material.
Common wavelengths for laser material processing are 10.6 and 9.3 micron produced by CO2
lasers and 1.06 micron produced by ber lasers. A range of power levels are available for each
laser type to optimize the laser energy-material interaction. However, the absorption characteristics
and chemical composition of the materia