Depending on the material, a laser of various powers is used. Laser cutting uses a focused laser beam to melt the material in a localized area.
The most common are CO2 lasers (carbon dioxide lasers) and fiber lasers (solid state lasers (SSL)), which are installed on industrial robots.
CO2 laser cutting is a process in which carbon dioxide is used as the main generation medium. A CO2 laser uses a mixture of gases, such as helium and nitrogen, for cutting. This laser can work for more than 15,000 hours without changing the gas mixture. A CO2 laser uses an electric charge to form a laser beam in a gas. The beam is guided through a series of optical lenses to the cutting head, which contains focusing lenses. A turbo fan is used to provide gas circulation.
A fiber laser is a semiconductor system that does not require a special gas. The beam is delivered through a fiber optic cable to the cutting head, in which the focusing lens is located.