Copper lasers go for industrial gold

The copper-vapor laser (CVL), a relative newcomer to the materials processing area, is already showing its superiority in a variety of applications traditionally addressed by other lasers or alternative techniques. Driving its development is a Pan-European collaboration under the Eureka-Eurolaser umbrella, which has brought together more than 20 leading organizations in the field of CVL design, systems design, and materials processing applications. This consortium is now well-placed to take the CVL successfully to the marketplace. Laboratory lasers can now deliver more than 750 W, the highest of any visible lasers now available. Commercial devices are available from 15 to 120 W. As a consequence of this development, and its unique blend of operating wavelength, high power capability, and high pulse repetition rate, the copper laser presently enjoys an advantage in a wide variety of areas in manufacturing and production, especially its ability to drill and cut many materials that are difficult to process by other methods.<>