The C02 laser is one of the earliest gas lasers. Developed by Kumar Patel in 1964, it is still one of the most useful lasers today. With its high power and levels of control, C02 lasers can use for applications requiring precision, mass production and most improtantly, personalization. C02 laser engravers and cutters are highly precise and can use to create designs, decorations, and the like on just about any material you can think of, including wood, plastic, metal, and paper to name a few.

So, How does a C02 Laser Work?

Let’s dig into the nitty-gritty. There is a lot of magic (and science!) involve in this tool that will give your business the capability to transform any object into a prized posession.

In a C02 laser cutter, light is produced when electricity runs through a gas-filled tube with mirrors at both ends. One mirror is fully reflective while the other one lets some light come through. These mirrors guide the laser beam into the material that is to be cut. The gas is typically a mixture of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, and helium.

Any light produced by C02 lasers extreme powerful compared to normal light. This is because of the mirrors that bookend the tube of gases. These mirrors reflect most of the light traveling through the tube and cause the light waves to build in intensity. The light only passes through the partially reflective mirror when it becomes bright enough.

Since the light from a laser is infrared, it is invisible to the human eye. It also has a very long wavelength. It can cut a variety of materials, including cloth, wood, metal, glass, and paper. The intense heat from this light vaporizes the material that is going to cut, leaving an accurate, smooth finish.

Depeneing on the look you go for on your material and what material you are cutting or engraving, the speed and power settings can be decreased and increased. Testing your material beforehand is a good practice and will get you closer to perfect results, every time.

The Advantages of C02 Laser Cutters

There are several benefits to using a C02 laser cutter.

• Non-Contact Process – The beam doesn’t physically touch the material it is working with; instead, it causes the material to melt through intense heat. This causes minimal damage to the material and the machine.
• Low Power Consumption – Laser cutter machines have low maintenance costs and only need inexpensive replacement parts.
• A Safer Method – Laser cutting is much safer than other forms of cutting since it doesn’t use a blade. The beam itself seale in a tight little light box.
• Incredible Precision – Lasers produce highly accurate and precise cuttings that have clean cuts and a smooth finish.
• Many Applications – Laser cutting not just for manufacturing processes – it can also use in the medical sector, as well as in the arts.

C02 laser cutters provide one of the most advantageous forms of cutting available today. When you need something cut precisely, or add high detailed artwork to different substrates  you should consider using a laser cutting machine.