What is a Co2 Laser?

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 be used for applications requiring precision, mass production and most importantly, personalization. C02 laser engravers and cutters are highly precise and can be used to create designs, decorations, and the like on just about any material you can think of, including wood, plastic, metal, paper, fabric, rubber stamps, leather, glass,  to name a few.

 

How does a Co2 Laser Work?

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 is extremely 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. The intense heat from this light vaporizes the material that is going to be cut, leaving an accurate, smooth finish.