Abstract

We have been making continuous progress in applied research in manufacturing areas by the use of kW-class CO₂ lasers and have carried out various experiments in welding, cutting, and surface treatment by a 2-5 kW CO₂ laser developed by us. For our 5-kW CO₂ laser equipment, we use a fast-flow design: the output beam from the 5-kW CO₂ laser has a diameter of 48-50 mm and a low transverse mode. The beam divergence is within 0.6-1-3 mrad. The discharge efficiency is 20-26%.

© 1982 Optical Society of America