The glossary helps you to get to know laser terms more precisely

A deflection unit is used to deflect the laser beam in the X and Y directions. This creates a two-dimensional area in which the laser can be positioned. This is also referred to as a "marking field".

The deflection is done by galvanometer scanners with integrated mirrors and to be able to use both the X- and the Y- axis two of these laser components are required.

In laser technology, the active medium refers to the light-generating laser medium in the laser. Along with the pump source and the resonator, it is one of the three essential elements of a laser.

As a rule, lasers are categorized according to their laser medium:

Solid state, for example doped glasses or also crystals are used and one speaks here of solid state lasers.

When liquids such as dye solutions are used, they are referred to as dye lasers.

When gases such as helium-neon mixtures are used, they are called gas lasers.

Not all lasers use a laser-active medium in the sense of a material. In diode lasers or quantum cascade lasers, occupation inversion is generated with the aid of structures, often consisting of semiconductor material.

When it comes to fine drilling of a few microns and precision drilling up to several hundred microns in diameter - a QCW fiber laser is the tool of choice!An ultrashort pulse laser enables laser drilling in almost all materials (metals, ceramics, glass, plastics, etc.) and in the highest quality.

In CNC technology, powerful CO2 lasers are usually used. These can process wood, plastic, PVC or even metals. There are many advantages that speak for laser cutting:

Precision - edges can be realized even more precisely and accurately by laser cutting. There is no need for polishing and usually no need for post-processing.

Quiet - a laser is simply quieter than a mechanical milling machine.

No chip formation and therefore simply clean

Laser cutting is considered an extremely efficient technology.

In 1964, the CO2 laser was developed by C. Kumar N. Patel at Bell Laboratories. Colloquially, this powerful laser is also called a carbon dioxide laser. Its laser medium is carbon dioxide with a 4-level system.

Along with solid-state lasers, the carbon dioxide laser is one of the most powerful lasers and is used in many areas of industry. The CO2 laser can reach output powers of up to 80 kW and pulse energies of up to 100 kJ.

CO2 lasers are relatively efficient and inexpensive and the efficiency is about 15% to 20%.

DIN EN 60825-1 :2015-07 classifies lasers and laser equipment with regard to their danger to humans. Class 1 lists lasers that are not dangerous to humans as a rule and under conscientious use - the highest class is Class 4 in DIN EN 60825-1:2015-07, which groups together lasers that can pose a significant risk to humans.

F-Theta lenses are used in combination with XY galvanometer scanners or polygon scanners. With the f-Theta lens or the f-Theta objective the laser focus is positioned on a plane image field and the focus size remains constant. They are also used in the field of laser marking or laser marking.

A special form of the solid-state laser is the fiber laser. The active medium is the doped core of an optical fiber. In other words, it is a glass laser with optical waveguide properties.

Since the laser radiation is guided through a laser-active fiber, it undergoes enormous amplification due to its great length.

The fields of application of fiber lasers are very broad and suitable for many laser applications. With low power, fiber lasers are used for data transmission in optical fibers. Systems with high power also in laser cutting and laser welding.

Simply put, a femtosecond laser is a laser that emits pulses of light whose duration is in the femtosecond range. They are used in the field of photonics and nonlinear optics, metrology and medicine.

The galvanometer scanner is also often referred to as a galvo scanner or galvo for short. The galvos are electromagnetically driven rotary axes, at the end of which is a laser mirror for deflecting laser beams. The galvanometer is named after the Italian physician and researcher Luigi Galvani.

The Green Laser is easy to recognize - it produces a visual light of light green color. The wavelength of the laser, also known as the green laser, is 532 m.

It does not generate heat and is therefore referred to as a cold laser or cold marking laser. The Green Laser is often used in the field of laser marking with sensitive surfaces. For example, cold marking lasers can be used for optimal processing of plastics.

Another outstanding feature of a green laser is its high stability and beam quality.

For materials that cannot be marked optimally with a conventional 1064 nm wavelength laser (fiber laser), the green laser is the solution.

CO2 lasers are predestined for wood processing. Whether it is laser cutting with the CO2 laser or engraving - this laser system is the optimal solution! Whether it is solid wood, natural wood, softwood, hardwood, solid wood, wood materials, bamboo, balsa wood, mahogany, linden, beech, poplar, birch, maple, Douglas fir, spruce, pine, fir, copper beech, oak, ash, cherry, walnut, obeche, padouk, teak, veneer, plywood, glued wood, MDF, multiplex, it does not matter - CO2 lasers engrave or cut without chip waste. In the field of laser cutting, extremely fine, almost radius-free contours can be realized. The use of the CO2 laser eliminates smoke and waste, since laser cutting is non-contact. There is therefore a lot to be said for the use of a CO2 laser in the woodworking sector.

In 1964, the CO2 laser was developed by C. Kumar N. Patel at Bell Laboratories. Colloquially, this powerful laser is also called a carbon dioxide laser. Its laser medium is carbon dioxide with a 4-level system.

Along with solid-state lasers, the carbon dioxide laser is one of the most powerful lasers and is used in many areas of industry. The CO2 laser can reach output powers of up to 80 kW and pulse energies of up to 100 kJ.

CO2 lasers are relatively efficient and inexpensive and the efficiency is about 15% to 20%.

The first lasers were built in 1958. The foundations were laid by the American C.T. Townes and the two Russians N.G. Basow and A.m. Prochorow in the 50's and received the Nobel prize for physics for it. The term laser is derived from the English light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Today, lasers are used in many areas of industry, manufacturing and medicine. The spectrum of applications ranges from engraving and marking to cutting.

If objects are inscribed, marked or individualized by means of a laser - then we speak of laser marking or laser engraving. Laser markings are of course waterproof, smudge-proof and therefore ideal for permanent marking.

The aim is to increase the strength of steel and cast iron materials by transforming their microstructure. Suitable and powerful diode lasers are used for laser beam hardening. The technology is based on heating the material to approx. 900 to 1,500 degrees Celsius and then cooling it - this is also referred to as quenching.The technology of laser beam hardening is characterized by low costs compared to conservative technologies.

As a rule, mach uses a high-energy laser for marking, engraving or labeling. Since the processing of the surface by a laser is contactless, this application area of lasers enjoys the highest popularity. Laser engraving is also characterized by durability and longevity. Laser engraving is therefore often used in the field of marking, documentation and individualization. A typical laser for engraving surfaces is the carbon dioxide laser, also known as CO2 laser or carbon dioxide laser.

In DIN E&N 60825-1:2015-07 lasers are divided into 8 classes. Class 1 describes lasers and laser devices that do not pose a danger to people when handled with care. The highest class, class 4 in DIN EN 60825-1:2015-07, includes high-power lasers. These laser systems are exclusively for users with appropriate expertise.

When solids are cut through by laser radiation, this is known as laser cutting. Modern lasers cut complex structures and geometries from almost all conceivable materials with extreme precision. Pulsed lasers and continuous laser sources are used in laser cutting. Laser cutting is particularly popular in the metalworking industry. Laser cutting is characterized by highest precision, efficiency and productivity.

In various areas of industry but also in the service trade, soldering with lasers is gaining relevance. The high process speed, dense, smooth and clean solder seams are another advantage of laser soldering. In most cases, a diode laser is used, and hard solder - such as a copper-silicon wire - is used for joining.

Lasers have also become indispensable in modern medicine. In some areas, laser technology has become established, as innovative treatment concepts are possible with the help of diode lasers or Co2 lasers. Other areas, such as the removal of tattoos, have only become possible with the help of nanosecond lasers.lasers are used in these areas:

General surgery - CO2 laser

Vascular treatment - diode laser

Hair removal - diode laser

Skin tightening - often cO2 laser

Scar treatment CO2 laser

Proctology - diode laser

Fiber lasers are primarily used here. Whether it is a matter of marking aluminum, brass, copper, nickel-plated metals, stainless steel and other metals, fiber lasers are the first choice here. But also technical plastics such as ABS, PEEK and polycarbonates can be processed excellently with fiber lasers.

MOPA is the abbreviation for Master Oscillator Power Amplifier. The beam of the MOPA laser is produced by the master oscillator and the output power is regulated by the optical amplifier (power amplifier). MOPA lasers are preferably used in the field of laser marking and laser marking.

The picosecond laser generates ultra-short light pulses in the range of picoseconds (pulse duration between 10-9 and 10-12 s). It can be used in the processing of materials as well as in cosmetic medicine. Due to the short pulse duration of the laser, it leads, for example, to the removal of tattoos, so that the color particles are better broken down and thus more quickly degraded by the body.

The name of the UV laser can be explained by its wavelength - it operates in the ultraviolet range of the light spectrum. More precisely, the wavelength of UV lasers is about one third (355 nm) of the standard wavelength (1064 nm). It thus belongs to the lasers with high energy density.

In dentistry, lasers are often offered as an alternative to conventional therapy. In the field of soft tissue surgery, primarily diode lasers are used. The Er.YAG/Nd. YAG laser is used both in soft tissue and in hard tissue. Often, anesthesia is not required - the therapy is therefore also called drilling without a drill.