How does a CO2 laser cutting machine work?

Principles of Laser Cutting

The Carbon Dioxide Laser (CO2 laser) was one of the first gas lasers. Invented in 1964, it is still widely used for the production of various products and activities.

CO2 lasers produce an infrared light beam. This beam is powered by the gas contained in the tube. This gas is mainly composed of:

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) (about 10-20%)
Nitrogen (N2) (about 10-20%)
Hydrogen (H2) and/or Xenon (Xe) (a few percentage points; normally used only in a sealed tube)
Helium (He) (the rest of the gas mixture)

The specific proportions vary depending on the particular use of cutting and engraving. Laser cutting machines operating in the infrared range require special materials for their construction. Typically, the mirrors are silver-coated, while the lenses are made of germanium or zinc selenide.

CO2 laser cutting machines are often used in industrial applications for cutting and welding, while lower power level lasers are used for engraving.

CO2 Laser Cutting Machines – Medium Power

for WOOD, PLASTIC, PLEXIGLAS, METAL, CARDBOARD, FABRIC, RUBBER.

The CO2 laser cutting with CNC technology is based on a system that transmits the laser beam from the tube to the material through mirrors (see figure).

The generation of the laser involves heating the tube, which is cooled by distilled water. The tube generates a beam that reflects off mirrors and passes through a lens to reach the cutting panel. For a good cut, it is crucial to adjust the distance between the lens and the material to be cut, as well as to use a jet of compressed air at the cutting point. The entire cutting and/or engraving process occurs under air depression thanks to suction pumps. The machine is connected to a PC with dedicated software that allows vectors to be transformed into cutting and/or engraving commands. The vectors are assigned power and speed settings for the laser head, which vary depending on the thickness and nature of the material.

It is evident that the greater the laser power, the greater the maximum thickness and the type of material that can be cut.