The demands made by modern technology on components can only be fulfilled if sophistical materials are used eg composite materials, surface treated materials or graduated materials. The component is subjected to different types of stresses at different parts and hence different properties are required to withstand the loading. Lasers are high technology tools which can be applied to locally modify the surface properties. In the last ten years laser cutting and laser welding have established themselves as reliable industrial processes. Laser surface treatment has been shown to be a viable process although it is much more complex than cutting and welding. Apart from isolated applications laser surface treatment has yet to become an accepted process. The different working processes require different laser charcteristics eg beam size, energy density etc. I shafl concentrate on applications undertaken y CO2 lasers although NdIAG lasers are serious2contenders for many applications and excimer lasers are gaining in importance

Date Published: 1 October 1990
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 1276, CO2 Lasers and Applications II, (1 October 1990); doi: 10.1117/12.20557

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1276:
CO2 Lasers and Applications II
Hans Opower, Editor(s)