THE FINAL FRONTIER

IPG Photonics (Novi, MI), a world leader in high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers, recently announced that it has developed an advanced new family of CO2 gas lasers that will allow the company to enter new markets and applications. The first generation of CO2 gas lasers, with output powers from 1kW to 3 kW and operating in the 10.6 micron spectral range, are more efficient and compact than conventional CO2 lasers now on the market, and are ideal for processing nonmetal materials.

The new gas laser family extends the tradition of innovations for which these fiber lasers are well known: namely high electrical efficiency, excellent beam quality, low maintenance, ruggedness, compactness and low weight. With record overall wall plug efficiency of 12 to 15 percent at all power levels and low gas consumption, the multi-kilowatt gas laser is the size of a suitcase and is lightweight (approximately 120 lb).

"Fiber lasers remain the best choice for a large variety of applications," said Dr. Valentin Gapontsev, IPG's chief executive officer. "In fact, fiber lasers are replacing conventional lasers, including CO2 lasers, in many applications such as metal welding, cladding, sintering and brazing. However, some nonmetal materials like polymers and organic materials could be processed better by the 10 micron spectral range of CO2 gas lasers."

The new line of lasers feature a novel patented laser generator that allows the output power to increase without affecting the high optical quality of the beam. These gas lasers are able to produce modes from TEM00 to TEM01 as well as "D" modes making then well suited for high quality and precision cutting.

"The CO2 sealed market, growing at a rate of 6 percent, is estimated at more than $1 billion with 5,800 units projected worldwide in 2008. There are more than 33,000 high power CO2 lasers in use today," commented Gapontsev. "Although fiber lasers have started to replace CO2 lasers in metal cutting, there is room in this large market segment for the coexistence of two complementary technologies. We believe that the tandem of our innovative fiber lasers and gas lasers can accelerate our penetration in cutting applications.  Numerous customers expressed interest in replacing their conventional CO2 lasers with more modern products.  With the improvements in CO2 lasers that we are introducing, we hope to meet such customer needs."

"Our new CO2 laser should open up new applications for gas lasers because it can withstand accelerations of up to 1G, and it is lightweight and compact," stated Bill Shiner, IPG's Vice President of Industrial Markets.  "For example, with the new gas laser's compact size, users can now put the resonator on an overhead gantry rather than use complex free space optics to deliver the laser's power to the workspace."

Customer tests of the new CO2 laser are already lined up. The company expects to market the new laser starting in the first quarter of 2009.

IPG Photonics Corporation, 50 Old Webster Road, Oxford, MA 01540, 877-980-1550, Fax: 508-373-1103, www.ipgphotonics.com.