Types of lasers for laser welding
Laser beams can be extracted by using a gas, solid, or liquid as a medium. Of these methods, welding lasers use a gas or solid as the medium. Therefore, the types of lasers used for laser welding can be generally divided into gas lasers or solid-state lasers.
Gas laser welding uses carbon dioxide (CO2) or other gases to produce light.
Solid-state laser welding uses ores such as yttrium, aluminum, and garnet (as with YAG laser welding) to produce light.
Recently, fiber laser welding using optical fibers for oscillation, as well as semiconductor lasers and disk lasers developed from YAG lasers have increased in popularity.
| Wavelength | Oscillation form | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas | CO2 laser |
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| TEA-CO2 |
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| Solid-state | YAG laser |
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| YVO4 |
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| Fiber | Yb fiber |
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| Semiconductor | LD (laser diode) laser |
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|
CW: Continuous wave operation
Pulse: Pulse oscillation
