Cutting

Compared with traditional cutting processes such as flame cutting or the hot knife, the laser is at a particular advantage when it comes to flexibility and quality. CO₂ lasers with Galvanometer-driven deflector heads are used for fine cutting of PMMA or PET and others. This ensures maximum precision and speed. Because of the characteristic laser micro fusion, the edge of the cut is visually very appealing, and the avoidance of micro-cracks means high quality.

Unlike the hot knife, the laser cannot become blunt - and this ensures the consistent quality of cut that is so important in the further course of the production process. In addition, because of the physical peculiarities of the cutting process, the laser does not "feel" the hardness of the material - so even glass-fiber reinforced plastics can be processed without trouble.
A good example of the use of lasers is the removal of casting sprues. With a lot of mobile phones, for example, the Perspex windows are now being separated by laser, in order to meet customers' aesthetic demands. Other examples are to be found in the automobile technology - especially in areas in which quality of appearance plays an important part.