6 Amazing Facts About Laser Cutting

The development of laser cutting technology has been a game changer in industrial manufacturing.

Simply put, this technology involves the use of a high-power laser to cut or engrave materials such as wood, steel, plastic and glass. The motion of the laser is controlled through computer coding that is written according to a specific design. What results is a high-quality product with a professional look.

Laser cutting is especially useful when precision is essential or materials need to cut into complex designs. Unlike traditional drills, laser cutters can be used on a diverse array of materials of varying thicknesses. Thanks to all of the benefits that this method affords, it has been growing in popularity. Here are some historical facts about laser cutting that paint a picture of how far this technology has come since its inception.

Fact #1 – Albert Einstein himself sparked the race to create the laser cutter when he developed his theory of “stimulated emission” in 1917, inspired by his fascination with the interaction between matter and radiation.

Fact #2 – Einstein’s theory, like many scientific ideas that were ahead of their time, was not immediately embraced by fellow scientists. It wasn’t until almost 35 years later, in 1950, that a group of scientists including Charles Townes, Nikolay Basov and Alexander Prokhorov developed Einstein’s theory and demonstrated it with microwaves.

Fact #3 – “LASER” is actually an acronym that stands for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”. This term was coined in 1959 by a Columbia graduate student named Gordon Gould.

Fact #4 – The first working prototype of a laser was created by Theodore Maiman in 1960. It used synthetic ruby and produced a red beam of light! This ruby laser was first used for military range finders.

Fact #5 – The carbon dioxide and crystal lasers were both invented in the same year, 1964, and by the same company, Bell Labs. Kumar Patel is credited for the invention of the carbon dioxide laser cutter and J. E. Geusic invented crystal laser cutting.

Fact #6 – Taking us beyond the second dimension, 3D laser cutting came onto the scene in 1979. An Italian company called Prima Industrie invented the process using a rotational system with five axes. No longer restricted to flat-sheet materials, this cutter can produce entire parts and pipes.

Our laser technicians at Baseline Custom Fabricating Ltd. use only the latest state-of-the-art laser technology to produce complex parts with unmatched precision and speed. We are capable of laser cutting various metals, including mild and stainless steel, aluminum, copper and brass. Have a look through our gallery to see what we can do, and contact us if you like what you see!