What is Laser The way Laser Works Different Types of Laser The Power range of Laser Hazards with Laser Resources & Different Web Sites Test Yourself Feedback

Applications of lasers exist throughout our society, and new uses are discovered almost daily. The laser is an elegant yet awesome tool that has provided a seemingly magic solution to numerous problems since its invention in 1960. Powerful lasers destroy air planes in flight and slice through heavy steel as if it were cheese.

Fig. 14 : Laser in Use

More delicate and precise laser, placed in the hands of skilled surgeons, can repair detached retinas in the human eye and stop bleeding deep inside a patient's body. Lasers read supermarket bar code labels in automatic cash registers, measure the distance to the moon or between terrestrial points with incredible accuracy, and many eventually drive fusion power plants to provide the human race with much of its energy during the next centuries. Fig.14 shows a narrow beam of intense laser. Following are the few of the thousands of applications for lasers.

Different Applications :

(A). Applications in manufacturing:

Laser machining: CO2 laser beam cutting a 5 mm thick stainless steel sheet. The beam itself is, of course, invisible. Laser tools can cut a variety of materials, from high carbon steel through titanium alloys, ceramics and reinforced rubber to wood, cloth and cardboard. Other advantages are : low noise, dust, fume and vibration levels, the possibility of operating through a glass shield, no fraying (fabrics), the ease of starting a cut in the middle of a work piece, and the elimination of the need for a wide range of cutting tools.

Figure 15. : Schematic diagram for beam focusing head design for laser welding when using a shielding gas

When it comes to industrial hole drilling, the laser proves of value mostly in working materials at both extremes of the hardness scale: diamonds and rubies on the one hand and polythene and rubber on the other. Making holes in general metalwork by laser, however, is not an economic proposition (yet), as the removal of large quantities of material involves the latent heat not only of melting, but also of evaporating the material. This can be very great indeed, especially for large holes. However, when small holes have to be made either in inaccessible places or at very accurate angles and depth, such as in a vane for a jet engine, laser drilling can be invaluable. Laser welding (Fig.15) has already found its way to the motor car industry. In conclusion, the use of laser beams in manufacturing, although not massive, is highly diverse. Wherever applied it leads not only to higher yields but also to superior product quality.

(H). Applications of laser as a sensor device

(I). Environmental study:

Laser is also used for probing the atmosphere for weather forecasting and pollution study; such systems are called LIDAR, an acronym akin to RADAR. It stands for Light Detection And Ranging and the system essentially study the laser beam scattered from the atmosphere. The study of atmosphere using an optical beam was done by Hulbert in 1937 but the arrival of the laser has revolutionised the atmospheric study using coherent light beams. In the study, the pulses of laser light are sent and the radiation that is scattered by various particles present in the atmosphere is picked up by the receiver. This scattered light gives information regarding the particles present in the atmosphere having sensitivity much more than that obtained from microwave radars.

(J). Military applications:

There are certain inherent possibilities in the use of a laser for military applications. Because the light beam is capable of sharp focus , from its position above the earth, the beam could be directed at a satellite or missile that is to be destroyed. The laser may be used as a portable battlefield device. Laser can be used for military purposes such as radar, in which they can be combined with a missile destruction system.

(K). Decorative uses:

Universal laser systems Inc. is the innovator of and largest manufacturer of computer controlled laser engraving (e.g., rubber stamp, Decorative etching, pen & gifts, plaques & award, plastic name badges, Desk accessories, lather & glass), marking ( Bar coding, identification tags) and cutting (e.g., wood, acrylic, rubber, leather, fabric, paper, laminated plastic, plastic film, ceramic, coated metal glass, stencils ,patterns & gaskets) systems for decorative and industrial use. Rubber stamp engraving is very popular. It is a direct digital method for producing rubber stamps without going through a labour intensive photographic process. Once the stamps are designed in the graphics software, they are printed to the Universal laser system (ULS) where the rubber is engraved. ULS provides special software & hardware to allow the laser systems to perform this job.

What is Laser The way Laser Works Different Types of Laser The Power range of Laser Hazards with Laser Resources & Different Web Sites Test Yourself Feedback