Fibre Laser as an Energy-Saving Tool. Overview of Industrial Applications

Fibre lasers have established their position in a variety of industrial applications. The advantages of these lasers such as excellent beam quality, solid (compact) design and possibility of power adjustment within a wide range have supplanted conventional laser sources in a number of applications or made laser technologies applicable in some areas for the first time ever. Their electric efficiency (up to approximately 45%) make fibre lasers energy-saving tools, minimising outlays and costs related to power consumption and cooling. The article describes fibre laser technologies and overviews micro- and macro-processing applications using pulsed-mode lasers or lasers emitting a continuous single (basic mode) beam or a multi-mode beam.